New conflicts across the Middle East mean that defence strategy making is more important than ever: history shows that we cannot afford to think of defence in solely monetary terms.

British defence and security policy has recently come under attack for lacking strategic vision. In a historical study of British strategy-making, Gwyn Prins pulls out key lessons for current defence strategists, finding that it is often best to leave the Treasury out of strategy-making.

Britain’s trade depends on the sea. In the coming public expenditure cuts we cannot afford to ‘sign off’ from maritime security and naval defence

The defence review is occurring at a time of extreme financial pressure at home and considerable military risk in Afghanistan. Gwyn Prins and Sir Jeremy Blackham argue that geopolitics prescribe a primarily maritime framework for the Strategic Defence Review. The core strategic challenges remain naval ones, yet the Royal Navy has become dangerously weak. Urgent steps must be taken to reverse this trend before it is too late

Pero, ¿ de qué enfermedad se trataba ? : el estado actual de los estudios sobre la salud y la curación en Africa

Este artículo ofrece un acercamiento a la historia de la medicinal y de las prácticas terapéuticas en el África moderna. Arguye que las historias biomédicas tradicionales de la era colonial son necesarias, pero no suficientes para realizar esta tarea. Como tampoco lo son los estudios etnográficos de las prácticas terapéuticas indígenas. Los más importantes desarrollos analíticos recientes son, respectivamente, las historias macroepidemiológicas (por ejemplo, sobre la mosca tse-tsé) y el estudio de contextos terapéuticos pluralistas. Estos análisis ilustran un argumento central del artículo, a saber, que el estudio de la terapéutica es una de las vías más eficaces y fiables de investigar las complejidades culturales de una situación postcolonial. Tales estudios también ayudan a atravesar la cortina del estereotipo y del prejuicio que, desde los primeros contactos, ha caracterizado la perspectiva europea del continente africano

The Role of the Military

Presents comments (from the EPIIC Symposium at Tufts University, February 2004) on the issue concerning the role of the U.S. military on their citizens; Concern on defining victory in the war on terror; Discussion on the relationship between the political objectives of the U.S. grand strategy and how they employ a military instrument; Views on the role of the military force

The War on Terror

Presents comments (from the EPIIC Symposium at Tufts University, February 2004) concerning the war on terror; concern on the problem about terrorism; elaboration on the claim that the world is not in a global war on terror; and problems of the use and abuse of the word terrorism