Philip K. Lawrence has published many articles on war and military strategy in journals, including "Political Studies", "Review of International Studies", "International Affairs", "Australian Journal of Politics and History", and "Theory and Society".

Modernity and War explores and assesses the development of war in the modern period. The book examines the contradiction between the optimistic view of social progress in the West and the actual involvement of Western states in mass violence. The author explains the violence of the modern form of war by analysing cultural trends in Western states and their connections to racism, nationalism and narcissism. The text also explains how the practice of air warfare distances Western citizens from the consequences of contemporary military violence.