More Books and Reviews to Come

March 30th, 2011 by zen

Going to try to catch up this week on the backlog of book reviews I need to do, particularly those books sent to me by publishers. I may have to break down and do a set of mini-reviews, so far behind I have gotten myself.

So, naturally, that was a suitable pretext to order more books 🙂

Here’s what arrived the other day….

    

    

STRATEGY: The Logic of War and Peace by Edward Luttwak

War Before Civilization by Lawrence H. Keeley

WAR: In Human Civilization by Azar Gat

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig

Why the West Rules – For Now by Ian Morris

Luttwak’s book is a strategy classic and I recently enjoyed his Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire. I first heard of Stefan Zweig from Lexington Green but nearly everyone who has read The World of Yesterday that I have encountered has raved about it, so I am looking forward to that one. Why the West Rules- For Now is another rec from the Chicago Boyz crowd but I do not think that anyone has reviewed it there as of yet. Finally, I am pairing War Before Civilization with Azar Gat’s War in Human Civilization – have a sense that Gat’s ideas may be somewhat in tune with Martin van Creveld.

Have you read any of these?

Posted in 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, academia, analytic, ancient history, anthropology, authors, chicago boyz, culture, Geography, geopolitics, historians, history, ideas, intellectuals, lexington green, military, military history, politics, Prehistoric, social science, society, strategist, strategy, Strategy and War, synthesis, Tactics, theory, tribes, war, warriors | 8 comments

Previous post:
Next post:

  1. historyguy99:

    March 30th, 2011 at 3:18 am

    Thanks Mark!

    Looks like a great quintuplet of books that based what I see from your brief comments, will join my growing must be read list.

  2. A.E.:

    March 30th, 2011 at 3:20 am

    I think that Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace is Luttwak’s best book, although the idea of strategic paradox is controversial: http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubid=1021

  3. Joseph Fouche:

    March 30th, 2011 at 5:54 am

    I’ve read the Luttwak and Gat books. Both fine reads. Some credited Gat’s The Origins of Military Thought from the Enlightenment to Clausewitz with turning Darth Creveld to the Dark Side.

  4. JF:

    March 30th, 2011 at 7:33 am

    The World of Yesterday is a really great book. His life is quite interesting but what really stands out is the quality of the writing – particularly his description of Vienna before WW1 and his description of how people lost their optimism about what could be achieved in the 20th C. I’ve since bought a couple of his novels but liked this the best.

  5. morgan:

    March 30th, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    I read the Keeley book a few years ago and liked it. Should help dispell the "noble savage" assertion.

  6. J. Scott:

    March 30th, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    The Luttwak & Zweig books are in the queue! I’ve browsed Luttwak and won’t get to it for a few months. I’ll finish Senator’s Son tonight, and have four other titles at 50% or better to finish. The Morris book looks fascinating; love the subtitle.

  7. JF:

    March 31st, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    Senator’s Son was an unexpectedly good book.

  8. onparkstreet:

    April 1st, 2011 at 4:48 am

    zen: there is too much awesomeness at your blog lately. Too busy to comment lately. Can’t keep up!
    .
    🙂
    .
    – Madhu