Recent Themes in Military History

Front Cover
Donald A. Yerxa
Univ of South Carolina Press, 2008 - History - 141 pages

An inviting survey of recent developments in military history from leading voices in the field

Described as "the New York Review of Books for history,"Historically Speaking has emerged as one of the most distinctive historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse from both inside and outside academia. Recent Themes in Military History represents some of the best writing on military history to appear in the past five years.

This collection of forums, interviews, and individual essays drawn from Historically Speaking provides contrasting views on such topics in military history as the existence and function of military revolutions in the past and present, the experience of soldiering and combat, the particularly violent and gruesome nature of twentieth-century warfare, and projections of the nature of future wars. The ebb and flow of discourse between contributors also illustrates how the study of history is an ongoing conversation wherein discovery and debate lead to deeper understanding and development of fresh opportunities for further inquiry.

Ideal as a companion text in military history courses, this reader will spark discussion among historians, students, policymakers, and enthusiasts.

 

Contents

Military Revolutions Past and Present
11
Thinking about Military Revolution
26
An Interview with Max Boot
42
Comment on Gray
58
Comment on Been There Done That
73
The Pacific Battlefield
96
An Interview with Niall Ferguson
118
Contributors
133
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2008)

Donald A. Yerxa is assistant director of the Historical Society and editor of Historically Speaking. A professor of history at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, Yerxa is the author of The Burning of Falmouth, 1775 and Admirals and Empire: The United States Navy and the Caribbean, 1898-1945 and coauthor of Species of Origins: America's Search for a Creation Story.

Bibliographic information