Introduction : what is at stake?
War and democracy
Vietnam, Iraq and the "War on terror" : deception, war propaganda and legislative approval
Increasingly unrestrained war powers in the United States: from Truman to Trump
Britain's royal war prerogative reasserted and reinforced
From Whitehall to the White House : the war power in Australia from legal subordination to political subservience
The failure of reform proposals : an Australian case study
War and dissent : sweeping domestic powers
Contemporary preparations for wartime measures
Martial law, official lawlessness and judicial complicity
Can international law stop wars of aggression?
Would referenda provide any alternative?
Conclusions.