Warfare in the Western World: Military Operations since 1871, Volume II,   ISBN:9780669209402

Customer Rating: 

This book is the latter half of a two-volume series that is intent on educating the reader on the nature of the major conflicts in Western Military History. Covering the events in Military History following the landmark period of America's Reconstruction era, this textbook does an excellent job of discussing the major events and operations from the latter half of the nineteenth century to the present era. The section on World War II is quite extensive and could have easily been a third volume in this series. This book is written for the serious student of Military History. The layman and the "armchair historian" will find the hard, academic writing style less than captivating. The only real weakness is that this book does require its preceding volume to truly put the span of Western Military History into full perspective. This weakness is very minor and does not detract from the overall value of this book.

Any Military History student/professional should have this book and the preceding volume in their library. The information is invaluable and the presentation excellent. I would highly recommend this work.

Customer Rating: 

Yeah I found this book to be really lacking in the whole "cool" category (and "sweet" category while I'm at it). I learn more from the history channel and old John Wayne videos. You should only buy this book if you go to West Point and they just closed book issue and your Professor is getting all up in your grill about buying one. If you buy this book for any of the following reasons...flog yourself:
1) You think you will enjoy it
2) To beef up your "professional library"
3) Cause your one of those "militant type" people that reads everything in the world about the Military, wear BDU pants tucked into your combat boots out in public, you have a "Semper Fi" bumpersticker on your car, and sport an extreme high and tight...yet your way too scared to actually join the military other than the Seacadets or Boy Scouts.
4) Any other brutally terrible reason that has not been previously stated.

(if you chose option three than feel free flog yourself (in the face) twice)

Thanks, and happy shopping

Customer Rating: 

For a clearly written, concise, reliable summary of Western military history with an operational-level focus, this is the book to buy. I use it to teach military history, and my students (cadets) rate it highly.