Christon
Archer, John Ferris, Holger Herwig, and Timothy Travers, World History of
Warfare (University of Nebraska Press, 2002).
World History of Warfare is designed as a textbook for introductory college courses in military history. The text covers worldwide military history from ancient times to the present. Its principal theme is an exploration of change and continuity, revolution and tradition, in three thousand years of warfare. The work teaches students and general readers how warfare evolved and how that evolution affected human society, with emphasis on major turning points in the conduct of warfare rather than a superficial general history of wars.
This volume addresses
traditional subjects such as generals and tactics, but each chapter also includes
discussions of the idea of war, the role of the common soldier, and the changing
interpretations of the military's place in society and poltics. Of special value
is the authors' treatment of non-Western societies. Too often military history
has meant the study of warfare in England, France, and Germany, especially as
it was shaped by the Napoleonic conflicts. In contrast, the authors of this
volume examine the role that military forces have played in shaping societies
worldwide.
John Keegan, The Face of Battle (Viking Press, 1995).
The
Face of Battle
is military history from the battlefield: a look at the direct experience of
individuals at the "point of maximum danger." Without the myth-making
elements of rhetoric and xenophobia, and breaking away from the stylized format
of battle descriptions, John Keegan has written what is probably the definitive
model for military historians. And in his scrupulous reassessment of three battles
representative of three different time periods, he manages to convey what the
experience of combat meant for the participants, whether they were facing the
arrow cloud of Agincourt, the musket balls at Waterloo, or the steel rain of
the Somme. Keegan was for many years Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy
at Sandhurst. He is the author of several books on military history, including
The Mask of Command (1987), The First World War (1999), The
Second World War (1989), and A History of Warfare (1993).
Primary and Secondary Source Readings (available on Blackboard)
Most primary and secondary source readings are available on Blackboard, although occasionally I'll ask you to look at a site on the Web or some artwork that will be posted in the Food for Thought. The actual reading assignment for each day is listed in the Class Schedule. All primary and secondary source readings are required.
Movies
During the semester, I will show three movies, all of which are required viewing. Questions about these movies may very well appear on the Final Exam. Click on the film reel above to access a description of the movies. Information about show times also appear in the Class Schedule under the relevant week and day.
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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2006.