With the premise that all civilizations owe their origins to war making, Keegan probes the meanings, motivations, and methods underlying war in different societies over the course of some two thousand years, from the ritualistic combat of Stone Age people to the mass destruction warfare of the present age.

"In this deep and incisive study, General David Petraeus, who commanded the US-led coalitions in both Iraq, during the Surge, and Afghanistan and former CIA director, and the prize-winning historian Andrew Roberts, explore over 70 years of conflict, drawing significant lessons and insights from their fresh analysis of the past. Drawing on their different perspectives and areas of expertise, Petraeus and Roberts show how often critical mistakes have...

In this succinct history of a conflict that raged for over a century, Gordon Corrigan reveals the horrors of battle and the machinations of power that have shaped a millennium of Anglo-French relationships.

"Western nations - led by the United States - currently hold a strong advantage in almost all military confrontations. How did the 'Western way of war' become so dominant? This book, written by a team of eight distinguished military historians, provides an answer that runs from the origins in Classical Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages (when enemies of the West almost triumphed) and the early modern period (when the West used military force...

Since the end of the Cold War, conventional militaries and their political leaders have confronted a new, brutal type of warfare in which non-state armed groups use asymmetrical tactics to successfully fight larger, technologically superior forces. In order to prevent future bloodshed and political chaos, it is crucial to understand how these unconventional armed groups think and to adapt to their methods of combat. Richard H. Shultz Jr. and Andrea...

This is a wide-ranging and comprehensive survey of warfare from the outbreak of the American War of Independence to the British conquest of Egypt. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources the book offers an unrivalled account of civil and international conflicts involving Western powers, integrating both naval and land warfare. The book covers military capability as well as conflict, social and political contexts as well as weaponry, tactics...

Introduces the history of warfare, from ancient Greece and Rome to the American Revolution and modern warfare, describing the soldiers, weapons, and strategies of each conflict.

"Discover the weapons, equipment, and tactics used in conflicts throughout the ages"--Cover.

Based on information derived from formerly classified documents and messages, coupled with interviews with experts, authors and eyewitnesses from all over the world, this is the most comprehensive documentary series ever produced on "secrets of war" throughout the last century. Narrated by Charlton Heston, this acclaimed series features declassified and rare footage, 3D graphics, on-location shooting, historical retracing shots and extensive reenactments....

Written by 12 scholars, this richly illustrated volume illuminates the medieval period, examining over 700 years of European conflict from the time of Charlemagne to the end of the Middle Ages (1500). 100 illustrations. The medieval period was a singular epoch in military history-an age profoundly influenced by martial ideals, whose very structure of society was organized for war, and whose leaders were by necessity warriors. Now, the richly illustrated...