The subject of the 1998 Reith Lectures is war - its origins, history and future. Keegan focuses on significant themes, among them, the impact of war on our century and the forms it has taken, from the all-out conflicts of industrialized states to the deadly assaults of religious fundamentalists.
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From the Inside Flap:
widely considered the greatest military historian of our time and the author of acclaimed volumes on ancient and modern warfare--including, most recently, The First World War, a national bestseller--distills what he knows about the why’s and how’s of armed conflict into a series of brilliantly concise essays.
Is war a natural condition of humankind? What are the origins of war? Is the modern state dependent on warfare? How does war affect the individual, combatant or noncombatant? Can there be an end to war? Keegan addresses these questions with a breathtaking knowledge of history and the many other disciplines that have attempted to explain the phenomenon. The themes Keegan concentrates on in this short volume are essential to our understanding of why war remains the single greatest affliction of humanity in the twenty-first century, surpassing famine and disease, its traditional companions.
From the Back Cover:
“Majestic.... A superb sweep of history.”–The Times Literary Supplement
“The most readable and the most original of living military historians.”–The New York Times Book Review
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- PublisherHutchinson
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 0091777941
- ISBN 13 9780091777944
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages87
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