Contents Introduction by Professor Hew Strachan Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction: The Script and Its Cast Chapter 2 Civil Military Decision-makers within Their Theoretical Context Chapter 3 The Analytical Prism Chapter 4 The context: From Regime Change, to Peace Building, to Countering Insurgents: Stabilising Afghanistan Chapter 5 Case Study: The Decision Path to Uruzgan Chapter 6 Case Study: The Decision Path to Helmand Chapter 7 Cross-Case Analysis: A Powerful Idea Meets a Window of Opportunity Chapter 8 Findings Inescapable Entrapments: Informal Action Channels, and Path Dependent Reasoning Chapter 9 Avenues for Future Research: Bridging the Theory-Practice Nexus in Strategic Studies Notes Bibliography List of Respondents Index