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A History Of Warfare
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Produktbeschreibungen
From Booklist
War's complementary attractiveness and repulsiveness summon legions of religious, rational, and anthropological justifications, and historian Keegan here audaciously attempts to unify them. He can fairly be named the foremost contemporary writer on the subject, and his sharp ideas and easeful prose have prepared a wide audience for this, certainly his magnum opus. Keegan takes three broad approaches to the bloody business: first, the archaeological proofs of war; second, the impact of weaponry from obsidian-tipped arrow to gunpowder to atomic bomb; and third, and most persuasively, the centrality of the belligerent society's culture. Culture, he believes, has been overshadowed by Clausewitz's rationalism; his (mistranslated) dictum was "war is the continuation of policy by other means." But for what rational goal was World War I fought? Alsace-Lorraine? In Keegan's view, generals are vainly guided by the old Prussian's visions of a quick, decisive battle, such as Bismarck enjoyed. But Europe's culture had changed since the Iron Chancellor; by 1914 it universally reduced young men to cogs in an industrial process of death--hardly, any of them, instruments of policy. The warrior caste collided with technical change, continuing a dialectic that has existed everywhere since the dawn of humankind. This tension is the fascinating allure of this work, which ranges confidently across millennia and civilizations. Sumerians, Aztecs, Chinese, Mamelukes, Mongols, Crusaders--all waged war in distinct expression of their cultures. In the process, they produced innovations as varied as the Greek phalanx or that Roman first, the professional army. Whatever war is, it is not simple to understand or to control, but Keegan focuses its blurry fury with acute, cross-disciplinary insight and eminently accessible style Gilbert Taylor
-- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
From Kirkus Reviews
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. (Ten maps and 24 pages of photographs--not seen) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
-- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
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In diesem Buch
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Einleitungssatz
WAR IS NOT THE continuation of policy by other means. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
Buchdeckel | Copyright | Inhaltsverzeichnis | Auszug | Stichwortverzeichnis | Rückseite
WAR IS NOT THE continuation of policy by other means. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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Kundenrezensionen
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1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Format:Taschenbuch
Keegan, as much as any living writer I've read, has the ability to combine great scholarship with sturdy reasoning and compelling, accessible language. Keegan skillfully argues his contra-Clausewitz point of view while providing a stunning history of warfare. He shows us that if one learns something about the history of warfare, one learns something about history--period (and vice versa). This is sad but true. I'm not always sure where Keegan's heart is; he sometimes seems to love the smell of napalm in the morning. But at the risk of sounding callous, I think this is a minor criticism. It is a given (for most of us) that war is a terrible, undesirable, but (Keegan shows) inevitable thing. Surely Keegan is the greatest living military historian. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. The book includes some well-chosen, helpful illustrations, and the notes are a great source for further reading.
Format:Taschenbuch
Keegan's main idea -- that "war" has been defined differently in different cultures and in different times -- is very interesting, but I couldn't follow Keegan's argument through this very badly organized book. What does Clausewitz have to do with his dicussions of the anthropology of war? How are the sections on the impact of technology on war connected to his ideas about culture? Is this book a "history" of war or a discussion of war-making theories or an investigation of "culture" (which is never adequately defined, by the way) and war? I don't get it.
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
Keegan tackles a difficult subject, but comes up with little. He seems intend on having a Clausewitzian encounter with the premises of Clausewitz. He tries so hard to prove that Clausewitz was wrong, and it gets tiring. Keegan is also not afraid to make the facts stand on their heads - like his description of site 117. He really wants us to believe that the Greeks invented "total war", but neglects other cultures like the Hawaiian that do not fit in with his views. Overall this book was a great disappointment.
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A must read
This book is a must read for someone interested in history. Highly recommended.
Veröffentlicht am 14. Juni 2000 von V. Akcelik
A key book to have in your military history library
This is an excellent book for anyone wanting an insightful overview of the history of warfare and the evolution of warmaking. Read in conjunction with Strategy by B. H. Lesen Sie weiter...
Veröffentlicht am 23. Mai 2000 von Matthew Thomas
A basic book for most of us
Urgently needed by anyone interested in the history of human conflicts. The book will take you to explore the prime factors that motivate human agression which leads to conflicts... Lesen Sie weiter...
Veröffentlicht am 15. Mai 2000 von "muslimhistorian"
Stone, Flesh, Iron and Fire
Have you read Carl von Clausewitzs' "On War" and if so do you think it is THE classical text on warfare? Lesen Sie weiter...
Veröffentlicht am 26. März 2000 von "michaeleve"
The war book everyone, (even your girlfriend) will love
This is a fabulous book even if youve never read a book of this nature before, (I hadnt). Relevent, educational and very readable.
Veröffentlicht am 29. Februar 2000 von K. Kvederis
Attack and Defending Clausewitz
Most of the negative commentary you will see by customers revolves around Keegan's blasting of Clausewitz. Lesen Sie weiter...
Veröffentlicht am 28. Februar 2000 von Paul
An Intriguing Perspective
Once again, Keegan provides the reader with an innovative look at warfare. In particular, he argues that the traditional (at least from a Western perspective) argument of warfare... Lesen Sie weiter...
Veröffentlicht am 12. Februar 2000 von Matthew Martens
Stunning-Brillant-Tour de Force
Must read for anyone with slightest interestin history or anthropoligy or sociology
Veröffentlicht am 31. Januar 2000 von John Potts
Significant History by Military Iconoclast
Keegan's theory that warfare is a reflection of the society that fights it, while not a mind blowing revelation for many people, is a significant departure from "classic"... Lesen Sie weiter...
Am 8. Oktober 1999 veröffentlicht
Concise, But with Sufficient Detail for Understanding
Well written text which should be, and probably is, basic text for War College class reading. Excellent criticism of Clauswitz, explaining later frustrations such as Korea,... Lesen Sie weiter...
Am 22. August 1999 veröffentlicht
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