Books Reviews

War Since 1900 – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Mar 11, 2011, 16:47 GMT

The most wide-ranging and authoritative analysis of twentieth-century warfare ever published. War has been the great catalyst of change in the last century, bringing down empires, triggering revolutions, and transforming society. Here, distinguished military historians from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, and France bring their collective knowledge and experience to bear on the cataclysmic events that have shaped the modern ...more

This is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in modern military history.  Extremely thorough and detailed, it covers all the major wars and campaigns that have taken place in the past 110 years from the Boers to Afghanistan.

Rather than just chronicling wars, there are chapters focusing on specific aspects such as airborne operations across several wars, and naval warfare.  One of the most interesting aspects is the way in which the various contributors aim to provide a unique viewpoint such as a French historian on France's wars in Indochina and Algeria, or a German on the subject of naval warfare. 

There are special sections highlighting technological developments such as the arrival of tanks, radar, the nuclear bomb and the unarmed drone.  The book is well illustrated with hundreds of photographs, specially commissioned maps and battle reconstructions. 

The final section looks at the likely shape of war in the 21st century and what changes are likely to result.  Well written and well researched, this is a book that is likely to become a classic of the genre.