History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World

by Joseph Cummins

Written in an accessible and engaging style by veteran history writer Joseph Cummins, this book spans most of recorded history and much of the globe in recounting the invasions, battles, and revolutions that have had the greatest effect on human affairs.  Weaving together spellbinding narrative and startling facts and striking, frequently poignant images, these enthralling accounts yield new perspectives on the conflicts that created our contemporary world. 

The best and worst of humanity is on display here, in a collection that will act as a perfect primer for novices while offering seasoned history readers new perspectives on many famous and not so well known conflicts.  Sweeping in its scope, yet intimate in its insights into the motivations of politicians, strategists, commanders, and soldiers, this is a collection that will enhance your understanding of the modern world and your own place in it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, War

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Joseph Cummins is the author of numerous books, including Anything for a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots and October Surprises in U.S. Presidential Elections; A Bloody History of the World, which won the 2010 Our History Project Gold Medal Award; and the forthcoming Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Blake Pilling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea for a book, and even a great choice of which wars to include, but the formatting of this book is bizarre. The intent is good, with each chapter beginning with an overview, then talking about an especially important battle in the war, then some of the main historical figures, but then the author adds in additional information at random. In addition, I noticed many spelling and punctuation errors in the edition that I read, and many times the information in one section of a chapter was repeated almost verbatim in another section. Sometimes felt like the author wrote all of the sections individually and then pieced them all together. The editor did no favours for the author, and it definitely made this a clunkier read than it needed to be.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A surface level look at some of the most important (weird use of the word 'greatest' here) conflicts that shaped the history of the world. For the most part, the author just skims the surface and tosses in a few errant facts, so you never go in depth on any parfticular battle. A rather disappointing and shallow coffee table book that is definitely not worth a reread or keeping on the shelf. Get a real book one of the 25 wars if you are actually interested in that piece of history.

[Leigh Kimmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise summaries of the wars that shaped Western Civilization, from the Greco-Persian Wars (which ensured that Greek thought would persist) to the Soviet-Afghan War (which arguably brought down the USSR). However, non-Western cultures are covered only as they influence Western culture, so we don't get any coverage of, frex, the wars of Chinese unification under the Qin emperors, or the wars that led to the Tokugawa Shogunate.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great cheat -cheat for major conflicts

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. Fascinating to see how the biggest wars in history always seem to be linked in some way to the ones from the past. A very nice overview of each war, or period of time with many different wars, with a chapter or two focusing on a specific battle or person that was extremely important to the outcome of each. If you're a fan of reading history books then you'll enjoy this one.

[Curtis Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more information about military history and this book definitely satisfied that goal. I learned about most major wars in the course of human history, including: causes & effects, the evolution of weapons, key figures, and random trivia facts. The book also had great visual aids (i.e. maps, pictures, etc.). The book is definitely just popular history, though, and wasn't really researched all that well. For what I wanted, however, I wasn't disappointed.