A detailed and highly authoritative critical commentary appraising the vitally important United States Department of Defense Law of War Manual.

William H. Boothby is an associate fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. A former Air Commodore, he retired as Deputy Director of Legal Services for the RAF in 2011.

Introduction; 1. General background; 2. Principles; 3. Application of the law of war; 4. Classes of persons; 5. The conduct of hostilities; 6. Weapons; 7. Wounded, sick, shipwrecked, dead and the medical services; 8. Detention - overview and baseline rules; 9. Prisoners of war; 10. Civilians in the hands of a party to the conflict; 11. Military occupation; 12. Non-hostile relations between belligerents; 13. Naval warfare; 14. Air and space warfare; 15. The law of neutrality; 16. Cyber operations; 17. Non-international armed conflict; 18. Implementation and enforcement of the law of war; 19. Documentary appendix - notes on treaties and other relevant documents; 20. Post-publication amendments.