Soldiers: A history of men in battle

by John Keegan

Celebrated military historian, John Keegan, and co-author, Richard Holmes, chart the changes in the conduct of warfare through history with an instructive combination of analysis and illustration. In the process they reveal that what has not changed is that an army ultimately has to depend on the courage and determination of its fighting men. With an introduction by Frederick Forsyth.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, War, Nonfiction, Military History, Historical

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 1985

About the author

Sir 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.

Reviews

[Chris Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It is still the soldier for whom the experience of war is most vivid. His sensations are complex and diverse, ranging from bitter enmity to intense affection, from paralysing terror to serene heroism, and from stultifying boredom to frenetic activity. For some, the memory of war is one of unrelieved horror and suffering, but for the majority. war is recalled in tones of light and shade, with the warmth of comradeship and the pride of achievement and shared endeavour set alongside the anguish of anticipation, the shock of battle and the misery of privation."

In this excellent book, two of Britain's foremost military historians set out to write a history of warfare (as a companion to a BBC TV series) by telling the story of different types of soldiers. These chapters form the bulk of the book, and recall the history of infantry, cavalry, artillery, tanks, medical services, sappers, air power, commanders, logistics and irregular forces. Keegan and Holmes do a great job of tracing the development of each of these arms, while also drawing out parallels and common themes that have remained relevant over time. The book is topped and tailed by more general chapters on the face of battle, fighting spirit and the experience of war, the content of which will be familiar to readers of the author's other works.

The scope of this book is massive, and the tradeoff is that individual topics and themes are only covered briefly, and sections of analysis are crisp and concise. That said, they have stayed true to their stated focus on soldiers by including a lot of illustrative first-person testimony. They have also given over a considerable proportion of the book to well-chosen and evocative photographs, some of which are familiar and some of which are much less well known. The result is a gripping, informative and enjoyable book, and if you are interested in military history, then this definitely deserves its place on your bookshelf.

[Conrad Kinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A distillation of 1500 years of military history as it was experienced by the men that fought it. I received this book as a small boy in 1991 or 92. I still remember the description of the struggle of The Buffs at Albeura. An example of courage in adversity that inspires me to this day.

Well written in the spare, but evocative prose of a master historian - this is a superb book.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

How good can an overview of the last 1500 years of warfare be? Pretty darn good. Keegan once again demonstrates his keen ability to dissect the history and progression of men in war. I was originally a little uncertain about the divisions of the material into the branches of the armed forces, but it works out beautifully and gives a solid chronological progression of the weapons and techniques that have shaped our history. Even better, it's fascinating reading! No dry stuff here.

[Karl Kindt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific overview of all the struggles a soldier faces.