For those already immersed in the culture of war, van creveld provides significant detail to broaden your understanding of this culture. Professor van creveld has written a book that shows how war has permeated culture and become a culture itself. Van creveld notes that many of the wars fought after 1945 were lowintensity conflicts lics which powerful states ended up losing. The culture of war by martin van creveld, hardcover.
The main theme of the book is summarized in his discussion on preparing for war. There are few better suited to write the history of strategy and military thought than dr. That author is martin van creveld, and his most recent book. Advance praise for the culture of war this splendid volume affirms what we already know. Hebrew universitys van creveld remains unsurpassed as a scholar of war. At a time when unprecedented change in international affairs is forcing governments, citizens, and armed forces everywhere to reassess the question of whether military solutions to political problems are possible any longer, martin van creveld has written an audacious searching examination of the nature of war and of its radical transformation in our own time. By denying vociferously in fact before each major portion of the book that war is a means to an end and is undertaken based on a rational costbenefit analysis, van creveld seems to be implying that war is an end in itself, perhaps because it is the best way. Martin van creveld has 54 books on goodreads with 9983 ratings.
The art of making war is among humankinds earliest professions, stretching far back before the written word, when heroic deeds in battles were carved on stone or recited through poem or song. Martin van creveld, who has been a significant contributor to the literature of war. Oct 31, 2008 a full discussion of the culture of war would require not a single volume but an entire library. Despite the pacifist claim that true war is lawless slaughter and that no sane person enjoys it, van creveld argues that the opposite is true. The changing face of war is the book that reveals the path that led to the impasse in iraq, why powerful standing armies are now helpless against illequipped insurgents, and how the security of sovereign nations may be maintained in the. Van creveld and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The book s significance is attested to by the fact that until the middle of 2008, it was included on the list of required reading for united states army officers, and with sun tzu and clausewitz the third nonamerican entry on the list. The past and future of war the american conservative. The changing face of war is the book that reveals the path that led to the impasse in iraq, why powerful standing armies. Oct 26, 2008 the culture of war martin van creveld ballantinepresidio press. Martin van creveld is one of the worlds most prolific military historians, and has. Sep 30, 2008 the culture of war brings us another step into understanding the underlying issues. The culture of war by martin van creveld goodreads.
The culture of war by martin van creveld and arthur morey. That celebrated historian van creveld the culture of war manages just this, and does so with an easy accessibility, is to be admireda firstrate study. Again, if a military is to fight, its culture must be aggressively male. The culture of war, by martin van creveld the new york times. The apparent purpose for this book is to argue against clausewitzs famous dictum that war is an extension of politics by other means. Van creveld s book is the original and best study of this kind of war, done magisterially in his last chapter. Its an important subject, but most of the book s 400 pages are just a laundry list of war s accoutrements. The culture of war brings us another step into understanding the underlying issues.
Martin van creveld s latest book deals with the culture of war a term he never defines explicitly from ancient to modern times. In the culture of war, van creveld once more shows an exceptional mastery of his subject as he explores a vital but rarely acknowledged aspect of war, its deeprooted culture. While the topics covered in the book are serious and heavy, jonathon. Technology and war book by martin van creveld official. Martin van creveld is the most creative, most insightful, and most important military historian writing in english today. In this sweeping, lucid history, martin van creveld explores military thought and strategy, from the earliest chinese military thinkers to 20thcentury perspectives on terrorism.
Martin van creveld is one of the best military historians in the world and he does a good job drawings lessons about mankind from his vast array of experience. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, out. To those relatively initiated with the subject, this book will answer many questions and more importantly, spark new ones. The rise and decline of western thought and culture by francis a. Traditional books on military history provide only a superficial study of the role logistics played in historys most noted campaigns. Martin van creveld is a notorious contrarian who will never give the reader an easy book. Creveld has a variety of objectives in the culture of war, but his more important are threefold. Find all books by martin van creveld and compare prices. The section of the book which i found most interesting was section five. Martin van creveld books list of books by author martin. Jonathon so eloquently lays out the state of our culture today, how we have gotten to this point, and how multiple societal problems like pornography, abortion, and euthanasia are all intertwined and related.
Books by martin van creveld author of supplying war. Popular culture war books meet your next favorite book. Now, in the culture of war, he argues that there is much more to war than just soldiers killing one another for whatever reason. In culture of war, the author offers a serious survey of how the. In this provocative volume, he challenges perhaps the subjects single greatest shibbolethat least in western culture. The old contrarian often excelled at looking at the overlooked and making arguments so out of left field that it forced the reader to rethink accepted history. Aug 17, 2010 a respected scholar of military history and an expert on strategy, martin van creveld recently explored the modern worlds shifting method of combat in the changing face of war. Paradoxically, that is just why the culture of war is as vital as it is.
This provocative book, the first of its kind, sets out to show how wrongheaded, and even dangerous, such attitudes are. The culture of war by martin van creveld, hardcover barnes. A professor emeritus at the hebrew university, jerusalem, dr. As he did in his provocative the transformation of war, van creveld argues against the premise that wars are fought only for political ends fails to recognize that war is. The culture of war martin van creveld national library. Logistics from wallenstein to patton is now included on the list as well.
We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Publishers weekly martin van creveld, so well known for his military histories, has produced an exemplary political, cultural, and intellectual history of israel. Van crevelds book is the original and best study of this kind of war, done magisterially in his last chapter. The culture war is a book i think every christian should read. The culture of war by martin van creveld overdrive. A full discussion of the culture of war would require not a single volume but an entire library. Even the most cursory examination of such war games suggests that serious preparation for war and mere entertainment, training and fun, makebelieve and.
Not only is that now socially unacceptable, increasingly it is illegal. Across time and space, he argues, the nature of war, which reflects the unchanging nature of man, remains largely the same a lesson critical in this techobsessed age. Martin van crevelds most popular book is supplying war. The changing face of war by martin van creveld is thinabout 270 pages. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Creveld goes on to discuss the war on men and all things masculine, which is probably the central factor in demilitarizing our militaries. In this sweeping, lucid history, martin van creveld explores military thought and strategy, from the earliest chinese military thinkers to 20thcentury perspectives on. Martin van creveld books list of books by author martin van. The culture of war by martin van creveld overdrive rakuten. Even the most cursory examination of such wargames suggests that serious preparation for war and mere entertainment, training and fun, makebelieve and.
This book, and van creveld s rise and decline of the state are essential reading. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Logistics from wallenstein to patton, martin van creveld examines war from a much deeper logistical perspective, offering a fascinating new view on the lessons to be learned from these campaigns. The land of blood and honey martin van creveld macmillan. The culture of war by martin van creveld book 25 editions published. The culture in question ranges from the often far from utilitarian shapes and decoration of armor. A full discussion of the culture of war would require not a single volume but. A respected scholar of military history and an expert on strategy, martin van creveld recently explored the modern worlds shifting method of combat in the changing face of war. Culture of war by martin van creveld, 9780345505408, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard. A respected scholar of military history and an expert on strategy, martin van creveld recently explored the modern worlds shifting method of combat in the. A history of strategy audiobook by martin van creveld.
To be fair to van creveld, this book is about wars allure, not its costs. Its an important subject, but most of the books 400 pages are just a laundry list of wars accoutrements. The culture of war martin van creveld ballantinepresidio press. Van creveld then moves on to the culture of warfare itself. Martin levi van creveld is an israeli military historian and theorist. This book, and van crevelds rise and decline of the state are essential reading. Martin van crevelds latest book deals with the culture of war a term he never defines explicitly from ancient to modern times. The culture of war, by martin van creveld the new york. Van crevelds catch theme is that war has as much or more to do with the heart and the hormones than with the brain and its reasoning p. In this section van creveld describes how the culture of war can broken down in a society.
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