New and Old Wars has fundamentally changed the way both scholars and policy-makers understand contemporary war and conflict. In the context of globalization, this path-breaking book has shown that what we think of as war is becoming an anachronism. In its place is a new type of organized violence or ‘new wars’―a mixture of war, organized crime, and massive violations of human rights.

This new edition has been fully revised and updated, and includes an afterword answering the critics of the New Wars argument. A new chapter shows how old war thinking in Afghanistan and Iraq greatly exacerbated what turned out to be, in many ways, archetypal new wars―characterized by identity politics, a criminalized war economy, and civilians as the main victims. The third edition of New and Old Wars will be essential reading for students of international relations, politics, and conflict studies, as well as to all those interested in the changing nature and prospect of warfare.