Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 20 - Historian & Strategist Ben Connable on the Realities of Modern Ground Combat

2026 has started with a proverbial bang, with the hard realities of military force brought squarely into the headlines with the US operation to seize Nicholas Maduro. And, of course, the grinding war of attrition continues in Ukraine as do conflicts in countries as varied as Sudan and Myanmar. While so much of the media coverage of these wars focuses on the role of technology and the apparent video game-like quality of the contemporary battlefield, our guest today argues that the reality of modern war remains very similar to what was experienced by infantryman throughout the conflicts of the 20th century and even centuries before.

Ben Connable is the author of the recently published book, Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War. Thebook serves as a compelling argument against any belief that conflict is now more about joysticks and video screens than it is about the deprivation, fear, and uncertainty that have been associated with ground war since time immemorial.

Ben, who holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, is the executive director of the Battle Research Group. He also is an adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University and a former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation.  Ben is a retired Marine Corpsintelligence and Middle East foreign area officer.

Books & Documentaries Mentioned on the Podcast

Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War by Ben Connable

Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall

2000 Metres to Andriivka

The Last 600 Meters