The Origins Of War: From The Stone Age To Alexander The Great, Revised Edition (History & Warfare) [Paperback]

Arther Ferrill (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813333024 | ISBN-13: 978-0813333021 | Publication Date: April 18, 1997 | Edition: Revised Edition

When did war begin? Standard military accounts tend to start with the Graeco-Persian wars, laying undue emphasis on the preeminence of Greek heavy infantry. But, as this strikingly original and entertaining book shows, the origins of war can be traced back not to the Iron Age, or even to the Bronze Age, but to the emergence of settled life itself nearly 10,000 years ago. The military revolution that occurred then—the invention of major new weapons, the massive fortifications, the creation of strategy and tactics—ultimately gave rise to the great war machines of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Persia that dominated the Near East until the time of Alexander the Great.It is Arther Ferrill’s thesis that in the period before Alexander there were two independent lines of military development—a Near Eastern one culminating in the expert integration of cavalry, skirmishers, and light infantry and a Greek one based on heavy infantry. When Philip and Alexander blended the two traditions in their crack Macedonian army, the result was a style of warfare that continued, despite technological changes, down to Napoleon.This newly revised edition presents detailed and copiously illustrated accounts of all the major battles on land and sea up to the fourth century b.c., analyzes weapons from the sling to the catapult, and discusses ancient strategy and tactics, making this a book for armchair historians everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arther Ferrill is professor of history at the University of Washington. He is a contributing editor to MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History and the author of The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation and Caligula: Emperor of Rome.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; Revised Edition edition (April 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813333024
• ISBN-13: 978-0813333021
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Complementary readings to Ferrill's book, May 10, 2009

By 

César González Rouco (Madrid, Madrid Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Origins Of War: From The Stone Age To Alexander The Great, Revised Edition (History & Warfare) (Paperback)

There are already a couple of good reviews, so I will only suggest reading the following books on war in addition to Ferrill's: a) "War in human civilization" by Azar Gat; b) "War before Civilization. The Myth of the Peaceful Savage" by Lawrence Keeley; c) "How War Began" by Keith F. Otterbein; d) "War and Peace and War: The Rise and Fall of Empires" by Peter Turchin; and e) "War and the Law of Nations: A General History" by Stephen Neff.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost as interesting as the author., July 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Origins Of War: From The Stone Age To Alexander The Great, Revised Edition (History & Warfare) (Paperback)

This is a facinating book! I am currently enrolled in professor Ferrill's class at the University of Washington on ancient military history. The course follows the book to a great degree and was the obvious insperation for the class. So think of it as not only reading a book, but also taking a class from one of the most influencial military historians alive. Furthermore, It is an well researched book and is very thoughtfully put together for all reader types. Of course the class is more in depth and personal, but reading the book is like having some of the most exciting stories ever told put into your hand. Who needs fiction, when we have stories like these? It is books like this that brought me to college!!!

9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting premise, but somewhat vague at the end., March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Origins Of War: From The Stone Age To Alexander The Great, Revised Edition (History & Warfare) (Paperback)

Although this book starts out being very interesting and well supported, the last few chapters on the Macedonian armies of Phillip and Alexander are disappointing. The author begins using vague euphemisms (such as the cavalry being used as a "hammer" on the "anvil" of the phalanx) which are not explained. Without some background in military history, and especially ancient tactical doctrines, one could be left puzzled as to exactly why Alexander was such a great general. Since the premise of the book is about Alexander's unification of near-eastern and Greek tactics into a new form of warfare, this flaw decreases the impact of the book.