Debates about nuclear deterrence and strategic stability have reemerged as central concerns in contemporary security studies. As great-power competition intensifies and nuclear modernization programs accelerate, policymakers, scholars, and military professionals are once again grappling with enduring questions about the role of nuclear weapons in international order.

The Cambria Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security (RCCS) Series contributes to this conversation by publishing concise, policy-relevant works from leading scholars and practitioners. Designed for readers engaged in professional military education (PME), strategic studies programs, and policy research, the series brings together rigorous analysis with practical insight into the challenges shaping global security.

Featured Forthcoming Title

Learning to Love the Bomb: Understanding the American Nuclear Arsenal
Edited by Curtis McGiffin and Adam Lowther

This forthcoming volume offers a clear-eyed examination of the logic, structure, and strategic role of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the twenty-first century. Bringing together leading experts, the book explores the enduring relevance of nuclear deterrence in an era defined by renewed great-power rivalry.

Major General Garrett Harencak, former Commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, describes the book as:

“Required reading … an essential examination of the current global nuclear posture and the dynamics of modern deterrence.”

For faculty and students at war colleges, defense academies, and strategic studies programs, this volume provides an accessible yet analytically rigorous guide to one of the most consequential pillars of U.S. national security.

Key Titles in Nuclear Strategy and Deterrence

The RCCS series also includes several influential works that are already shaping discussion within the strategic studies community:

Reassessing U.S. Nuclear Strategy
By David W. Kearn, Jr.

A thoughtful reassessment of the foundations of American nuclear policy, this book explores how deterrence remains central to U.S. defense strategy in a changing security environment.

Planning War with a Nuclear China: U.S. Military Strategy and Mainland Strikes
By John Speed Meyers

An indispensable analysis of the strategic challenges posed by China’s growing nuclear capabilities and what they mean for U.S. military planning and deterrence strategy.

Negotiating the New START Treaty
By Rose Gottemoeller

Written by the chief U.S. negotiator of the New START Treaty, this award-winning book provides a rare insider account of the diplomacy behind one of the most significant nuclear arms agreements of the modern era.

Deterrence by Denial: Theory and Practice
Edited by Alex S. Wilner and Andreas Wenger

A landmark volume examining how denial strategies can prevent aggression by undermining adversaries’ prospects for success—an increasingly important concept in contemporary deterrence theory.

A Series Where Theory Meets Practice

The Cambria Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security (RCCS) Series is led by Dr. Thomas G. Mahnken, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The series was launched by Dr. Geoffrey R. H. Burn, founding editor of RCCS, who joined Cambria Press after retiring from Stanford University Press, where he spent more than a decade as director and established its influential security studies publishing program.

Drawing on that experience, the RCCS series was established to publish concise, analytically rigorous works that speak directly to the needs of scholars, policymakers, and national security professionals. The result is a collection that bridges the gap between academic research and real-world strategy.

Explore the series and see additional titles from leading scholars and practitioners in security studies.

Visit the Cambria Press booth (202) at the ISA 2026 Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio.