Preserving, Using, and Abusing the History of War

This excellent volume is not a history of war, but rather a history of the ways in which we have preserved and transmitted the history of war and the ways we have used and abused that history over the ages.

Prof. Black takes us from Antiquity to the present, spanning the globe, while touching not only on narrative studies of wars and warfare, but also oral tradition, epic literature, fiction, memorialization, film, popular culture, reenacting, counter-factuals, and more.

Regarding the written account, Black reminds us that the winners don’t always write the history, as the losers have more to gain from writing it. Moreover, he points out that many histories of war that draw sweeping conclusions are often influenced by questionable theories (e.g. is there a ”Western Way of War”?), and based on limited case studies, such as the many standard works that omit mention of non-Western wars and warriors.*

Black also notes, using events drawn from recent conflicts, how our perceptions of the history of wars can change, deliberately or unconsciously, reflecting contemporary events, changing alignments, politics, and new ideologies.

Histories of War is a very valuable read for anyone interested in the history of war and our understanding of it.

Note: Histories of War is also available in e-editions.

StrategyPage reviews are published in cooperation with The New York Military Affairs Symposium

www.nymas.org