What do you think?
Rate this book
The Book of War: 25 Centuries of Great War Writing
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 participants—from Thucydides’ classic account of ancient Greek phalanx warfare to a blow-by-blow description of ground fighting against the Iraqi troops in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Keegan gathers more than eighty selections, including Caesar’s Commentaries on the Roman invasion of Britain; the French Knight Jehan de Wavrin at the battle of Agincourt; Davy Crockett in the war against the Creek; Wellington’s dispatch on Waterloo; Hemingway after Caporetto; and Ernie Pyle at Normandy.
“The best military historian of our generation.” –Tom Clancy
“A monumental piece of literary military history.” –Chicago Tribune
A brilliantly edited and comprehensive anthology."— The New York Times Book Review .
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 participants—from Thucydides’ classic account of ancient Greek phalanx warfare to a blow-by-blow description of ground fighting against the Iraqi troops in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Keegan gathers more than eighty selections, including Caesar’s Commentaries on the Roman invasion of Britain; the French Knight Jehan de Wavrin at the battle of Agincourt; Davy Crockett in the war against the Creek; Wellington’s dispatch on Waterloo; Hemingway after Caporetto; and Ernie Pyle at Normandy.
“The best military historian of our generation.” –Tom Clancy
“A monumental piece of literary military history.” –Chicago Tribune
A brilliantly edited and comprehensive anthology."— The New York Times Book Review .
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
52 people are currently reading
649 people want to read
About the author
John Keegan
130 books785 followersSir John Desmond Patrick Keegan, OBE, FRSL was a British military historian, lecturer and journalist. He published many works on the nature of combat between the 14th and 21st centuries concerning land, air, maritime and intelligence warfare as well as the psychology of battle.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 4, 2015
A compilation book that I have had on my shelf for over 18 years, but finally managed to complete recently. I have been a fan of John Keegan, especially his Price of Admiralty and World War I. This work was solid, but perhaps not the greatest thing he ever produced. His compilation of war writing attempts to support his positions on warfare across many eras and many cultures. Given that he is British, his view on warfare and his respective compartmentalization of warfare reflects that bias. He does pay lip service to non-British conflicts, but then again, for any one volume to try to define warfare through a compilation of writings is not an easy endeavor. One thing I did find interesting is that when he incorporated poetry into this volume, it was of the anti-war variety. Overall, a decent work that someone who is interested in military history would want to add to his/her book shelf. Is it the best compilation of war writing ever? No, it is not. Still, it is a starting point. Keep that in mind, and this work will achieve its true value.
July 1, 2011
Anyone who likes military history should read this book. It is a collection of primary and secondary writings about various wars going back to the age of Greece and Rome. Every reader will take something different from it. You can't help but compare and contrast tactics and methods between the different wars.
January 26, 2023
Military history is hard history. At first glance things and outcomes and decisions seem patently obvious. At first glance the war appears obvious and centered on the turning points of singular battles.
There is a reluctance to chronicle war as a sequence of battles and campaigns and there is a preference to explain all major war/ change as arising from longue durée social, economic, cultural, technological and other causes.
There is much to be said for taking the long view, however, many are either indifferent or hostile to military history in either its short form or long. And many are strongly opposed to any claim that wars have been main agents of lasting change.
Yet, war remains hugely important in explaining much of history and wider human affairs. Armed conflict is too important to be reduced to banality that “war solves nothing.”
War in history has in fact decided many truly important things. Major Wars and major regional conflict have altered the deep course of world history. The 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries show that war remains the most complex, costly, physical, emotionally and morally demanding enterprise that humans collectively undertake.
"The outcome of WWI would determine the nature of the rest of the century." " Defeat gave Bolsheviks their chance to seize power." "Defeat would dismember the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires." Defeat created a no-mans land between socialism and Nazism. America after 1918 withdraw from World Affairs.
This book is a fabulous collection of essays that serves to illustrate wars fundamental importance to world history cannot be overstated.
The table of contents is broken into three parts, over 80 essays – the Melian Dialogue by Thucydides; First British Expedition, Julius Caesar; The Fall of Constantinople, Andrew Wheatcroft; Russia 1812, Victor Hugo; Bravo Two Zero, Andy McNab; et. al. 467 reading pages.
Each essay has a short introduction that provides background and setting, and each essay is mostly, only a few pages.
This is a collection of differences between military cultures past and present. These are essays of hero’s that may have observed codes of honor, yet abideth not of social responsibilities. These are essays that show the transformation of war and the many centuries it would take for new forms, new culture and new types to emerge. These are essays of capabilities unperceived. These are essays of the rise of the political society and the mandates of war and society that would require higher levels of economic, political, administrative and hierarchal systems and integration. These are essays of competing systems, defects of strength and inflexibility, and exploiting weaknesses. These are essays of contrast. These are essays about the “Battle of Decision” that have always been dominate to the nature of war.
Lastly, these are stories that tell of outcomes and consequences of defeat of victory and how the course of history is changed by a moment.
There is a reluctance to chronicle war as a sequence of battles and campaigns and there is a preference to explain all major war/ change as arising from longue durée social, economic, cultural, technological and other causes.
There is much to be said for taking the long view, however, many are either indifferent or hostile to military history in either its short form or long. And many are strongly opposed to any claim that wars have been main agents of lasting change.
Yet, war remains hugely important in explaining much of history and wider human affairs. Armed conflict is too important to be reduced to banality that “war solves nothing.”
War in history has in fact decided many truly important things. Major Wars and major regional conflict have altered the deep course of world history. The 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries show that war remains the most complex, costly, physical, emotionally and morally demanding enterprise that humans collectively undertake.
"The outcome of WWI would determine the nature of the rest of the century." " Defeat gave Bolsheviks their chance to seize power." "Defeat would dismember the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires." Defeat created a no-mans land between socialism and Nazism. America after 1918 withdraw from World Affairs.
This book is a fabulous collection of essays that serves to illustrate wars fundamental importance to world history cannot be overstated.
The table of contents is broken into three parts, over 80 essays – the Melian Dialogue by Thucydides; First British Expedition, Julius Caesar; The Fall of Constantinople, Andrew Wheatcroft; Russia 1812, Victor Hugo; Bravo Two Zero, Andy McNab; et. al. 467 reading pages.
Each essay has a short introduction that provides background and setting, and each essay is mostly, only a few pages.
This is a collection of differences between military cultures past and present. These are essays of hero’s that may have observed codes of honor, yet abideth not of social responsibilities. These are essays that show the transformation of war and the many centuries it would take for new forms, new culture and new types to emerge. These are essays of capabilities unperceived. These are essays of the rise of the political society and the mandates of war and society that would require higher levels of economic, political, administrative and hierarchal systems and integration. These are essays of competing systems, defects of strength and inflexibility, and exploiting weaknesses. These are essays of contrast. These are essays about the “Battle of Decision” that have always been dominate to the nature of war.
Lastly, these are stories that tell of outcomes and consequences of defeat of victory and how the course of history is changed by a moment.
October 22, 2023
The Book of War is an endlessly compelling collection of mostly personal accounts of the horrible experiences of war and combat and the death of comrades.
Keegan has collected the often obscure writings of many recognizable writers, such as Davy Crockett, Victor Hugo, Stephen Crane, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Winston Churchill, and Studs Terkel. The reader also finds numerous contributions by authentic ordinary people who happened to get in the way of war that surrounded them.
There’s nothing pleasant about the book.
Every page is a revelation of the hurt and the loss and the heroics and the degradation of human warfare.
Read The Book of War before you decide to study war no more.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
Keegan has collected the often obscure writings of many recognizable writers, such as Davy Crockett, Victor Hugo, Stephen Crane, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Winston Churchill, and Studs Terkel. The reader also finds numerous contributions by authentic ordinary people who happened to get in the way of war that surrounded them.
There’s nothing pleasant about the book.
Every page is a revelation of the hurt and the loss and the heroics and the degradation of human warfare.
Read The Book of War before you decide to study war no more.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
April 15, 2019
Excerpts from primary and secondary sources in a wide range of conflicts; some very powerful, some could have used more context. Keegan's editorializing favors a particular pro-British gloss, but it's not overwhelming.
I read this as part of my project to read one book from every aisle in Olin Library; a longer review will follow eventually at jacobklehman.com
I read this as part of my project to read one book from every aisle in Olin Library; a longer review will follow eventually at jacobklehman.com
February 28, 2022
Some selections were excellent: Orwell (of course), Turing, the part on the Aztecs, Ancient Greek warfare, and the section describing the Vietnamese tunnel systems were among the best. Reading many of the other sections left me wondering how there must be better selections Keegan could’ve chosen from.
The introduction was also very well written but I am giving this book two stars because the selections could have been much better and covered more ground.
The introduction was also very well written but I am giving this book two stars because the selections could have been much better and covered more ground.
March 12, 2014
Lots of great excerpts, from ancient Greece to Viet Nam. American writers get short shrift, no U.S. Grant for example, but Ernie Pyle's there.
March 26, 2017
A very different take on history from a participant's view of history's decisive battles. Not a summer beach read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews