Reviews

Powell (history, Oklahoma Baptist Univ.) has revised, expanded, and updated his two-volume 2002 edition of this work. Volume 1, Ancient & Medieval, now covers warfare from prehistoric times to approximately 1500; Volume 2, Modern, covers 1500 to the present. The organization is chronological by geographic region, and both volumes open with essays discussing weapons and forces used in that era of history, how and why those tools of warfare have evolved or been discontinued, and the military achievement of the forces, weapons, uniforms and armor, military organizations, and doctrine strategy and tactics. In the third volume, Culture and Concepts, essays cover social aspects of war, technological achievements used in warfare, and morality of behavior during war, but almost half of the volume is taken up by a number of appendixes. "War Films" and "War Books" provide readers with a brief summary of works both historic and fictional that deal with specific wars. Also included are "Lexicon," "Timeline," and "Military Theorists." The 141 signed essays are easy to read and vary between five and ten pages, and each concludes with sources that can be used for more information. Bottom Line This useful overview of warfare's evolution will be appreciated by students as well as general readers.-James Langan, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Lib. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.