The Western Way of War

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Author :
Publisher : Knopf
ISBN 13 : 0307831558
Total Pages : 298 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis The Western Way of War by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book The Western Way of War written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics--that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens--but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, maneuver, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century b.c. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government--an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute. The Western Way of War draws from an extraordinary range of sources--Greek poetry, drama, and vase painting, as well as historical records--to describe what actually took place on the battlefield. It is the first study to explore the actual mechanics of classical Greek battle from the vantage point of the infantryman--the brutal spear-thrusting, the difficulty of fighting in heavy bronze armor which made it hard to see, hear and move, and the fear. Hanson also discusses the physical condition and age of the men, weaponry, wounds, and morale. This compelling account of what happened on the killing fields of the ancient Greeks ultimately shows that their style of armament and battle was contrived to minimize time and life lost by making the battle experience as decisive and appalling as possible. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war.

The New Western Way of War

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Author :
Publisher : Polity
ISBN 13 : 0745634109
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (456 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Western Way of War by : Martin Shaw

Download or read book The New Western Way of War written by Martin Shaw and published by Polity. This book was released on 2005-05-27 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this seminal new work, Martin Shaw, a leading expert on the sociology of war, argues that the new Western way of war is in crisis. He charts the development of a new warfare, after Vietnam, through the Falklands, the Gulf, Kosovo and Afghanistan. He argues that in the Iraq (mis)adventure (of which he provides a detailed analysis) and the War on Terror, the US has consistently flouted the key rules that enabled Western states to fight these earlier wars successfully. The results are not only political failure and a disaster in Iraq, but also a loss of credibility for the very idea of Western warfare. For Shaw, the new way of war focuses on containing risks to the lives of Western soldiers in order to minimise political and electoral risk to governments. Risk is transferred to innocent civilians, whose killing is explained away as 'accidental'. Yet the idea of managing risk is fundamentally at odds with the brutal, unpredictable nature of war. Ultimately, attempts to manage, govern and rule over the risks of war produce greater risks for those in power. The New Western Way of War is a moral and political statement as well as a major contribution to sociology and international relations. It will make compelling reading not only for students and scholars of these disciplines, but for anyone concerned about Western political and military power, and the future for global justice.

The Cambridge History of Warfare

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107181593
Total Pages : 605 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis The Cambridge History of Warfare by : Geoffrey Parker

Download or read book The Cambridge History of Warfare written by Geoffrey Parker and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-06-04 with total page 605 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new edition of The Cambridge History of Warfare offers an updated comprehensive account of Western warfare, from its origins in classical Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages and the early modern period, down to the wars of the twenty-first century in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Carnage and Culture

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Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 0307425185
Total Pages : 546 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Carnage and Culture by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book Carnage and Culture written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining nine landmark battles from ancient to modern times--from Salamis, where outnumbered Greeks devastated the slave army of Xerxes, to Cortes’s conquest of Mexico to the Tet offensive--Victor Davis Hanson explains why the armies of the West have been the most lethal and effective of any fighting forces in the world. Looking beyond popular explanations such as geography or superior technology, Hanson argues that it is in fact Western culture and values–the tradition of dissent, the value placed on inventiveness and adaptation, the concept of citizenship–which have consistently produced superior arms and soldiers. Offering riveting battle narratives and a balanced perspective that avoids simple triumphalism, Carnage and Culture demonstrates how armies cannot be separated from the cultures that produce them and explains why an army produced by a free culture will always have the advantage.

War Time

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Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
ISBN 13 : 0815738951
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

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Book Synopsis War Time by : Sten Rynning

Download or read book War Time written by Sten Rynning and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perceptions of time contributed to recent Western military failings The “decline of the West” is once again a frequent topic of speculation. Often cited as one element of the alleged decline is the succession of prolonged and unsuccessful wars—most notably those waged in recent decades by the United States. This book by three Danish military experts examines not only the validity of the speculation but also asks why the West, particularly its military effectiveness, might be perceived as in decline. Temporality is the central concept linking a series of structural fractures that leave the West seemingly muscle-bound: overwhelmingly powerful in technology and military might but strategically fragile. This temporality, the authors say, is composed of three interrelated dimensions: trajectories, perceptions, and pace. First, Western societies to tend view time as a linear trajectory, focusing mostly on recent and current events and leading to the framing of history as a story of rise and decline. The authors examine whether the inevitable fall already has happened, is underway, or is still in the future. Perceptions of time also vary across cultures and periods, shaping socio-political activities, including warfare. The enemy, for example, can be perceived as belong to another time (being “backward” or “barbarian”). And war can be seen either as cyclical or exceptional, helping frame the public's willingness to accept its violent and tragic consequences. The pace of war is another factor shaping policies and actions. Western societies emphasize speed: the shorter the war the better, even if the long-term result is unsuccessful. Ironically, one of the Western world's least successful wars also has been America's longest, in Afghanistan. This unique book is thus a critical assessment of the evolution and future of Western military power. It contributes much-needed insight into the potential for the West's political and institutional renewal.

Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300

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Author :
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1857284674
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (572 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300 by : John France

Download or read book Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300 written by John France and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text examines the nature of war in the period 1000-1300 A.D. and argues that is was primarily shaped by the people who conducted war - the landowners.

Ancient Warfare

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0192804707
Total Pages : 193 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (928 download)

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Book Synopsis Ancient Warfare by : Harry Sidebottom

Download or read book Ancient Warfare written by Harry Sidebottom and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2004-11-25 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greek and Roman warfare differed from other cultures and was unlike any other forms of warfare before and after. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined from philosophy to the technical skills needed to fight. He looks at war in a wider context and explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle?

The Eurasian Way of War

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317237080
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (172 download)

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Book Synopsis The Eurasian Way of War by : David A. Graff

Download or read book The Eurasian Way of War written by David A. Graff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-10 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a comparative study of military practice in Sui-Tang China and the Byzantine Empire between approximately 600 and 700 CE. It covers all aspects of the military art from weapons and battlefield tactics to logistics, campaign organization, military institutions, and the grand strategy of empire. Whilst not neglecting the many differences between the Chinese and Byzantines, this book highlights the striking similarities in their organizational structures, tactical deployments and above all their extremely cautious approach to warfare. It shows that, contrary to the conventional wisdom positing a straightforward Western way of war and an "Oriental" approach characterized by evasion and trickery, the specifics of Byzantine military practice in the seventh century differed very little from what was known in Tang China. It argues that these similarities cannot be explained by diffusion or shared cultural influences, which were limited, but instead by the need to deal with common problems and confront common enemies, in particular the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes. Overall, this book provides compelling evidence that pragmatic needs may have more influence than deep cultural imperatives in determining a society’s "way of war."

The Other Greeks

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Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 9780520209350
Total Pages : 600 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Other Greeks by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book The Other Greeks written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1999-12-22 with total page 600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Victor Hanson shows that the "Greek revolution" was not the rise of a free and democratic urban culture, but rather the historic innovation of the independent family farm."--BOOK JACKET.

Why the West Has Won

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Author :
Publisher : Faber & Faber
ISBN 13 : 9780571216406
Total Pages : 492 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (164 download)

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Book Synopsis Why the West Has Won by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book Why the West Has Won written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2002 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Why The West Has Won' provides a history of the rise to dominance of the West, exploring the links between cultural values and military success.

The Western Way of War

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Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 9780520260092
Total Pages : 324 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Western Way of War by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book The Western Way of War written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2009-04 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics—that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens—but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government—an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war. A new preface addresses recent scholarship on Greek warfare.

A War Like No Other

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Author :
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 0812969707
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis A War Like No Other by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book A War Like No Other written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2006-09-12 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of our most provocative military historians, Victor Davis Hanson has given us painstakingly researched and pathbreaking accounts of wars ranging from classical antiquity to the twenty-first century. Now he juxtaposes an ancient conflict with our most urgent modern concerns to create his most engrossing work to date, A War Like No Other. Over the course of a generation, the Hellenic city-states of Athens and Sparta fought a bloody conflict that resulted in the collapse of Athens and the end of its golden age. Thucydides wrote the standard history of the Peloponnesian War, which has given readers throughout the ages a vivid and authoritative narrative. But Hanson offers readers something new: a complete chronological account that reflects the political background of the time, the strategic thinking of the combatants, the misery of battle in multifaceted theaters, and important insight into how these events echo in the present. Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and nonconventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato. Hanson’s perceptive analysis of events and personalities raises many thought-provoking questions: Were Athens and Sparta like America and Russia, two superpowers battling to the death? Is the Peloponnesian War echoed in the endless, frustrating conflicts of Vietnam, Northern Ireland, and the current Middle East? Or was it more like America’s own Civil War, a brutal rift that rent the fabric of a glorious society, or even this century’s “red state—blue state” schism between liberals and conservatives, a cultural war that manifestly controls military policies? Hanson daringly brings the facts to life and unearths the often surprising ways in which the past informs the present. Brilliantly researched, dynamically written, A War Like No Other is like no other history of this important war.

Hoplites

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134961901
Total Pages : 330 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (349 download)

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Book Synopsis Hoplites by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book Hoplites written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-11-01 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Incorporating research found in ancient literary, iconographic, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this book explores the experiences of the soldiers who conducted battle on the small plains of ancient Greece. The volume, which draws on the accumulated expertise of nine American and British scholars, emphasizes the actual techniques of fighting and practical concerns as the use of commands, music in warfare, the use of "dog-tags", and ritual on the battlefield.

Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece, Revised edition

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Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520921755
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (29 download)

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Book Synopsis Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece, Revised edition by : Victor Davis Hanson

Download or read book Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece, Revised edition written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1998-10-20 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient Greeks were for the most part a rural, not an urban, society. And for much of the Classical period, war was more common than peace. Almost all accounts of ancient history assume that farming and fighting were critical events in the lives of the citizenry. Yet never before have we had a comprehensive modern study of the relationship between agriculture and warfare in the Greek world. In this completely revised edition of Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece, Victor Davis Hanson provides a systematic review of Greek agriculture and warfare and describes the relationship between these two important aspects of life in ancient communities. With careful attention to agronomic as well as military details, this well-written, thoroughly researched study reveals the remarkable resilience of those farmland communities. In the past, scholars have assumed that the agricultural infrastructure of ancient society was often ruined by attack, as, for example, Athens was relegated to poverty in the aftermath of the Persian and later Peloponnesian invasions. Hanson's study shows, however, that in reality attacks on agriculture rarely resulted in famines or permanent agrarian depression. Trees and vines are hard to destroy, and grainfields are only briefly vulnerable to torching. In addition, ancient armies were rather inefficient systematic ravagers and instead used other tactics, such as occupying their enemies' farms to incite infantry battle. Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece suggests that for all ancient societies, rural depression and desolation came about from more subtle phenomena—taxes, changes in political and social structure, and new cultural values—rather than from destructive warfare.

Perilous Glory

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Author :
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300177445
Total Pages : 655 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Perilous Glory by : John France

Download or read book Perilous Glory written by John France and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 655 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major new history of war that challenges our understanding of military dominance and how it is achieved

Law, Science, Liberalism, and the American Way of Warfare

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107067170
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Law, Science, Liberalism, and the American Way of Warfare by : Stephanie Carvin

Download or read book Law, Science, Liberalism, and the American Way of Warfare written by Stephanie Carvin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Founded and rooted in Enlightenment values, the United States is caught between two conflicting imperatives when it comes to war: achieving perfect security through the annihilation of threats; and a requirement to conduct itself in a liberal and humane manner. In order to reconcile these often clashing requirements, the US has often turned to its scientists and laboratories to find strategies and weapons that are both decisive and humane. In effect, a modern faith in science and technology to overcome life's problems has been utilized to create a distinctly 'American Way of Warfare'. Carvin and Williams provide a framework to understand the successes and failures of the US in the wars it has fought since the days of the early Republic through to the War on Terror. It is the first book of its kind to combine a study of technology, law and liberalism in American warfare.

Ways of War

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136756043
Total Pages : 559 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (367 download)

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Book Synopsis Ways of War by : Matthew S. Muehlbauer

Download or read book Ways of War written by Matthew S. Muehlbauer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-26 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the first interactions between European and native peoples, to the recent peace-keeping efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, military issues have always played an important role in American history. Ways of War comprehensively explains the place of the military within the wider context of the history of the United States, showing its centrality to American culture and politics. The chapters provide a complete survey of the American military's growth and development while answering such questions as: How did the American military structure develop? How does it operate? And how have historical military events helped the country to grow and develop? Features Include: Chronological and comprehensive coverage of North American conflicts since the seventeenth century and international wars undertaken by the United States since 1783 Over 100 maps and images, chapter timelines identifying key dates and events, and text boxes throughout providing biographical information and first person accounts A companion website featuring an extensive testbank of discussion, essay and multiple choice questions for instructors as well as student study resources including an interactive timeline, chapter summaries, annotated further reading, annotated weblinks, additional book content, flashcards and an extensive glossary of key terms. Extensively illustrated and written by experienced instructors, Ways of War is essential reading for all students of American Military History.