Meyer draws on exhaustive research to bring to life the story of how the great war reduced europes mightiest empires to rubble, killed 20 million people, and cracked the foundations of the world we live in today. The reith lectures 1998 londres, pimlico, 1999 isbn 0375705201. Keegan writing at the height of the cold war concludes that, whatever the. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of. The second world war by john keegan 2005, paperback for. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground. The second world war book by john keegan thriftbooks. Therefore, this paper is an analysis of the whole book that explores different elements that have been brought out by the author as well as the goal that it aims to achieve. In the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground.
It destroyed a century of relative peace and prosperity and saw a continent at the height of its success descend into slaughter. A history of warfare is a book by military historian john keegan, which was published in 1993 by random house. Contributor internet archive language english 25 centuries of great war writing. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He introduces the strategic dilemmas faced by the leaders and the consequences of their decisions on the fighting men and the course of the war as. Keegan also discusses wartime activity in africa and the middle east. After two modern classicsthe face of battle 1976 and the price of admiralty 1988keegan has followed with numerous coffeetable books as well as fine histories of world wars i and ii and a lesssuccessful account of the iraq war. In this most humane of battle books, keegan calls upon a wide range of data.
Fortunes of war by mel keegan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In the words of noted military historian john keegan, world war i was a tragic and unnecessary conflict. The penguin book of war by john keegan librarything. He was the defense editor of the more about john keegan. Dec 09, 2008 at the end of his book, the second world war, john keegan offers a list of 50 books in english that together provide a comprehensive picture of the most important events and themes of the war, which are readable and from which the general reader can derive his own picture of the war as a guide to deeper reading. Therefore, this paper is an analysis of the whole book that explores different elements that have been brought out by. Yet, as keegan vividly illustrates in this epic narrative, world war i was more nightmarish than world war ii in many waysparticularly in the shattered wasteland of the western front and in the mindless squandering of human life with negligible results. Keegan discusses early warfare, the proliferation of bronze age warfare and then iron age warfare greek hoplites and phalanxes, roman legions and maniples. John keegan, who is british, puts the civil war into broad historical context amid historys great conflicts, from the napoleonic wars and world war i to vietnam. The first world war john keegan 1959 words essay example. For the past half century, john keegan, the greatest military historian of our time, has been returning to the scenes of americas most bloody and wrenching war to ponder its lingering conundrums.
Fiftyone years after world war ii officially ended, historians still struggle to define it. In a bookcover blurb extracted from a more complex article, sir michael howard wrote. A fellow of the royal society of literature, keegan is the author of numerous books including the face of battle, the mask of command, the price of admiralty, six armies in normandy, and the second world war all available from penguin. All were excellent well written, interesting and informative and this book is no exception. Meyer draws on exhaustive research to bring to life the story of how the great war reduced europes mightiest empires to rubble, killed 20 million people, and cracked the. Acclaimed military historian john keegan s anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground fighting against the. With deft turns of phrase, keegan portrays the weaknesses and strengths of the wars principal. The shattering effects of the war to end all wars have been depicted unforgettably by novelists and. Praised as the best military historian of our generation by tom clancy, john keegan here reconsiders his masterful study of world war ii, the second world war, with a new foreword.
He lived in wiltshire, england until his death in 2012. Keegan details the primary causes and the primary instigators of the conflict. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals. A conflict of unprecedented ferocity, it abruptly ended the relative peace and prosperity of the victorian era, unleashing such demons of the twentieth century as mechanized warfare and mass death. The result is a work with broader scope than murray and scaless the iraq war 2003, and one that makes a case for the war as justified in moral, legal and practical contexts. Keegans history of the first world war opens, unexpectedly, by talking about adolf hitler, and what i liked about this book was the way it presented 191418 as just the opening convulsions in a longer twentiethcentury cataclysm to which it remains intimately connected. The 17 best books on world war i of 2020 thoughtco. Keegan examines each theater of the war, focusing on five crucial battles and news insights into the distinctive analyses and motivations of modern warfare. From primitive man in the bronze age to the end of the cold war in the twentieth century, keegan shows how armed conflict has been a primary preoccupation throughout the history of civilization and how deeply rooted its practice has become in our cultures. Sir john desmond patrick keegan obe frsl 15 may 1934 2 august 2012 was an english. With the first world war, john keegan, one of our most eminent military historians, fulfills a lifelong ambition to write the definitive account of the great war for our generation. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground fighting. In this history, the author explores both the technological and the human impact of the war.
Keegans book is wellresearched, wellwritten and offers insight into a bloody conflict. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to. The book of war by john keegan penguin random house canada. The reith lecturer in 1998, he is the author of many bestselling books including the face of battle, six armies in normandy, battle at sea, the second world war. John keegan, who has written twenty books about warfare, especially world war ii, talked about his book, a history of warfare. In this sterling account of the tragic and unnecessary conflict that inaugurated a century of horror, british military historian keegan fields of battle. This book illuminates the war to end all wars and captures the sweep of the first global conflict. The book includes major battlebybattle accounts on both land and sea. The book of war by john keegan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Probing the mystery of how a civilization at the height of its achievement could have propelled itself into such a ruinous conflict, keegan takes us behind the. Praised as the best military historian of our generation by tom clancy, john keegan reconsiders his masterful study of world war ii, the second world war. All were excellent well written, interesting and informative. The book of war is a holiday gift to delight military enthusiasts, history buffs, and all lovers of great writing. This outstanding account of the war deserves a wide readership.
In the summer of 1914, europe enjoyed peace and prosperity that depended to a great extent on international cooperation in the commercial, intellectual, philanthropic, and religious spheres. You really come to understand how about 15 individuals and a lot of national pride led to the deaths of millions. The greatest military historian of our time gives a peerless account of americas most bloody, wrenching, and eternally fascinating war. John keegans books include the iraq war, intelligence in war, the first world war, the battle for history, the face of battle, war and our world, the masks of command, fields of battle, and a history of warfare. Praised as the best military historian of our generation by tom clancy, john keegan reconsiders his masterful study of world war ii, the second world war, with a new foreword keegan examines each theater of the war, focusing on five crucial battles and offering new insights into the distinctive methods and motivations of modern warfare. Keegan examines each theater of the war, focusing on five crucial battles and offering new insights into the distinctive methods and motivations of modern. The book examines world war i from beginning to end and places the events in a historical perspective. Jun 05, 1999 keegan s history of the first world war opens, unexpectedly, by talking about adolf hitler, and what i liked about this book was the way it presented 191418 as just the opening convulsions in a longer twentiethcentury cataclysm to which it remains intimately connected. It also helped to usher in the ideas that have shaped our timesmodernism in the arts, new approaches to psychology and medicine, radical thoughts. The first world war is one of historys greatest tragedies.
Nov 01, 2009 in some respects the american civil war. The book the first world war by john keegan is a historical book that narrates the situations before, during, and after the first world war. Acclaimed military historian john keegans anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground fighting against the. Oct 16, 2009 john keegan, who is british, puts the civil war into broad historical context amid historys great conflicts, from the napoleonic wars and world war i to vietnam. The definitive account of the great war and a national bestseller from eminent military historian john keegan 2018 marks the centenary of the first world war the war that created the modern world. He also talks about the conquests of the horse peoples, first under. Here he turns his attention to america, with dependably satisfying results. A solid history of the civil war by the grand master of military writing. The book of war acclaimed historian john keegan brings together an amazing array of war writings, largely drawn from the protagonists themselves or firsthand accounts of the battles they describe. In the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground fighting against the iraqi troops in kuwait during the gulf war.
Knowledge of the enemy from napolean to alqaeda is a strangely unsatisfying book. Publication date 1999 topics military history, war, military history, war. John keegan is our generations foremost military historian. John keegan has 103 books on goodreads with 106019 ratings. This book attempts to summarize the story of war over the past 40,000 years. His 1976 book the face of battle helped start what is still called the new military. In this magesterial history and national bestseller, john keegan shares his original and perceptive insights into the psychology, ideology, demographics, and economics of the american civil war. More than 50 years have passed since the surrenders of germany and japan brought an end to world war ii, but that conflictis still steeped in controversy. An excellent look at the american civil war john keegan is one of my favorite authors of military history and i have read many of his books, including his biography of winston churchill which was a bit of a change for him. Audiobook the second world war by john keegan part.
Includes descriptions by caesar, the duke of wellington, ernest hemingway, and others. In the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of. John keegan, ne le 15 mai 1934 a clapham londres et mort le 2 aout 2012 dans least. He is the author of twenty books, including the acclaimed the face of battle and the second world war. He wrote many published works on the nature of combat between prehistory and the 21st century, covering land, air, maritime, intelligence warfare and the psychology of battle. John keegan s most popular book is the first world war. Keegans unsurpassable erudition in military history with a readable format, focussing on eight episodes of the intersection of. Nov 21, 2012 in the book of war, john keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participantsfrom thucydides classic account of ancient greek phalanx warfare to a blowbyblow description of ground fighting against the iraqi troops in kuwait during the gulf war. Sir john desmond patrick keegan obe frsl 15 may 1934 2 august 2012 was an english military historian, lecturer, writer and journalist.
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