Following a century dominated by global conflict—and despite the unchanging nature of the human suffering it causes—the nature of war itself, argues Colin McInnes, has been transformed for the West. Spectator-Sport War considers the key developments that have led to this metamorphosis, ranging from new geopolitical relationships to new technological advances.

McInnes shows that, even in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States and the military action in Afghanistan, war has direct meaning for only a small minority in the West. It is no longer participatory for Western society as a whole; it is something removed, watched from afar. The far-reaching implications of this phenomenon, for both the military and the broader community, are explored in the final chapter of the book.

Colin McInnes is professor of international politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His many publications on security and strategy include NATO's Changing Security Agenda and Hot War, Cold War: The British Army’s Way of Warfare.