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War and Our World
John Keegan, widely considered the greatest military historian of our time and the author of acclaimed volumes on ancient and modern warfare--including, most recently, The First World War , a national bestseller--distills what he knows about the why’s and how’s of armed conflict into a series of brilliantly concise essays.
Is war a natural condition of humankind? What are the origins of war? Is the modern state dependent on warfare? How does war affect the individual, combatant or noncombatant? Can there be an end to war? Keegan addresses these questions with a breathtaking knowledge of history and the many other disciplines that have attempted to explain the phenomenon. The themes Keegan concentrates on in this short volume are essential to our understanding of why war remains the single greatest affliction of humanity in the twenty-first century, surpassing famine and disease, its traditional companions.
Is war a natural condition of humankind? What are the origins of war? Is the modern state dependent on warfare? How does war affect the individual, combatant or noncombatant? Can there be an end to war? Keegan addresses these questions with a breathtaking knowledge of history and the many other disciplines that have attempted to explain the phenomenon. The themes Keegan concentrates on in this short volume are essential to our understanding of why war remains the single greatest affliction of humanity in the twenty-first century, surpassing famine and disease, its traditional companions.
112 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1998
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About the author
John Keegan
133 books789 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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 3, 2012
War and Our World is quite a nice little book on an ugly subject, written with British charm and understatement, balancing the huge loss of lives and money with personal feelings of anguish and despair. Keegan uses not just a great eye toward history but involves sciences, poetry and stories from the most regular people. The scope is vast for a small lecture series, covering thousands of years, dozens of conflicts, and the shifting ideals of Western statecraft.
He notes, for instance, that only relatively recently in human history has war become a greater scourge or fear than disease or starvation. So, why do people fight, and why are they fighting more often and more violently? Is war natural, and if so, is that because violence or conflict is natural? How did war even begin, and how has it changed into today’s terror? Since the structures of states have changed, how have those relationships between states and war changed? Since the nature of people has not changed, how have their experiences of war evolved? And, most importantly, can there be an end to war? To that last question Keegan responds with distinctly not neo-conservative wisdom: “If we hope to see war driven towards its end, we must not shrink from seeing its causes addressed.” (74)
He notes, for instance, that only relatively recently in human history has war become a greater scourge or fear than disease or starvation. So, why do people fight, and why are they fighting more often and more violently? Is war natural, and if so, is that because violence or conflict is natural? How did war even begin, and how has it changed into today’s terror? Since the structures of states have changed, how have those relationships between states and war changed? Since the nature of people has not changed, how have their experiences of war evolved? And, most importantly, can there be an end to war? To that last question Keegan responds with distinctly not neo-conservative wisdom: “If we hope to see war driven towards its end, we must not shrink from seeing its causes addressed.” (74)
April 27, 2010
This short, 74 page volume, was originally presented as a series of lectures on the BBC. Ultimately disappointing: perhaps because the transcript of a series of lectures written to be heard cannot serve as well as a series of essays written to be read.
Keegan is an esteemed writer of military history. I was awed by his history of World War One. Here he tries, with some success, to discuss why war happens. He expounds on the most prevalent theories and comes to the conclusion that nobody really knows.
The last Chapter, "War and the Individual", is the most compelling and left me both frightened and hopeful.
I was left pondering, not only the nature of war but also the nature of humankind. A worthwhile exercise, I believe.
Keegan is an esteemed writer of military history. I was awed by his history of World War One. Here he tries, with some success, to discuss why war happens. He expounds on the most prevalent theories and comes to the conclusion that nobody really knows.
The last Chapter, "War and the Individual", is the most compelling and left me both frightened and hopeful.
I was left pondering, not only the nature of war but also the nature of humankind. A worthwhile exercise, I believe.
June 25, 2008
Lectures are silly in book form.
May 19, 2018
One of better WWII (and war, generally) writers.
This is Reith lecture series (BBC) and, thus, pithy and taken with a view from much research and writing on war.
The wounds of war are always self-inflicted. p. 3
"The Terror by day', as the wartime telegram has been called. p. 4
killed in what he calls, 'the lottery of active service' p. 7
. . . soldiers know when and why they have reason to be in fear, which typically is not very often --war service has been called 'long periods of boredom punctuate by moments of acute terror'. Yet those who worry for them do so every waking hour. p. 8
. . . for material damage is more easily and quickly made good than emotional loss, which never can be. p. 11
The cultural damage caused by the war included the destruction of much of the built heritage of England, Germany and Austria, often in reprisal bombing raids, and the deliberate devastation of such sites as the Russian and German imperial palaces, the old city of Warsaw, and the abbey of Monte Cassino, mother house of European monasticism; there was, as well, much collateral damage to the architectural heritage of Italy, France and the Low Countries. p. 13
The nannying by the nanny state of the old, sick and very poor carries consent; that of those suspected of having brought misfortune upon themselves often does not. p. 32
War is increasingly becoming an activity undnature oertaken by poor rather than rich states. . . * * * the availability of cheap weapons is one of the most alarming ingredients of our contemporary military condition. p. 68
nature of war . . . War is collective killing for some collective purpose. . . p. 72
This is Reith lecture series (BBC) and, thus, pithy and taken with a view from much research and writing on war.
The wounds of war are always self-inflicted. p. 3
"The Terror by day', as the wartime telegram has been called. p. 4
killed in what he calls, 'the lottery of active service' p. 7
. . . soldiers know when and why they have reason to be in fear, which typically is not very often --war service has been called 'long periods of boredom punctuate by moments of acute terror'. Yet those who worry for them do so every waking hour. p. 8
. . . for material damage is more easily and quickly made good than emotional loss, which never can be. p. 11
The cultural damage caused by the war included the destruction of much of the built heritage of England, Germany and Austria, often in reprisal bombing raids, and the deliberate devastation of such sites as the Russian and German imperial palaces, the old city of Warsaw, and the abbey of Monte Cassino, mother house of European monasticism; there was, as well, much collateral damage to the architectural heritage of Italy, France and the Low Countries. p. 13
The nannying by the nanny state of the old, sick and very poor carries consent; that of those suspected of having brought misfortune upon themselves often does not. p. 32
War is increasingly becoming an activity undnature oertaken by poor rather than rich states. . . * * * the availability of cheap weapons is one of the most alarming ingredients of our contemporary military condition. p. 68
nature of war . . . War is collective killing for some collective purpose. . . p. 72
September 12, 2018
I wish I haven't read this book. I really do.
I have read so much by John Keegan, the "greatest military historian of the 20th century", that I was surprised when I found one I didn't. Unlike his The Face of Battle which was a decisive book in describing the viewpoint of the soldier in battle at different points of history or his History of Warfare where he came up with a whole reasonably credible theory on the origins of war, this one is too full of rhetoric and a little too much self-glorifying nationalism.
If you read this series of lecture, you would be inclined to believe that Great Britain never does wrong, its government never commit unjust war, and its soldiers are without exception bound by honour and values. I take it that Keegan gave this before the UK shared in the illegal war on Iraq so he couldn't have accounted for it, but he knows history better than to spend his valuable lecture time glorifying the UK (including its colonial record) and convincing us that we should feel a sense of debt for soldiers who are more averse to violence apparently than any of us.
But then, it is probably my fault for having expected much better from someone who knows little more than the privilege offered to him by his birth, class, and the time he spent among his "civilised" soldiers. Keegan apologises for not having fought on wars because of a disability, but his that shouldn't have prevented him from knowing better.
I have read so much by John Keegan, the "greatest military historian of the 20th century", that I was surprised when I found one I didn't. Unlike his The Face of Battle which was a decisive book in describing the viewpoint of the soldier in battle at different points of history or his History of Warfare where he came up with a whole reasonably credible theory on the origins of war, this one is too full of rhetoric and a little too much self-glorifying nationalism.
If you read this series of lecture, you would be inclined to believe that Great Britain never does wrong, its government never commit unjust war, and its soldiers are without exception bound by honour and values. I take it that Keegan gave this before the UK shared in the illegal war on Iraq so he couldn't have accounted for it, but he knows history better than to spend his valuable lecture time glorifying the UK (including its colonial record) and convincing us that we should feel a sense of debt for soldiers who are more averse to violence apparently than any of us.
But then, it is probably my fault for having expected much better from someone who knows little more than the privilege offered to him by his birth, class, and the time he spent among his "civilised" soldiers. Keegan apologises for not having fought on wars because of a disability, but his that shouldn't have prevented him from knowing better.
November 10, 2022
A short interesting take on the origins of war. Nothing mind bending or life changing but it is, in a way, reaffirming in its ability to succinctly explain how we got to be where we are today.
May 18, 2025
A pre-9/11 idealistic & somewhat nationalistic take on war from an academic. Not great.
February 5, 2026
Collection of lectures. Due to it being a transcript the writing style was somewhat lacking. Not the best arguments either.
August 8, 2016
Keegan, recently retired as professor of History from Yale, is a historian in the classical sense. Not an ideologue, Keegan looks at history through a larger narrative, ranges across a variety of subjects to explore in great depth the topic of his book, and can distill a rather complex topic into four lectures for this short, but important book. I think we overlook the value of shorter books on history, in which a master historian can help us see the broad sweep of history concisely and with fundamentally sound and engaging prose. Here is a book I think all students of history would benefit from, not just those interested in military history. War, not a pleasant thought, is a part of the human condition, and will forever remain so. So, we need to understand its role in our world, how it comes about, how it evolved and should be seen across politics and history. Here is the importance of the grand view of history, not segmented down to preferable sub-fields, which deny the larger scope of our existence.
November 23, 2014
This work is actually from a lecture series Keegan delivered in 1998. The content of these lectures was the topic of war, and as far as Keegan's purpose for delivering a lecture within the stated time frame Keegan did an excellent job. If this work had unlimited space the rating would have been lower, but working within a lecture time frame excellent work...
February 9, 2013
it is a nice introductory books for the subject of war, how it changes and how it is connected to the social world. Though short and some of the issues lack depth, it ignites interest in the subject; hence good point of departure for further research.
July 6, 2016
It is refreshing to read an open discussion about war. Keegan speaks 'about' war, instead of getting into the nitty gritty of warfare. His worldwide perspective and deep understanding of history is very helpful. His views are thoughtful and worth internalising.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews