The Culture of War [Hardcover]

Martin van Creveld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

A respected scholar of military history and an expert on strategy, Martin van Creveld recently explored the modern world’s shifting method of combat in The Changing Face of War. Now, in The Culture of War, he argues that there is much more to war than just soldiers killing one another for whatever reason.

War has always been a topic of deep intrigue. Fighting itself can be a source of great, perhaps even the greatest, joy; out of this joy and fascination an entire culture has grown–from the war paint of tribal warriors to today’s “tiger suits,” from Julius Caesar’s red cloak to Douglas McArthur’s pipe, from the decorative shields of ancient Greece to today’s nose art, and from the invention of chess around 600 A.D. to the most modern combat simulators. The culture of war has its own traditions, laws and customs, rituals, ceremonies, music, art, literature, and monuments since the beginning of civilization.

Throughout the ages, the culture of war has usually been highly esteemed. Not so in today’s advanced countries, which tend either to mock it (“military intelligence is to intelligence what military music is to music”) or to denounce it as “militaristic.” This provocative book, the first of its kind, sets out to show how wrongheaded, and even dangerous, such attitudes are. The Culture of War argues that men and women, contrary to the hopes of some, are just as fascinated by war today as they have been in the past. A military that
has lost touch with the culture of war is doomed not merely to defeat but to disintegration.

Innovative, authoritative, and riveting, this is a major work by one of the world’s greatest and most insightful military historians.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Hebrew University's van Creveld remains unsurpassed as a scholar of war. In this provocative volume, he challenges perhaps the subject's single greatest shibboleth—at least in Western culture. Since the Enlightenment, war has been described as a means to an end, serving essentially rational interests. Nothing, van Creveld asserts, could be further from the truth: war exercises a powerful fascination in its own right. To dismiss this is to overlook that war has generated a distinctive culture, from uniforms to war games to parades, that is despised and regularly denigrated as atavistic and irrational. Van Creveld demonstrates that war is an essential element of history, rooted in psychology. In a tour de force of scholarship and insight, he takes readers through the processes of preparing for, waging and commemorating war. That culture makes men face death willingly, even enthusiastically, because it is an end in itself. [T]o be of any use, the culture of war must be useless. Its traditions and rules are not constructions, but part of the fighter's soul—and as such, for better and worse, part of the human condition. Illus. (Sept. 30)
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From Booklist

From a respected military historian comes this probing inquiry of military culture. Marshaling evidence for its constancy, ranging from remote human history to the televised present, van Creveld asserts that group and societal reinforcements motivate soldiers to master fear and risk death. Van Creveld covers aspects such as training, military decoration, and commemoration of the dead, all of which are thought to motivate men to fight. A martial cultural tradition is vital, van Creveld argues, to cohesion at all levels; hence, the creation of martial music and war museums. But perhaps van Creveld’s most interesting discussions go against the derogation if not repudiation of martial values since World War II. Doubting that war will ever vanish from human experience, van Creveld emphasizes the intensity of its emotions, its centrality to the lives of those who endure and survive it, and the fascination its popularly exerts as reflected in war games, battle reenactments, collectibles, and military history and literature. A candid if uncomfortable appraisal of human nature, van Creveld’s astute analysis is a must-have on the military shelves. --Gilbert Taylor

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345505409
• ISBN-13: 978-0345505408
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.4 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Warrior's Way, March 26, 2009

By 

Jason S. Taylor "Marco's Realto" (Portland Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Culture of War (Kindle Edition)

In Greek myth the jurisdiction over war is divided. Athena Nike, as governess over the arts, crafts, and sciences is in charge of victory as a corrallary to being in charge of strategy and statecraft. Ares is in charge of war in itself-he likes the fury of war for it's own sake. And while many historians, understandably prefer to study Athena Nike, this book is devoted to studying the ways of Ares.
It has been said that war is an extention of politics. That is in a sense true, in so far as the one who gives the orders for the commencement of hostilities is usually a politician and therefore inspired by political motives. However it is less true that people fight for politics. People fight for more important things like duty, honor, country, faith, friends, family, comrades-in-arms and so on. And if these things are "delusions" as cynics say, it might be pointed out that much of cynicism is itself a delusion and not the most pleasant of them.
The book gives an overview of the customs of warriors throughout history and the recuring themes. It shows how the culture of fighting men, the subtle(and not so subtle) ways in which they boast of their prowess and assert their right to be recognized as men-among-men is has much in common worldwide. It gives examples of such things as traditions, decorations, and what not, all designed to give the suspicion that people do to some degree like to fight. It shows how no matter how far apart cultures are in technology or customs, some things remain the same(this struck me in the Movie Zulu when the Zulus were singing their war songs and the Welsh were singing "Men of Harlech" in reply). Much of the points in the book of course I take for granted, have been a member of the "civilian" part of the culture of war sense the first time I read a war-story or played my first wargame. The book by the way sheds some light on this, telling about reenactors, wargamers and the like. Some would deplore the "culture of war" and say it should be removed. But it is part of life and not the worst part.
The disadvantage of the book from my point of view are twofold is that I desired cultural history and thus the authors personal opinions were an annoying distraction. Another disadvantage is that Crevald can be an annoying writter at times. One advantage it does have is it is lacking in cant. Crevald never states that he really, really hates war even though he makes a living off of it and writes about it with an obvious relish. In fact he gives a rather Pattonesque feeling which some might find irritating but is at least a change of pace. In any case his point is taken, that war has it's own culture and aspects of it cross through time and space.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not one of his better books, February 26, 2009

By 

R. W. Levesque (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Culture of War (Hardcover)

Van Creveld's book doesn't really present anything new but it makes for an interesting read. First you have to understand that he comes from the school of thought that war is part of, if not caused by, human nature. "It's culture, rooted as it is in human psychology, is largely impervious to change." And while the function of culture is to make men willingly face death, "it can do so only if it is understood not as a means to an end but an end in itself."

What makes the book interesting is his contention that the culture that surrounds war, from the way societies prepare for war, fight wars, commemorate war, and portray war in popular culture, is not only necessary to successfully win, but to keep it under control.

But I have to admit that he could have made his point in half the time. At times it seemed he was going for the word count and wandered from point to point. Wait 'till it comes out in paper or get it at the library -- it's not one of his best works.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Forgotten Part of War, July 22, 2009

By 

Thomas M. Magee - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Culture of War (Hardcover)

This book goes against the popular grain about war. So many today define war as a function of machines and CNN clips. They forget about that war is so much more than just what is on TV. It involves machines, people, and lost lives. The book really offers and old definition of war against this TV image that people today have totally forgotten. This book for sure will cause you to think. People will an interest in military affairs will like this book. People without that connection might get lost in the details but should read it anyway.

The book talks about what War is via multiple different ways. He uses a historical lenses set against different aspects of society to really understand war. Martin Van Creveld tries to explain how War has, and must have the human touch. He explains this as seen through its impact in recent wars, through art, through culture, roles, and etc... This method really will cause a person to say "oh yeah" that is true or that point is like this or that.

This book will teach you the human in the equation is all so important. He shapes things for good or for bad. The author uses historical examples to teach the point. This idea isn't new, but it is for some in today's world. They seek a technical explanation for war or they think man has evolved past war. I personally find that the most humorous. All a person needs to do is pick up a newspaper and see how our technology hasn't solved Iraq or anything else.

A lot of people today need to realize that message. So few have any contact with the military. However everyone is quick to send bombs here and there in hope it solves problems. Many times it only creates new problems.

The author goes one to explain why we need a military culture. The culture or human part is the critical part to national security. If a nation doesn't realize that today will reap the penalties tomorrow. A nation will either not be about to defend its nation or be to quick to unleash the dogs of war without any consideration to the costs.

This book has lots of facts and stories. The book gets long in parts. You need to read the whole book to get the impact. It is worth the work.