The Best Defense Strategy for America? Elbridge Colby on The Strategy of Denial

For what purposes should the United States be prepared to fight, and how should U.S. forces be readied to fight such wars? As the Biden administration prepares the next National Defense Strategy these are vitally important questions.

Former Pentagon Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elbridge “Bridge” Colby, the lead official for the widely praised 2017 U.S. defense strategy, tackles these questions in his insightful new book, The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict. Colby describes how to frame a strategy to deal with a rising China, both the value and limitations of alliances, and recommendations how America should respond. Colby notes the need to maintain a favorable balance of power in relation to China and how a strategy of “deterrence by denial” holds the best prospect for America’s long-term strategic success. Essential for both national security professionals and concerned citizens, this topic and book could not be more relevant as America attempts to balance new and existing challenges against its vital interests.