“I no longer prefer blue skies,” says a young Pakistani man. “I prefer gray skies, when the drones don’t fly.” A new kind of American-led warfare—war without soldiers—has redefined life for communities around the world as remotely operated aircraft target, and execute, presumed militants. This evenhanded yet intensely emotional essay follows the drone inventor who believes war is eternal; the US “pilot” who, from across the world, killed with a press of a button; villagers who witnessed their loved ones destroyed in front of them; and policy experts who see the nature of warfare being transmuted before our eyes. This is journalism delivered with a poetic touch, offering disturbing and enthralling footage: rows of soldiers operating their consoles in a vast room, Afghanis frantically digging through the rubble after an attack, and night-vision nightmares of targets in the crosshairs. (JS)