A History of Warfare

By: John Keegan

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 19 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Starting with the premise that all civilizations owe their origins to warmaking, Keegan probes the meanings, motivations, and methods underlying war in different societies over the course of more than two thousand years. Following the progress of human aggression in its full historical sweep, from the strangely ritualistic combat of Stone Age peoples to the warfare of mass destruction in the present age, his illuminating and lively narrative gives us all the world's great warrior cultures, including the Zulus, the samurai, and the horse peoples of the steppe, as well as the famed warmakers of the West. He shows why honor has always been accorded to the soldierly virtues, whatever the cultural context, and how war has maintained its singular hold on the imagination, reaching into "the most secret places of the human heart, places where self dissolves rational purpose, where pride reigns, where emotion is paramount, where instinct is king".

©1993 John Keegan (P)1994 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic Reviews

"A work of massive sweep...in which the resources of anthropology, ethnology, psychology, and history are drawn on in comprehensive but succinct synthesis to create what is perhaps the most remarkable study of warfare that has yet been written." (New York Times Book Review)

Not what I expected

I have mixed feelings about this book because its not a history of warfare as I expected it to be. First off, its not well structured. It meanders all over the place, challenging Clauswitz's notion that war is an extension of policy, delving into a history of the world in general (trashing various anthropologists along the way), and finally, after spending too much time on the ritualized warfare of primitive peoples, gets into some forms of fighting here and there. What I wanted (and expected) was to understand the evolution of warfare from the standpoint of technology, tactics, operations, and grand strategy. I hoped to walk away from the book with an understanding of how people fought in each era, the factors causing them to fight that way, and perhaps learn a little more about some famous battles along the way. I indeed did learn some of that from this book, and some of his meanderings are interesting, but I really had to wade through a lot of superfluous gibberish to get there. I also have to agree with another reviewer's comment that the book is pretentious. I like Keegan's work, but I have one suggestion for him: focus man.

Complete, Informative, and Insightful

This book was written and is narrated well. Be prepared to learn everything from how a composite bow is made to how long cannons ruled the battlefield after the discovery of gunpowder.

However, this book is more than an explanaition of facts, and seeks to discuss the reasons behind historical warfare. The author has strong opinions on the motivations of armies and nations at war, and on the definition of war itself.

I reccomend A History of Warfare to anyone wishing to learn how warfare has grown over the centuries into what it is today and to anyone interested in the motives and situations that brought about many of the world-changing conflicts experienced throughout our history.

Very interesting work.

When I bought this book, I expected the book to be chronological narrative that outlined the method and technology of warfare. What I ended up with was a far more sophisticated book that divided the narrative by subjects and outline the philosophy and ideology of warfare, which is far more abstract than what I anticipated. Still, a very interesting read, but the narrative goes everywhere.

Slow, dull, not much history

I was hoping for a lot of history, as the title suggests. Instead, the book is mostly analysis based on little tidbits of history. As someone interested in the history, it was tedious. I was unable to get all the way through it. The fact that the narrator speaks so slowly and carefully doesn't help. Listen to the sample, and see for yourself if you can stay interested in this book for more than a few minutes.

Tough read (listen)

The structure of the book from afar is a sensible walk through military and warlike history. As written however, Keegan seems to spend so much time referring to and battling against the writings of Clausewitz (a writer from long ago who wrote "On War" - "war is the extension of policy (or politics)"). I, as the reader, wanted to learn and review the evolution of war, but grew bored and lackluster about the progress due to these constant efforts to refer to and contradict Clausewitz. When Keegan was truly discussing military history and the causes of different evolutionary changes, it was enjoyable, but the book could have been 1/2 as long and twice as enjoyable if he stuck to the substance.

A big dissapointment

I really like Keegan, but this one book was very academic and pompous. One hour into it, you still hear about the life and times of Klausewitz. At that point I gave it up, I wanted to listen about the history of warfare, not a biography of Klausewitz. The narrator's voice was annoying too. Get armed with a lot of patience for irrelevant beating around the bush...

Excellent

Excellent

Terrific Keegan

I found this a terrific review of war over the millenia. Many insights, frequent references to the validity of Clausewitz's views. I wish I'd had Keegan as a professor.

Interesting - but not outstanding

This is a solid scholarly work. However, it is not exhaustive regarding the history of warfare and examines only several snippets to prove some anthropological points. These points are good, the work is solid and well-researched, but not greatly exciting. The narrator was solid, but the work was not the most exciting of Keegan's (whom I admire as a leader in his field).

If you like Keegan, get his book on the Iraq War. And please somebody narrate his Face of Battle books.

dated, but informative

The book as a whole is detailed and insightful. The fact that it was written in the 1990s and therefore includes nothing about 9/11, the war on terror, or the advent of drone warfare does leave something wanting.