How can you achieve victory in war if you don't have a clear idea of your political aims and a vision of what victory means? In this provocative challenge to US political aims and strategy, Donald Stoker argues that America endures endless wars because its leaders no longer know how to think about war, particularly wars fought for limited aims, taking the nation to war without understanding what they want or valuing victory and thus the ending of the war. He reveals how flawed ideas on so-called 'limited war' and war in general evolved against the backdrop of American conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. These ideas, he shows, undermined America's ability to understand, wage, and win its wars, and to secure peace. Now fully updated to incorporate the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, Why America Loses Wars dismantles seventy years of misguided thinking and lays the foundations for a new approach to the wars of tomorrow.

'… this is a book that every policy maker and military officer should read.'

Heather Venable Source: The Strategy Bridge

‘an ambitious book that does a superb job of serving as a starting point to a sorely needed conversation on current limited war strategy. Reading it should hopefully spark conversation among policymakers and strategy practitioners on how to approach Americas future wars.'

Travis Zahnow Source: Small Wars Journal

‘Why America Loses Wars will be of great interest to the general reader … The book deserves serious attention from scholars and policymakers alike.'

Joseph A. Ledford Source: H-War

'The recommendations and insights in Why America Loses Wars deserve widespread circulation among strategists.'

Jon Middaugh Source: Naval Historical Foundation

'Reading this book would make a good starting-point for leaders interested in correcting seven decades of poor decision-making.'

Andrew Payne Source: International Affairs

'Stoker's analysis of the United States' failures is convincing.'

Lawrence Freedman Source: Foreign Affairs

‘The book was very enjoyable and thoughtful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who works in or has interest in national security, modern military history, and military strategy.'

Col. Robert Sherrill Source: Military Review