Battle: A History of Combat and Culture

A noted military historian offers a cultural approach to the history of warfare, insisting that we understand combat best when we study the beliefs, values, and expectations of the adversaries.

Battle: A History of Combat and Culture spans the globe and the centuries to explore the way ideas shape the conduct of warfare. Drawing its examples from Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and America, John A. Lynn challenges the belief that technology has been the dominant influence on combat from ancient times to the present day. In battle, ideas can be more far more important than bullets or bombs. Clausewitz proclaimed that war is politics, but even more basically, war is culture. The hard reality of armed conflict is formed by - and, in turn, forms - a culture's values, assumptions, and expectations about fighting. The author examines the relationship between the real and the ideal, arguing that feedback between the two follows certain discernable paths. Battle rejects the currently fashionable notion of a "Western way of warfare" and replaces it with more nuanced concepts of varied and evolving cultural patterns of combat. After considering history, Lynn finally asks how the knowledge gained might illuminate our understanding of the war on terrorism. more

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Recent Reviews

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-07-2009; Complementary readings to Lynn's book; There are already several good reviews to this book, so I will only suggest reading the following books in addition to Lynn's book: 1) above all, "War in human civilization" by Azar Gat; 2) "War before Civilization. The Myth of the...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-07-2008; Essential reading for anyone interested in military history; Awesome book! Lynn's model on the discourse versus the reality of war is invaluable for every student of military history. Even though this is high level scholarship the book is very reader friendly. Apart from creating his own model...; read full review | report as inappropriate

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Apr-20-2007; Thoughtful; This very good book is devoted to the ways that larger culture influences how different societies wage war. Lynn presents a series of essays looking at how classical Greece, ancient China, Enlightenment Europe, and others waged war and...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-09-2007; Battle Joined; John Lynn's "Battle" is a well-written and incisivelook at an important historical subject. In a timeof war, it is an important reminder of the lessons ofhistory. Colorful examples and thoughtful commentarycan be found throughout this...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-07-2008; Essential reading for anyone interested in military history; Awesome book! Lynn's model on the discourse versus the reality of war is invaluable for every student of military history. Even though this is high level scholarship the book is very reader friendly. Apart from creating his own model...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-07-2009; Complementary readings to Lynn's book; There are already several good reviews to this book, so I will only suggest reading the following books in addition to Lynn's book: 1) above all, "War in human civilization" by Azar Gat; 2) "War before Civilization. The Myth of the...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-23-2005; Interesting analysis ... until the Epilogue; "Battle" appears to be written as a direct challenge to Victor Davis Hanson and John Keegan, two of the world's best known military and classical historians. Dr. Lynn's book is well written and well organized, and provides a fascinating...; read full review | report as inappropriate