On War: The Best Military Histories

As long as men have gone into battle, men have studied war. Herodotus and Tacitus were classic historians, analyzing the background of events. Thucydides used interviews to tell the story of the Peloponnesian War and Plutarch wrote biographies of famous people like Caesar and Alexander. Sun Tzu, Homer, and Clausewitz remain required reading for those studying military affairs today.

Collected here for the first time are key works by this century’s leading military historians, all recipients of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. The Pritzker Literature Award honors writers whose work adds to the public’s understanding of military history and the role played by the military in civil society.

In the tradition of historians dating back to ancient times, these authors and scholars demonstrate the numerous ways to write about military history. The surreal fiction of Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam is just pages from an in-depth look at General George S. Patton by today’s leading biographer, Carlo D’Este. Max Hastings and Rick Atkinson use their backgrounds to add a journalistic touch to modern studies of World War I and World War II, respectively. Gerhard Weinberg examines global leaders during World War II as Allan Millett discusses the developing technology that allowed them to further their causes. And James McPherson, the preeminent living Civil War scholar examines crisis in America with accessible and articulate literary skill.

This anthology provides just a sample of the remarkable works by these renowned authors, who will be read by military history enthusiasts and the general public for generations to come.

REVIEWS

Three of the seven essays collected here deal brilliantly with World War II; the others, equally brilliant, are well worth reading.
World War II

"...well worth its price... handsomely designed, nicely illustrated... It surely whets one's appetite to delve deeply into the originals"
Journal of America's Military Past



...well written, informative, and thought provoking, providing insights not only on their primary subjects but also, more broadly, on the nature of war, military service, and soldiers. Useful even for the seasoned historian, On War would also make a fine introduction to military history for any thinking person.
Nymas Spring 2015