Introduction

This book examines the meaning and management of time as a facet of the art of war in general but especially operational art. While force-time-place has for a long time been considered to be the essential trinity of warfare, the aspect of time remains largely under-researched. Relying on classic texts on art of war, the author engages with some of the top theorists and practitioners of art of war from the age of Sun Tzu to the network-centric warfare about the role of time and its management in operational art. Relying on Alvin Toffler’s theory of the “three waves,” the volume follows research into development of operational art through cycles from the agrarian age to the industrial age and into the information age.