In this concise history of war, Jeremy Black ranges widely, giving due attention to non-western as well as western traditions. Black probes the diverse character of military capability and the varied nature of military change. The history of war is inextricably bound to the history of the world and for us, as human beings, warfare has often proved to be the pivotal cause, means and consequence of change within society. Through a detailed exploration of 'world-scale' issues of warfare, presented within a chronological framework that spans human history, Jeremy Black skilfully illustrates this fact whilst providing the reader with other astute insights and compelling interpretations of war. "War: A Short History" is a dramatic move away from the formulaic, western approach to military history. Too narrow in its focus on wars specific to the west and too simple because of an over-reliance on a technologically-deterministic reading of warfare, this approach has been rejected by Jeremy Black in favour of a global model that takes all factors into account when considering the strengths and weaknesses of a particular military tradition. Examining wars on five continents, Jeremy Black expertly introduces readers to all of the major themes of warfare. This is a book that is as important for its relevance to current world issues of conflict as it is for its thorough consideration of a monumentally significant aspect of human history.
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Re-examines war by combining a short thematic history with a concentrated study of war throughout the ages as the cause, means and consequence of change.
1. War as a Key Element in World History; 2. The Forgotten Dimension; 3. The West and the Cult of the Machine; 4. Non Western Traditions; 5. Today and the Future.
'[A] successful enterprise in which [Black] ranges effortlessly from about 35,000 BC to the present in under 200 pages ... Black feels that military history 'often lacks intellectual sophistication'.  His own brief account of war through the ages is therefore an elegantly written and salutary corrective.' - Standpoint
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The definitive introductory study of war; Professor Black introduces the subject in a broad manner, ranging across historical time periods and geographical boundaries.
The author is an outstandingly original and respected historian.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780826422767
Publisert
2009-04-25
Utgiver
Vendor
Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Høyde
216 mm
Bredde
138 mm
Aldersnivå
U, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
192

Forfatter

Biographical note

Jeremy Black is Professor of History at the University of Exeter, UK. He is a prolific author and reviewer and a leading expert on eighteenth-century Britain.