by Carl Von Clausewitz
|
The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations by John Baylis |
by Michael Howard
|
by Lawrence Freedman
|
by Rupert Smith
|
See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.
Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links(What is this?) |
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Review
Various scholars, from Aristotle to Sir Mortimer Wheeler, have held that war is a natural activity of mankind. John Keegan, one of the most gifted military historians of our day and ever ready to put the difficult question, inquires whether this is really so. He surveys the history of warfare, from the stone age to the nuclear age, in a closely argued, occasionally maddening, always stimulating book . For the first third of it, he summarizes the conclusions of anthropologists and prehistorians about combat with sticks and stones, slings and arrows. But then he shows the development of face-to-face combat, which he traces back to classical Greece. He demonstrates how much temperament, tradition and beliefs matter, as well as weapons and tactics; and stands Clausewitz on his head. He establishes war as an end and a delight in itself; and politics as the continuation of war by other means. In conclusion he asserts that industrial societies have habituated themselves to war, yet 'Unless we unlearn the habits we have taught ourselves, we shall not survive.' (Kirkus UK)
With his usual fluent mastery, Keegan (The Price of Admiralty, 1989, etc.) offers provocative perspectives on armed conflict through the ages. Taking immediate aim at Clausewitzian theory, the author argues that culture has frequently proved as powerful as politics in decisions to wage war (most notably, perhaps, in prehistoric societies, where the state was an alien concept). Ranging backward and forward in time, he divides his canvass into broad categories (e.g., "stone," "flesh," "iron," "fire") that allow him to focus on broad as well as narrow aspects of mortal combat. Among other matters, Keegan addresses such perplexing issues as why men fight, how primitive peoples do battle, what factors constrain belligerents, and the circumstances that can precipitate hostilities. Throughout his panoramic survey, he pays particular attention to weaponry (from spears through nuclear ordnance) and other aspects of the martial arts, including fortifications, logistics, and the organization of armies. Covered as well are warrior fraternities like the Crusaders, Mamelukes, samurai, and Zulus, whose feats of arms Keegan illuminates with commentary on contemporary mores - noting, for example, that the Tokugawa shogunate (at pains to preserve a way of life - and death) kept firearms out of Japan for over 250 years, until the Meiji Restoration led to the island nation's industrialization and militarism. Along similar lines, there's an intriguing take on the evolution of primeval horses, whose descendants took charioteers, Mongol hordes, and Western cavalrymen into action on many fronts. While all civilizations may owe their origins - if not their existence - to war, Keegan concludes that global survival depends on our curbing humanity's vast capacity for destructive violence - and on this score, readers of his superb new survey will find, he's cautiously optimistic. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
In this book, winner of the Duff Cooper prize, the author, a military historian, provides not merely a history of warfare but an analysis of world history, and the role that man's impulse to war has played in it. This book is the result of 30 years of reading, research, teaching and commenting on military affairs. It brings together in a single volume the themes explored in the author's earlier books and adds to them the insights gained in his visits to many of the world's major battlefields, a lifetime's friendship with soldiers of different armies and his more recent experience as a war correspondent in the Lebanon and the Gulf.
See all Product Description
Various scholars, from Aristotle to Sir Mortimer Wheeler, have held that war is a natural activity of mankind. John Keegan, one of the most gifted military historians of our day and ever ready to put the difficult question, inquires whether this is really so. He surveys the history of warfare, from the stone age to the nuclear age, in a closely argued, occasionally maddening, always stimulating book . For the first third of it, he summarizes the conclusions of anthropologists and prehistorians about combat with sticks and stones, slings and arrows. But then he shows the development of face-to-face combat, which he traces back to classical Greece. He demonstrates how much temperament, tradition and beliefs matter, as well as weapons and tactics; and stands Clausewitz on his head. He establishes war as an end and a delight in itself; and politics as the continuation of war by other means. In conclusion he asserts that industrial societies have habituated themselves to war, yet 'Unless we unlearn the habits we have taught ourselves, we shall not survive.' (Kirkus UK)
With his usual fluent mastery, Keegan (The Price of Admiralty, 1989, etc.) offers provocative perspectives on armed conflict through the ages. Taking immediate aim at Clausewitzian theory, the author argues that culture has frequently proved as powerful as politics in decisions to wage war (most notably, perhaps, in prehistoric societies, where the state was an alien concept). Ranging backward and forward in time, he divides his canvass into broad categories (e.g., "stone," "flesh," "iron," "fire") that allow him to focus on broad as well as narrow aspects of mortal combat. Among other matters, Keegan addresses such perplexing issues as why men fight, how primitive peoples do battle, what factors constrain belligerents, and the circumstances that can precipitate hostilities. Throughout his panoramic survey, he pays particular attention to weaponry (from spears through nuclear ordnance) and other aspects of the martial arts, including fortifications, logistics, and the organization of armies. Covered as well are warrior fraternities like the Crusaders, Mamelukes, samurai, and Zulus, whose feats of arms Keegan illuminates with commentary on contemporary mores - noting, for example, that the Tokugawa shogunate (at pains to preserve a way of life - and death) kept firearms out of Japan for over 250 years, until the Meiji Restoration led to the island nation's industrialization and militarism. Along similar lines, there's an intriguing take on the evolution of primeval horses, whose descendants took charioteers, Mongol hordes, and Western cavalrymen into action on many fronts. While all civilizations may owe their origins - if not their existence - to war, Keegan concludes that global survival depends on our curbing humanity's vast capacity for destructive violence - and on this score, readers of his superb new survey will find, he's cautiously optimistic. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
In this book, winner of the Duff Cooper prize, the author, a military historian, provides not merely a history of warfare but an analysis of world history, and the role that man's impulse to war has played in it. This book is the result of 30 years of reading, research, teaching and commenting on military affairs. It brings together in a single volume the themes explored in the author's earlier books and adds to them the insights gained in his visits to many of the world's major battlefields, a lifetime's friendship with soldiers of different armies and his more recent experience as a war correspondent in the Lebanon and the Gulf.
See all Product Description
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
 |
84% buy the item featured on this page: A History of Warfare |
 |
16% buy A History of Warfare £6.99 |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Customer Discussions
Beta (What's this?)|
This product's forum
(0 discussions)
Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Active discussions in related forums
|
Related forums
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
The Body Shop |
Let Olay Amaze You |
Treat Someone
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). |
||||||||
| |||||
Your Recent History
(What's this?)|
You have no recently viewed items or searches.
After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session. |
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
| ||||
Amazon Home | |
| International Sites: United States | Germany | France | Japan | Canada | China | |
| Business Programs: Sell on Amazon | Fulfilment by Amazon | Join Associates | Join Advantage | |
| Customer Service | Help | View Basket | Your Account | |
| About Amazon.co.uk | Careers at Amazon | |
| Conditions of Use & Sale | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates |