Howgate Publishing, founded by Kirstin Howgate in 2015, is an independent publisher on a course to become home to the best military books.In an era where defence challenges are increasingly complex, fast-moving, and interconnected, the need for real-world insight has never been greater. And yet, while volumes are written about the military, very few are written for it.
That is the gap Kirstin Howgate set out to close when she founded Howgate Publishing in 2015, a boutique publishing house specialising in timely, actionable military thought. With over 25 years of publishing experience and a career rooted in Aldershot, the former home of the British Army, Howgate knew the terrain, both professional and personal. Married to an Army officer and surrounded by military families, she saw something others didn’t.“I realised there were very few publishers who actually thought about what the military really needed,” she says. “We’re not about philosophical armchair theories. These books have to be useful. They have to make things better.”
One of Howgate’s authors, whose book demonstrates to the reader how to go back to basics, based on limited budgets and resources, to understand how armies might, or should, equip, train, and organize, for any unknowable future, was quickly invited into conversations with the UK Ministry of Defence. Another, a podcast host and West Point strategist, transformed his episodes into a book on urban warfare, published just as global interest in the subject was re-ignited. The book was so timely that it was celebrated as an Amazon Best Seller.These aren’t coffee table curiosities. They are books that move the needle in defence strategy, inform government policy, and give journalists and politicians a deeper understanding of how modern militaries operate.
Unlike mass-market publishers churning out hundreds of titles a year, Howgate is highly selective, by design. This is not a publisher that pads a catalogue with anything that comes across the desk. Instead, Howgate handpicks authors, often before a formal idea has taken shape, and works closely with them to develop rigorous, real-world material.“We’ve been very intentional about this process: selecting things that are super timely, contemporary, applicable,” she says. “We’re here to serve the thinkers, the doers, and the enablers, and help them collaborate more effectively.”
While modest about her own expertise, Howgate plays a pivotal role in shaping every book, often acting as what she calls an incubator for ideas. A recent example: After approaching a defence expert with articles on cyber and electronic warfare, by the end of their meeting, an outline for a book had taken shape. Weeks later, he sent a full proposal.“The military professionals are the experts,” Howgate insists. “But what we do is help them structure that knowledge, refine it, and turn it into something that can drive change.”
Howgate books aren’t just useful; they’re actionable. They often become tools of strategic dialogue, used in briefings, training programs, and policy discussions. Readers range from officers in the field to academic researchers, defence contractors, elected officials, and curious civilians looking for insider clarity in an often misunderstood space.And it’s not just books. Howgate authors regularly appear on podcasts, panels, and television. The publisher actively promotes their work, viewing each book not just as a product but as part of a larger, ongoing conversation about defence thinking and strategic innovation.
