A new book series, edited by Reuben Fellow Dr Tim Clack, was officially launched last week at an event at the Tower of London. "Routledge Advances in Defence Studies (RAiDS)" is a multi-disciplinary book series which seeks to examine innovations, disruptions, and unconventional approaches to understanding contemporary forms, challenges, technologies and ethics of national defence. It is the first series explicitly dedicated to examining the impact of radical change on national security, and is already gaining a reputation for offering rigorous and challenging analysis, and a commitment to deliver insights which inform both academically and practically.
The launch event was hosted by the Constable of the Tower, General the Lord Houghton of Richmond, with generous support from Rebellion Defence, and Routledge. Over 200 guests, including academics, government officials, and technologists, joined Tim Clack and his co-editor, Dr Oliver Lewis (University of Southern California), for the occasion.
Lord Nick Houghton said, “As Constable of the Tower of London, I was delighted to host the launch of the series. The Tower has a long history of suppressing rebellion, but it has always known when to accommodate those developments which help protect our values and enrich our society. The series has already offered valuable insights on the evolving character of current threats and how national resilience can be enhanced to meet them.”
Dr Tim Clack said, “The character of warfare and its drivers are changing. Whether it’s emerging technologies, climate change, or sub-threshold measures, the impacts on security are vast. RAiDS will stimulate discussion between the research and policy worlds in order to facilitate enhanced levels of understanding for both.”
Dr Oliver Lewis said, “This is the first series explicitly dedicated to examining the impact of radical change on national security and disruptions to existing structures, practices, and behaviours in the defence community of practice.”
The first two books in the RAiDS series have been published. The World Information War (Tim Clack and Rob Johnson editors), which outlines threats to democracies from information warfare, and The Conduct of War in the 21st Century (Rob Johnson, Martijn Kitzen and Tim Sweijs editors), which examines the domains and contexts of today’s warfare. Future books in the series will cover topics as diverse as emerging technology and national security, political decision-making and conflict outcomes, defence exports, the economy as strategic theatre, and heritage and violence.
