Tom Waldman

Tom Waldman is a Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, specialising in military strategy, statebuilding, and conflict studies. His research bridges academic theory and policy practice, focusing on contemporary warfare, Clausewitzian theory, and post-conflict interventions. He holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick (2009), alongside advanced degrees from Sheffield and Newcastle Universities.

Research Interests

• Modern military strategy and its historical foundations
• Statebuilding dynamics in fragile states
• Policy-research interfaces in conflict zones
• Afghanistan and post-Soviet conflict contexts

His work combines field experience in Kosovo, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nepal, and Afghanistan with academic analysis. He serves on editorial boards for Contemporary Security Studies and the Palgrave Studies in Contemporary Warfare series.

Key Contributions

• Recent book Vicarious Warfare critiques American military strategy in asymmetric conflicts
• Landmark analysis of Clausewitz's Trinity concept in modern conflicts
• Co-authored Understanding Influence on statebuilding research uptake in British policy