The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 [Paperback]

Geoffrey Parker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521479584 | ISBN-13: 978-0521479585 | Publication Date: May 31, 1996 | Edition: 2

Well before the Industrial Revolution, Europe developed the superior military potential and expertise that enabled her to dominate the world for the next two centuries. In this attractively illustrated and updated edition, Geoffrey Parker discusses the major changes in the military practice of the West during this time period--establishment of bigger armies, creation of superior warships, the role of firearms--and argues that these major changes amounted to a "military revolution" that gave Westerners a decided advantage over people of other continents. A new chapter addresses the controversies engendered by the previous edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this is a genuinely admirable book, and every student of military history, whatever his specialization, ought to read it cover to cover....Re-reading Parker's Military Revolution I am again struck by its brilliance, range and craft; by ambition fulfilled....A second, updated edition of Geoffrey Parker's The Military Revolution deserves a warm and thoughtful welcome by all historians. An author of rare linguistic range and command of primary sources, his masterful ability to construct comparisons and unearth new data has compelled many who would not call themselves military historians to take the "Military Revolution" paradigm (and military history) seriously...a seminal work." The Journal of Military History

"...this is a generally admirable book, and every student of military history, whatever his specialization, ought to read it cover to cover. Nobody has succeeded as well as parker in portraying the growth of European military power in the Early Modern Epoch." Thomas M. Barker, The Journal of Military History

"Re-reading Parker's Military Revolution I am again struck by its brilliance, range and craft; by ambition fulfilled....I am more than impressed by the insights, scope and scholarship of Parker's book; it is a work that has inspired much of my interest in the subject." Jeremy Black, The Journal of Military History

"I strongly commend this book to all historians. I can only wish others, reading The Military Revolution for the first time, will find it as stimulating as I found Geoffrey Parker's works when I first encountered them." Weston F. Cook, Jr., The Journal of Military History

Book Description

Well before the Industrial Revolution, Europe developed the superior military potential and expertise that enabled her to dominate the world for the next two centuries. This text discusses the major changes in the military practice of the West during this time period.

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (May 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521479584
• ISBN-13: 978-0521479585
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > History > Military Science

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cause and Effect Look at Early Modern European Art of War, February 9, 2003

By 

Gregory Canellis "Student of military history... (Tuckerton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 (Paperback)

Geoffrey Parker argues that during the 16th Century a "military revolution" occurred that profoundly changed the way Europeans conducted warfare. This revolution involved four distinct changes in the art of war: a change in tactics; a marked growth in the size of armies; more ambitious and complex military/political strategies; and an acute impact on society as a whole. Parker further contends that the initial imperial gains and conquests by European nations (before the full impact of the Industrial Revolution was felt) would not have been possible had it not been for these revolutionary changes. Not all historians of early modern European military history agree with Parker's argument. In the Second Edition, Parker answers his critics in an updated addendum (for those who enjoy conversational footnotes, Parker does seem to have a particular axe to grind with the historian John A. Lynn and vice-versa)..Parker incorporates a thread of cause and effect to illustrate his claims. For example: the technological advancements in firepower in the form of larger canons, prompted the wide spread development of the bastion fortifications system known as trace italienne. These improved fortifications required larger garrisons as well as larger siege armies of the opposing enemy. Infantry became the core of these new and expanded armies of Europe. Larger armies created the need for revised tactics as well as improved logistical, supply, medical, and financial solutions. All of these factors had a direct upon the societies that depended upon these armies for protection. Parker applies similar cause and effect methodology in a discussion of sea power. Though Parker is a known scholar of early modern Europe, he turns his analysis into a global study by comparing and contrasting the European art of war with various non-western armies and empires. Parker discusses the reactions, adaptations, successes or failures of Near Eastern (Muslim, Ottoman, Indian, and African) and Far Eastern (China, Japan, Southeast Asia) armies in their contacts with the west.Parker consults a vast array of archival material. From Machiavelli to an assortment of 16th Century French, Spanish, Dutch, German and British documents in varying native languages, Parkers research is truly impressive. Absent, however, are non-western sources turning this "global" analysis into one from a western perspective. European colonial contacts with the east are seen only through western eyes in Parker's study. Sprinkled throughout the book are period etchings and engravings that Parker utilizes to support his premises. As an art history lover, however, I would have liked to have seen a description of the art work itself in the caption.Parker writes well. The author blends a well developed scholarly argument with historical narrative with great effect. For the most part, Parker maintained a set literary style throughout that held the reader's interest. One flaw, however, is the author's tendency to make a point early in a paragraph, then support his claim with a "list" of obscure little known European battles. One would have to be well versed in European military history to be on the same page with Parker on these rare instances. A solution would be to "list" fewer examples and explain "why" this particular battle supports the point he is illustrating.This is a must read for the serious student of military history though not for the faint of heart.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What makes a revolution?, October 17, 2000

By 

Bryan Gibby (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 (Paperback)

The purist may not appreciate the title of this excellent survey of the rise of Western European military and eventually cultural dominance. Any revolution that takes 300 years to accomplish begs the question. The subtitle is more revealing, and more accurately portrays the content of the book. The years of 1500 to 1800 indeed saw a series of military innovations that directly contributed to Western military hegemony.

What the author has done, which is truly unique, is to survey the innovations and to document how they affected events in Europe and elsewhere. A good part of the book accounts for developments in sail and guns and global exploration and confrontation. Also discussed is how other societies such as the Ottomans, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and others reacted or failed to react to these developments. In this course, Parker proves his thesis of how the West gained its "35%" toehold on the globe by 1800, which set the course for the century of rabid imperialism.

There is more detail to be found in other sources, but the synthesis of analysis is what marks this contribution as one of the best in the history of early modern Europe.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the top military history books this century, February 8, 2000

By 

Prof. Cliff Rogers (West Point, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 (Paperback)

Geoffrey Parker is probably the best military historian active today. In this book he deploys an astounding amount of research and a brilliant intellect in grappling with a very big historical question: how did the West, between 1500 and 1800, come to achieve military superiority over other cultures, even before the invention of steam power, cartridge rifles, malaria vaccines, etc. etc. The first edition of this book won "best book" prizes from both military history and technological history societies. The second edition, which adds a rebuttal to his critics (for whom see my _The Military Revolution Debate_), is even more useful.