// Comparison

Cyber vs Introduction à la cyberstratégie: Which Should You Read?

Two cybersecurity books on Strategy, compared honestly: who each is for, what each does best, and which to read first.

Intermediate
4/52018
Cyber

La guerre permanente

Jean-Louis Gergorin, Léo Isaac-Dognin

A strategic analysis of cyber conflict as permanent, sub-threshold warfare — and what France and Europe should do about it — by a former senior French strategist and a consultant.

Intermediate
3/52015
Introduction à la cyberstratégie

Olivier Kempf

A foundational French introduction to cyberstrategy — treating cyberspace as a domain of strategic thought — by a former officer and strategy scholar.

Read this if

Strategy and policy readers who want a serious French argument about cyber as continuous low-intensity conflict, with concrete doctrine and recommendations. Gergorin brings real statecraft experience.
Strategy students and analysts who want a structured French-language introduction to thinking about cyberspace strategically, in the Economica strategic-studies tradition.

Skip this if

Technical readers wanting attacks or defence; it's a strategy/policy book aimed at decision-makers, not practitioners.
Technical readers or those wanting current operational detail; it's an academic strategic introduction, and even the 2015 edition predates much recent history.

Key takeaways

  • One of the most substantive French strategy books on cyber as permanent conflict.
  • Gergorin is a former head of policy planning at the Quai d'Orsay — the statecraft is first-hand.
  • Policy- and doctrine-focused, with concrete recommendations for France and Europe.
  • A clear French-language entry point to cyberspace as a strategic domain.
  • Sits in the academic strategic-studies tradition (Economica), complementing Boyer's more operational pair.
  • The second edition (2015) adds chapters on French cyberstrategy; read for the framework, not current events.

How they compare

We rate Cyber higher (4/5 against 3/5 for Introduction à la cyberstratégie). For most readers, that means Cyber is the primary pick and Introduction à la cyberstratégie is a useful follow-up.

Both books target intermediate-level readers, so the choice is about topic, not difficulty.

Cyber and Introduction à la cyberstratégie both cover Strategy, Geopolitics, Nation-State, so reading them in sequence reinforces the same material from different angles.

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