Publisher's Synopsis
This book offers an inviting survey of recent developments in military studies from leading voices in the field.Deemed ""the New York Review of Books for history,"" ""Historical Speaking"" has emerged as one of the most unusual historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse from both inside and outside academia. ""Recent Themes in Military History"" represents some of the best writing on military history to appear in ""Historically Speaking"" in the past five years.Using multiple formats - forums, interviews, and individual essays - this collection provides contrasting views on such topics in military history as the existence and function of military revolutions in the past and present, the experience of soldiering and combat, the particularly violent and gruesome nature of twentieth-century warfare and projections of nature of future wars. The ebb and flow of discourse between contributors also illustrates how the study of history is an ongoing conversation wherein discovery and debate lead to deeper understanding and development of fresh opportunities for further inquiry.The contributors are Andrew J. Bacevich, Eric Bergerud, Jeremy Black, Max Boot, Jeffrey Clarke, Antulio J. Echevarria II, Niall Ferguson, Colin S. Gray, T. X. Hammes, Victor Davis Hanson, Max Hastings, Richard Holmes, Peter Paret, Geoffrey Parker, and Dennis Showalter.
