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War Is Hell: The Rise of Total War from Napoleon to the Present
From Napoleon to nuclear war, War Is Hell unravels the brutal rise of total war and its devastating impact on soldiers and civilians alike.
General William Tecumseh Sherman said it best during the American Civil War: “War is hell” – for soldiers as well as for civilians. As a pioneer and practitioner of total war, Sherman knew better than most what warfare had become by the middle of the nineteenth century, how it had become a devastating, all-consuming affair that aimed not only at armies, but also at societies and economies in order to undermine a country’s will to fight. Indeed, this is the central story of warfare during the past two hundred years, from Napoleon’s massive armies tearing through Europe and Sherman’s march through Georgia to the fire bombings of World War II and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
In War Is Hell, Daniel Long tracks the rise of total war across two centuries of bloody warfare and pays special attention to the impact on civilians as they become more deeply enmeshed in armed conflict and as war becomes ever more lethal. Total war rose from roots in ancient times but gained speed as the world industrialized at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is the story of Napoleon and Sherman, the Indian Wars on the American Plains, the Rape of Belgium in World War I and the Rape of Nanking in 1937, and the bombings of Japanese and German cities during World War II. In the years since 1945, large-scale war has declined, but the small wars that have proliferated in its place have enmeshed civilians just as thoroughly, just as devastatingly. Vietnam, Cambodia, the Iran-Iraq War, Bosnia and Kosovo, Rwanda, and Ukraine remind us that warfare remains total, the human cost high.
War Is Hell is essential reading for understanding the past as well as a present.
General William Tecumseh Sherman said it best during the American Civil War: “War is hell” – for soldiers as well as for civilians. As a pioneer and practitioner of total war, Sherman knew better than most what warfare had become by the middle of the nineteenth century, how it had become a devastating, all-consuming affair that aimed not only at armies, but also at societies and economies in order to undermine a country’s will to fight. Indeed, this is the central story of warfare during the past two hundred years, from Napoleon’s massive armies tearing through Europe and Sherman’s march through Georgia to the fire bombings of World War II and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
In War Is Hell, Daniel Long tracks the rise of total war across two centuries of bloody warfare and pays special attention to the impact on civilians as they become more deeply enmeshed in armed conflict and as war becomes ever more lethal. Total war rose from roots in ancient times but gained speed as the world industrialized at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is the story of Napoleon and Sherman, the Indian Wars on the American Plains, the Rape of Belgium in World War I and the Rape of Nanking in 1937, and the bombings of Japanese and German cities during World War II. In the years since 1945, large-scale war has declined, but the small wars that have proliferated in its place have enmeshed civilians just as thoroughly, just as devastatingly. Vietnam, Cambodia, the Iran-Iraq War, Bosnia and Kosovo, Rwanda, and Ukraine remind us that warfare remains total, the human cost high.
War Is Hell is essential reading for understanding the past as well as a present.
364 pages, Hardcover
First published November 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2025
Book Review: War Is Hell: The Rise of Total War from Napoleon to the Present by Daniel E. Long
Rating: 4.7/5
Daniel E. Long’s War Is Hell is a harrowing yet indispensable examination of how warfare evolved into an all-consuming force, devastating soldiers and civilians alike over two centuries. Anchored by General Sherman’s iconic phrase, the book traces the brutal trajectory of total war—from Napoleon’s industrialized armies to modern conflicts like Ukraine—with scholarly rigor and visceral storytelling. Long’s work is not just a military history; it’s a searing indictment of war’s escalating human cost and a testament to its enduring, grim relevance .
Strengths & Emotional Impact
Long’s narrative is both expansive and intimate, juxtaposing grand strategic shifts with gut-wrenching anecdotes. The chapters on World War II (e.g., the Rape of Nanking, strategic bombings) and colonial violence (e.g., Sand Creek) are particularly haunting, forcing readers to confront war’s indiscriminate cruelty . The author’s focus on civilian suffering—often sidelined in traditional military histories—adds moral weight, making the book feel urgent rather than academic. Personal reactions oscillate between outrage (at systemic atrocities) and awe (at Long’s ability to synthesize complex timelines without losing humanity).
Thematic cohesion is superb. Long deftly connects dots between seemingly disparate conflicts, showing how technological advances (chemical warfare, airpower) and ideological extremism (genocides, MAD doctrine) perpetuated total war’s logic . His analysis of post-1945 “small wars” (Vietnam, Rwanda) underscores how modern conflicts, though less globalized, remain equally devastating to societies .
Constructive Criticism
While the scope is impressive, some sections (e.g., the Interwar Period) risk becoming encyclopedic, with rapid-fire case studies that could benefit from deeper contextual threads. The chapter on contemporary conflicts (e.g., Ukraine, Syria) feels slightly truncated—perhaps inevitable given their ongoing nature, but a firmer theoretical framework might have strengthened these segments .
Summary Impressions:
-A masterclass in military history—Long proves that war’s hellishness is not just a metaphor but a relentless historical truth.
-From Napoleon to nuclear brinkmanship, War Is Hell is the definitive account of how warfare swallowed societies whole.
-Sherman’s march meets Schindler’s List—Long’s unflinching prose will haunt you long after the last page.
-Essential reading for understanding why ‘never again’ remains a broken promise.
- A grimly timely reminder that total war never truly ended; it just changed uniforms.
Final Thoughts
War Is Hell is a monumental achievement, blending meticulous research with moral clarity. Long’s prose avoids sensationalism, letting historical atrocities speak for themselves—which makes their impact all the more devastating. This isn’t just a book for history buffs; it’s a necessary mirror for our conflict-ridden present .
Thank you to the National Book Network and Edelweiss for the advance copy. Long’s work is a sobering call to reckon with war’s legacy—and our complicity in its perpetuation.
Rating: 4.7/5
Daniel E. Long’s War Is Hell is a harrowing yet indispensable examination of how warfare evolved into an all-consuming force, devastating soldiers and civilians alike over two centuries. Anchored by General Sherman’s iconic phrase, the book traces the brutal trajectory of total war—from Napoleon’s industrialized armies to modern conflicts like Ukraine—with scholarly rigor and visceral storytelling. Long’s work is not just a military history; it’s a searing indictment of war’s escalating human cost and a testament to its enduring, grim relevance .
Strengths & Emotional Impact
Long’s narrative is both expansive and intimate, juxtaposing grand strategic shifts with gut-wrenching anecdotes. The chapters on World War II (e.g., the Rape of Nanking, strategic bombings) and colonial violence (e.g., Sand Creek) are particularly haunting, forcing readers to confront war’s indiscriminate cruelty . The author’s focus on civilian suffering—often sidelined in traditional military histories—adds moral weight, making the book feel urgent rather than academic. Personal reactions oscillate between outrage (at systemic atrocities) and awe (at Long’s ability to synthesize complex timelines without losing humanity).
Thematic cohesion is superb. Long deftly connects dots between seemingly disparate conflicts, showing how technological advances (chemical warfare, airpower) and ideological extremism (genocides, MAD doctrine) perpetuated total war’s logic . His analysis of post-1945 “small wars” (Vietnam, Rwanda) underscores how modern conflicts, though less globalized, remain equally devastating to societies .
Constructive Criticism
While the scope is impressive, some sections (e.g., the Interwar Period) risk becoming encyclopedic, with rapid-fire case studies that could benefit from deeper contextual threads. The chapter on contemporary conflicts (e.g., Ukraine, Syria) feels slightly truncated—perhaps inevitable given their ongoing nature, but a firmer theoretical framework might have strengthened these segments .
Summary Impressions:
-A masterclass in military history—Long proves that war’s hellishness is not just a metaphor but a relentless historical truth.
-From Napoleon to nuclear brinkmanship, War Is Hell is the definitive account of how warfare swallowed societies whole.
-Sherman’s march meets Schindler’s List—Long’s unflinching prose will haunt you long after the last page.
-Essential reading for understanding why ‘never again’ remains a broken promise.
- A grimly timely reminder that total war never truly ended; it just changed uniforms.
Final Thoughts
War Is Hell is a monumental achievement, blending meticulous research with moral clarity. Long’s prose avoids sensationalism, letting historical atrocities speak for themselves—which makes their impact all the more devastating. This isn’t just a book for history buffs; it’s a necessary mirror for our conflict-ridden present .
Thank you to the National Book Network and Edelweiss for the advance copy. Long’s work is a sobering call to reckon with war’s legacy—and our complicity in its perpetuation.
October 25, 2025
DNF'd at 72% because this piece becomes a Trump loving, Isreal backing propo. It started out good, with in-depth progression of total war on all sides. It included little known Unit 731 and highlighted unhighlighted war crimes. But in Chapter 6, all the "smaller" conflicts are not well researched or used bias sources. He called the Isreal-Palestine genocide a conflict and that Isreal had a right to establish their state because "who else would take them" as if the land was uninhabited. Then several Asian and African conflicts were misrepresented or simplified too much. Then he got into his analysis of how Trump is a good president and how the nationalism shown is actually ok. He explains that Trump shouldn't be compared to Hitler and then further goes on to be ignorant on the Palestinian genocide (blaming Palestinians). Biased and not well researched. I had high hopes, now im just mad.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews