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War in the Smartphone Age

Conflict, Connectivity and the Crises at Our Fingertips
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( 22 ratings, 11 reviews)
Brief Description
An essential guide to understanding war and information on today's data-saturated battlefields - from Ukraine to Gaza and beyond. Thanks to smartphones, war is everywhere, all the time. Anyone can view, analyse, and comment on photos, videos, or other warzone media, far from the frontlines. Where... Read More
Format: Hardback
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Fresh ways of thinking about war and information on the data-saturated battlefields of the twenty-first century drawing on Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An essential guide to understanding war and information on today's data-saturated battlefields - from Ukraine to Gaza and beyond.

Thanks to smartphones, war is everywhere, all the time. Anyone can view, analyse, and comment on photos, videos, or other warzone media, far from the frontlines. Where did this technology come from? And what does it mean for the future of war?

War in the Smartphone Age explains why you see what you do on your phone. It asks how these devices shape our knowledge, conduct, and representation of war in the 2020s. It shows why the smartphone is indispensable in peace and wartime, with a profound impact on modern conflict. Every smartphone is a potential weapon: lines blur between war and daily life, and conflict becomes a shared digital experience.

Global tech giants orchestrate connectivity, displacing state-controlled narratives. Through social media, smartphones become powerful tools amplifying violence and shaping war's legitimacy. Apps democratise conflict, enabling anyone to identify and attack perceived enemies. As the Ukraine war has shown, this new reality involves complex, unevenly distributed infrastructures, merging civilian communication with military targeting.

With war accelerating beyond our comprehension, militaries have raced to exploit and adapt to the smartphone age. As technology distorts our understanding of conflict, even while offering the hope of progress, Matthew Ford explores critical questions about today's hyper-connected battlefield.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781911723998

Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 26 June 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 312

About the Author

Matthew Ford is Associate Professor in War Studies at the Swedish Defence University. The author of Weapon of Choice and co-author of Radical War (both published by Hurst), he was the founding editor of the British Journal for Military History. His research focuses on technology and the conduct of war.

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