Is there a 'Western way of war' which pursues battles of annihilation and single-minded military victory? Is warfare on a path to ever greater destructive force? This magisterial new account answers these questions by tracing the history of Western thinking about strategy - the employment of military force as a political instrument - from antiquity to the present day. Assessing sources from Vegetius to contemporary America; and with a particular focus on strategy since the Napoleonic Wars; Beatrice Heuser explores the evolution of strategic thought; the social institutions; norms and patterns of behaviour within which it operates; the policies that guide it and the cultures that influence it. Ranging across technology and warfare; total warfare and small wars as well as land; sea; air and nuclear warfare; she demonstrates that warfare and strategic thinking have fluctuated wildly in their aims; intensity; limitations and excesses over the past two millennia.
#764565 in Books Thames Hudson 2014-09-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x 1.40 x 7.70l; .0 #File Name: 050005181X304 pagesThames Hudson
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Worthy book for anyone interested in archaeologyBy PuThis book has been a pleasant surprise. It is not suppose to be a book of archaeological analysis but rather a profile of notable people in archaeology. Each person is given some 3-5 pages with a brief but vivid portrayal of their life and significant contribution to the field. The book is full of illustrations; photos; sketches and overall; is nicely organized and designed. Definitely a pretty book worth setting on my coffee table for curious guests.The reader should get a sense of how archaeology slowly came to be the discipline it is known today through these antiquarians; scientists; curators; artists; historians; lawyers; priests... People from all walks of life who felt compelled to explore and understand the past.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Armchair adventure!By ReviewerJust the thing for a cold winter's night - this is a fun book to have for any fan of the 'Golden age' of archaeology - when archaeologists often really did have to have guns (leather jacket and fedora optional!) and were uncovering lost civilizations.Few people realize that most of what we know about the truly ancient past was only recently discovered...0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Bobbie E. CookseyExcellent.
