Full name: Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Harry Sidebottom Year: 2004 Rank: Rating: Original Rating: Pop Rating: Genres/categories: History, Non Fiction, War/Military Purchase/reserch links: LibraryThing Goodreads Amazon ISBNs: 9780192804709 0192804707

Greek and Roman warfare was unlike that of any other culture before or since. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practiced a "Western Way of War," in which the aim is an open, decisive battle--won by courage instilled, in part, by discipline. Here, Harry Sidebottom looks at how this Western Way of War was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans and why this concept is so prevalent today. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined--from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. Sidebottom examines war in the wider context, showing how wars were able to shape classical society, and how an individual's identity was sometimes constructed by war, as in the case of the Christian soldier fighting in God's name. He also explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Taking fascinating examples from the iliad, Tacitus, and the Persian Wars, Sidebottom uses arresting anecdotes and striking visual images to show that any understanding of ancient war is an ongoing process of interpretation. Similar books: A History Of Warfare by John Keegan Carnage and Culture by Victor Davis Hanson Soldiers and Ghosts by J. E. Lendon The Soul of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson Warfare in the Ancient World by Brian Todd Carey On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan The Art of War in the Western World by Archer Jones The Origins of War by Arther Ferrill Wars of the Ancient Greeks by Victor Davis Hanson Roman Warfare by Adrian Goldsworthy The Western Way of War by Victor Davis Hanson Military Blunders by Saul David The Father of Us All by Victor Davis Hanson The Savage Wars Of Peace by Max Boot The Face of Battle by John Keegan 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent Shattered Sword by Jonathan Parshall Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E. Ambrose