Commanding the Stars

"To understand the future of war, we must first imagine worlds beyond our own."

                                                                                 -Michael A. VanPutte

In Commanding the Stars, military strategist and scholar Michael A. VanPutte transforms science fiction into a powerful lens for understanding real-world conflict. By stepping beyond the limits of history, politics, and modern assumptions, he reveals the enduring strategic truths that transcend time, technology, and terrain.

From the galactic struggles of Star Wars and the hard realism of The Expanse to the enduring wisdom of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz, this work connects timeless military theory with visionary speculative warfare. Each chapter challenges readers to rethink how leaders command, how wars are won or lost, and how strategy evolves when familiar constraints no longer apply.

Provocative, authoritative, and deeply engaging, Commanding the Stars is essential reading for anyone who studies power, conflict, leadership, or the art of war. For strategists, storytellers, students, gamers, and commanders, it offers a bold exploration of where imagination sharpens doctrine and where vision reshapes reality.