In Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century, Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady challenge one of modern war’s most influential doctrines: MDO. Is it the right framework for 21st-century conflict—or a concept rushed into service without sufficient grounding? Through the lenses of origin, field application, academic critique, and international perspectives, the authors examine MDO’s theoretical and practical shortcomings. They argue that MDO is a solution in search of a problem—strategically narrow, tactically vague, and ill-suited for America’s allies. This book calls for a doctrinal reset: one that addresses precision strike overreach, rising attrition warfare, and the enduring need for land forces. With rigorous policy and PME recommendations, Fox and Gady offer a vital roadmap for rethinking military doctrine. Essential reading for defense leaders, scholars, and warfighters alike, this book reshapes how we must think about future battlefields.
“Multidomain Operations is a must-read for military professionals and policy makers. Fox and Gady explore how warfare is evolving across land, air, sea, cyber, and space—challenging conventional doctrine and urging adaptation to today’s complex operational landscape.” — Lieutenant General Kevin Admiral, Commanding General, US III Armored Corps
“Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady bring sharp analysis to MDO, challenging dominant narratives with expert insight. Essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and military professionals navigating the realities of modern warfare and the evolving concept of Multidomain Operations.” — Anthony King, PhD, Director, University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute
“’The greatest risk of MDO is that it over-promises to policymakers something that military concepts have never been able to deliver, and that is to achieve the political end state that the war or conflict seeks.’ Therefore, policymakers, strategists, senior military leaders, concept developers, and doctrine writers should take a hard look at whether MDO is a feasible, acceptable, suitable, and complete doctrine…” — ARMY magazine
“For policymakers, strategists, and senior military leaders, especially on this side of the Atlantic, an indispensable read to understand the roots, ambitions, limits, dead ends and perspectives of Multi Domain Operations. A necessary wake up call to prevent MDO from being excessive, misinterpreted, hollowed out and disconnected from what is achievable in time and is relevant to dominate the future battle space. An enormous amount of food for thought!” — Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, 21st Chief of German Army / 2020-2025
"The character of warfare has been evolving rapidly and there is much that we can learn from current conflicts. This excellent book reminds that all wars are sui generis and therefore not all lessons are applicable to what happens next. What most observers would agree is that the Ukraine War has seen a vast leap forward in autonomy (to make up for capability limitations elsewhere) and the integration of vast quantities of data to achieve greater information advantage. This book rightly highlights the potential that the integration of the operational domains has to offer, and it also presents wise advice on how to execute. I commend it to you.” — General Sir Nick Carter GCB CBE DSO ADC Gen
Are you a currently serving field-grade officer or military civilian? Does your daily grind consist of staff work on DOTMLPR-F related issues while completing your master’s degree and attempting to publish in a professional journal simultaneously? Do you want to speak knowledgeably about current military doctrine and its potential to deliver effects in dynamic security environments? If you answered yes to any of the above, then Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century is an essential text.— Small Wars Journal
Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century succeeds in what it sets out to do: challenge the prevailing orthodoxy and force readers to engage critically with a concept that is often taken for granted. It strips away the hype and exposes the underlying weaknesses of multidomain thinking, while also acknowledging its aspirations and potential. For sceptics, it provides a wealth of arguments; for proponents, it offers a necessary corrective.— The Wavell Room
Given its wide-ranging theoretical, practical, and international perspectives, this edited volume stands as the most comprehensive and critical examination of MDO available today. For practitioners and academics alike, the carefully selected compilation provides a valuable resource for understanding both the potential for success and the probabilities of setbacks as the US Army evolves and refines its operational concept. In that regard, the study reinforces a timeless truth that remains essential for organizational success: military institutions must continually test their ideas against the hardest realities and be open to the most biting critiques or risk failure in the crucible of combat. As stated by theorist Frank Hoffman in the book’s preface, this kind of self-reflection remains critical for ensuring that “the emperor’s proverbial wardrobe is fit for purpose.” — Military Review
"...it provides significant breadth and is an enjoyable read. As an edited volume, it offers a wide range and is an excellent reference for any security specialist to have on their shelf." — Journal of Strategic Security
338 pages
Publication 9th January 2026
9781912440801 paperback
9781922440818 hardback
9781912440825 EPUB
