Soldiers: A history of men in battle [Hardcover]

John Keegan (Author), Richard Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1997

Celebrated military historian, John Keegan, and co-author, Richard Holmes, chart the changes in the conduct of warfare through history with an instructive combination of analysis and illustration. In the process they reveal that what has not changed is that an army ultimately has to depend on the courage and determination of its fighting men. With an introduction by Frederick Forsyth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Conceived as a companion to the BBC television series of the same name, Soldiers stands on its own as an illuminating and thought-provoking study of war as soldiers have experienced it through history. The authors organize their subject into the various combat arms and allied categories: infantryman, artillerist, cavalryman, tanker, airman, guerrilla, surgeon, logistician, commander. The great technological, tactical and strategic innovations are explained, with emphasis on the men who conceived and saw to their employment. One of the strengths of this overview is the superb choice of examples. The book includes chapters on fighting spirit, the influence of religion on war and the effect of war on civilian populations. Keegan and Holmes wrote The Face of War and Acts of War, respectively. Illustrations. 35,000 first printing; History Book Club main selection; BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The authors of this companion volume to a BBC television series are highly regarded military historians at Sandhurst. They juxtapose war's universal appeal to the young men who fight with the changing realities of battlerealities heavily influenced by technology. They highlight the centrality of comradeship in sustaining war's demands without sliding into heroic pathos. If their work is intellectually unpretentious, it is correspondingly successful in providing a vivid, integrated set of images, verbal and visual, illustrating the soldier's experience. Recommended, particularly in conjunction with Keegan's The Face of Battle . Dennis E. Showalter, History Dept., Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Konecky & Konecky (1997)
• ISBN-10: 1568521103
• ISBN-13: 978-1568521107
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars unusual organization: soldiers by unit type..., January 22, 2000

By 

Yoon Ha Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldiers: A history of men in battle (Hardcover)

...or at least, this is the first book I've found that talks specifically in chapters about infantry, artillery, etc. (I'm sure others exist, but my reading has been eclectic.)

I'm too much in awe of Keegan, and too poorly read in anything military *after* the 1500's, to attempt any real judgement on the scholarship here. (My credentials in military history are nonexistent; I'm just a reader.)

I can say, however, that whatever its faults, I've found this book to be a valuable resource. The organization helps greatly when you want to know about, oh, pikemen. It did seem a bit Eurocentric to me, and I would have liked to see more inclusion of non-European unit types and *their* development, at least in the pre-modern era. Nevertheless, I'm happy I own this book...and it's staying in my collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, well illustrated reference on the history of soldiers, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soldiers: A history of men in battle (Hardcover)

Concise and well researched one volume history of men in battle. Liberally enriched with excellent illustrations. Broken down into chapters detailing the evolution of infantry, artillery, etc. Also features chapters on the more ethereal nature of war, from how casualties have been treated {or disposed of} throughout the centuries to a mesmerizing collection of vignettes on personal experiences of war.

Definitely a worthwhile addition to anyone's military history library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but biased, April 23, 2006

By 

Richard K. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldiers: A history of men in battle (Hardcover)

I learned a lot from this book, it gives a good explanation of each "warrior who fights for pay" type throughout history. As a historical piece, though, it loses a lot of its value due to its British bias. The book would sound a lot more credible if the author didn't use examples of the British army for everything, sometimes fortifying it with an American example as well (which, of course, is British in origin!)

Aside from this major flaw, the organization of the book did get a little obnoxious down the road, but other than that I can say I learned something from it. The illustrations may be the best reason to buy this book, too; they're great details to the history of war.