Of the many military historians who have examined the art and science of battlefield leadership, few can match the accomplishments of John Keegan, who is perhaps best known for The Face of Battle (1976). Keegan's analysis has proven relevant over decades of evolving conflict and remains instructive to this day. In 1988, Keegan produced an equally important analysis of generalship in times of conflict.

Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? addresses the historical impact of strategic barriers, defined here as "continuous or mutually supporting works denying the enemy avenues of attack across a front." In his introduction, Brent Sterling argues for the relevance of such an appraisal given the renewal of interest in strategic defense around the world (old fashioned walls, as well as more novel missile defenses) and the shallow debate surrounding it, the "dynamic" of which "is for critics and proponents to talk past each other, adding highly subjective versions of the past to bolster their arguments," with even normally circumspect historians "prone to apply sweeping characterizations on this topic.

Modern information networks allow data conversion, distribution, and access through flexible hardware and software components that can easily be integrated into a limitless array of applications. This network approach has been developing rapidly and may offer a helpful example to guide energy systems. Energy system integration and networking will eventually transform all forms of energy into a fungible commodity. For that to happen, a paradigm shift must remove old boundaries so we can manage energy interchangeably and seamlessly. With the work and investment that are improving energy technologies, the network approach described here can help nearly everyone contribute to energy security in an age of environmental fears and unstable energy costs.