Sean McFate

American author, defense analyst, and former private military contractor who writes on modern warfare, mercenaries, and defense policy.

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. The Modern Mercenary

    Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

    A provocative examination of the rise of privatized warfare and soldiers‑for‑hire, arguing that modern mercenaries have become central players in contemporary conflict and statecraft. Drawing on history and case studies, it explains how private military companies emerged to fill gaps left by overstretched militaries, delivering security, logistics, and intelligence while creating incentives that complicate accountability and international law. The book assesses the economic and strategic drivers—globalization, weak states, and advancing technology—outlines the risks of unregulated private force, and offers pragmatic recommendations for oversight, legal frameworks, and responsible integration of private actors into national security. Ultimately it contends that mercenaries are neither purely villainous nor purely heroic but an inevitable feature of modern geopolitics that requires honest policy choices.