Everyman’s War: Strategy, Security and Terrorism in India by Raghu Raman

As compared to the traditional notions of victory in war defined by total victory over the adversary’s military, victory today rests on significantly retarding the adversary’s economic and geopolitical progress to advance one’s own. With this being the mindset of most contemporary threat elements, every citizen of a nation has become party to the effects of war or breaches of national security. Raghu Raman’s Everyman’s War vividly captures the underlying internal security problems faced by India, while at the same time suggesting reforms. Wrapped in historical and contemporary examples, the scope of reforms that he suggests is expansive, ranging from cyber-security and national defence to the safety of women. These reforms are implementable at the individual, organisational and national levels, and are therefore not only meant for those responsible for ensuring the security of India, but also, and more importantly, for the ‘common man’.