War Studies Reader: From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day and Beyond

Description

This reader provides authoritative and thought-provoking pieces of War Studies scholarship in an accessible form. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, including strategy (Colin S. Gray), 'Shell-Shock and the Cultural History of the Great War' (Jay Winter) and Coalition Warfare (Holger H. Herwig), this book purposefully ranges across military history, international relations and contemporary security to capture the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. Gary Sheffield also provides an introduction to the Reader and to War Studies, explaining the growth and development of this dynamic field of study.

Gary Sheffield is Professor of War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. He was previously Chair of War Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, held a personal chair at King's College London, UK, and was Land Warfare Historian on the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. He has published widely on military history.

'War Studies Reader is an exceptional collection of articles by the top figures in the burgeoning field of the study of war...an indispensable introduction for students interested in coming to grips with the multi-faceted nature of the study of modern conflict...War Studies Reader is well-suited to spark debate and spur thought regarding a field of historical inquiry that is reaching its full maturity.' -- Andrew Wiest, Professor of History and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of War and Society, The University of Southern Mississippi, USA 'This reader collects articles which both cover the historical development of war studies and speak to current debates inside and outside the field. The breadth of subject matter and approach ensure that all readers will be stimulated to consider 'war studies' anew. The articles have plainly been selected to spark individual thought and group discussion, and the book promises to become an essential stepping stone on the path to understanding the complex phenomenon of war.' -- Dr Dan Todman, Senior Lecturer in History, Queen Mary, University of London, UK 'The essays are thought provoking with a good introduction, together with the original War Studies reader entitled War (1994) edited by Lawrence Freedman, it should prove very useful to students of War Studies Courses.' -- The Bulletin for the Military Historical Society 'This is an interesting and, on occasion, stimulating collection because it does not just contain essays on various aspects of the subject but papers looking at the field itself.' -- Contemporary Review