The Oxford History Of Modern War

Offering a comprehensive overview of military conflict over several centuries, this book consists of fascinating thematic chapters covering air and sea warfare, combat experience, technology, and even opposition to war.

How has war shaped modern society and vice versa? How has it changed between the introduction of firearms and the invention of the atom bomb? How is war waged today? The Oxford History of Modern War examines the techniques, technology, and theory of war from the 'military revolution' of the seventeenth century to the present day, with fascinating thematic chapters covering air and sea warfare, combat experience, women and war, and even opposition to war. The expert contributors explore major developments and themes, including the growth of modern military professionalism and mass armies, the extraordinary achievements of Napoleon's armies, the role of nationalism in battlegrounds as various as the American Civil War and the former Yugoslavia, colonial wars, the concept and reality of 'total war', and guerrilla warfare. This new and updated edition, with new chapters on 'people's war' and technology and war, brings the story into the twenty-first century, addressing the dilemmas faced by military strategists in confronting international terrorism and in the wake of the invasion of Iraq.

A complete, illustrated history of modern warfare discusses the techniques, technology, and theory of warfare from the seventeenth century to today's high-tech weaponry, and illuminates such historical eras as Napoleon's empire and the U.S. Civil War. UP.

Warfare is one of the most dangerous threat faced by modern humanity. It is also one of the key influences that has shaped the politics, economics, and culture of the modern world. This book explores the assumptions we make about modern warfare and considers what we can learn from the historical reality.

Written by eleven contributors of international standing, this book offers a readable and authoritative account of Europe's turbulent history from the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century to the present day. Each chapter portrays both change and continuity, revolutions and stability, and covers the political, economic, social, cultural, and military life of Europe. This book provides a better understanding of modern Europe, how it came to be what it is, and where it may be going in the future.

Originally published: 1998. New edition published in hardcover in 2014.

The Oxford Handbook of War is the definitive analysis of war in the twenty-first century. With over forty senior authors from academia, government and the armed forces world-wide the Handbook explores the history, theory, ethics and practice of war. The Handbook first considers the fundamental causes of war, before reflecting on the moral and legal aspects of war. Theories on the practice of war lead into an analysis of the strategic conduct of war and non Western ways of war. The heart of the Handbook is a compelling analysis of the military conduct of war which is juxtaposed with consideration of technology, economy, industry, and war. In conclusion the volume looks to the future of this apparently perennial feature of human interaction.

Many anthropological accounts of warfare in indigenous societies have described the taking of heads or other body parts as trophies. But almost nothing is known of the prevalence of trophy-taking of this sort in the armed forces of contemporary nation-states. This book is a history of this type of misconduct among military personnel over the past two centuries, exploring its close connections with colonialism, scientific collecting and concepts of race, and how it is a model for violent power relationships between groups.