History of Warfare: The Wars of the Ancient Greeks [Taschenbuch]

Hanson will take a stand on the actions of the Greeks he's reporting on as well. His attack on Alexander the Great's campaign in Persia makes one rethink the popular view of the famous general ("an alcoholic murderer").

The book also contains many pictures of Greek weapons and armor along with detailed graphics of the movemnt of armies in some the the more significant Greek battles. This is a handsome and informative book for anyone interested in military history.

Weaponry, body-armor, field tactics and the unique Greek (Western) cultural background were discussed along the way to chart the course of this military development. Tracing the evolution of Greek fighting from Homeric times, where military confrontation was still a matter of raiding and plundering (also a possible reference to the Trojan conflict?), the many huge Mycenaean palaces were seen as a defensive dead-end strategy. After the dark ages, Hanson gave detail foundation for the coming of the Hoplite, mainly the agrarian duels between small 'polis' settlements driven by it's many political and cultural dimensions. Arguments and reasons for the rise of the Hoplite is put forward and these are provoking and should be of interest to any military enthusiast. Description of the Hoplite battle formation and fighting are thoughtful and full of insights. Warfare as an integral part of Greek lifestyle is skillfully pictured with mentions of famous names like Sophocles, Socrates to Aeschylus who at one time or another fought as a Hoplite. There is even a list of clearly 'defined rules" of fighting presented which is a pleasure to read.

Hoplite technology and thereby the Western mode of warfare finally came of age with the emergence of Athenian and Spartan military power, especially seen in the successful defense of Greece against the Persian invaders. Unfortunately, this soon cumulated into the disastrous Peloponnesian War and gave birth to the new concept of 'total warfare' - warfare that is singularly decisive, destructive and overwhelming in death toll and the scale of participant's resource. The second evolution is that of the Macedonian phalanxes, refined by Philip and Alexander into an all-conquering army. Not too much new material is given here as many of the battles and details are well known but the graphics are well illustrated and clear. Yet for all the smooth flowing of this book, there are lacks. The development of warfare in other city-states like Thebes and the late Hellenistic kingdoms are not given enough attention. Naval warfare tactics featured little in this book as seen in the battle of Marathon and Plataea being well illustrated and discussed but not the sea battle of Salamis. The end conclusion of Greek warfare in relation to Western military cultural is engaging but too short thereby needing further elaboration. Still, it's an excellent reference of Ancient Greek warfare given the extensiveness of the scope.