Culture | The best-laid plans

Optimism has made wars likelier and bloodier

Lawrence Freedman traces a long history of predictions—rarely correct—that fighting would be swift and decisive

The Future of War: A History. By Lawrence Freedman. PublicAffairs; 400 pages; $30. Allen Lane; £25.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The other side has a vote”

Xi Jinping has more clout than Donald Trump. The world should be wary

From the October 14th 2017 edition

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