Routledge Handbook of the Global History of Warfare

This handbook examines key aspects of the development of the global history of warfare and the changing patterns of warfare over time.

Although scholarship has long eschewed a chronological narrative of the evolution of warfare that privileges the Western experience, global histories of warfare have had difficulty avoiding an overemphasis on the West. The present volume is a collection of themes rather than a history per se; it provides important perspectives on the emergence of warfare as a global historical experience from the ancient past to the present day. Drawing together numerous experts, it tells a broader, more inclusive story of the global, human experience with wars and warfare. The 35 chapters are organised in eight thematic parts:

Part I: Origins of Warfare

Part II: Polities and Armed Forces in the Pre-Modern Era

Part III: Steppe Nomads of Eurasia

Part IV: Naval Warfare and Piracy in the Pre-Industrial World

Part V: The Impact of Gunpowder

Part VI: Transition from Industrial to Total War

Part VII: Wars of Decolonisation and Cold War

Part VIII: Postmodern/New Wars

These Parts offer an overview of the global experience of warfare to help readers understand how the wars and the militaries we see today have been shaped by historical developments across the globe.

This handbook will be of great interest to students of military history, naval history, strategic studies and world history in general.

?This is a superlative collection, bringing together some of the finest minds in the field. The essays offer both range and depth, and anyone interested in the history of war from a global perspective will want to have this volume on their bookshelves.?

Richard Reid, Professor of African History, University of Oxford 

?A collection of great importance not only to military historians but also to those interested in global history. Conceptually alert, this volume deserves much attention.?
Jeremy Black, Emeritus Professor, Exeter University

?In 35 chapters written by distinguished and established historians the Handbook explores warfare from the agrarian Bronze Age through to the challenges of contemporary, ?postmodern? conflict. The perspective is uncompromisingly global, and offers remarkable scope for comparative analysis and understanding. The volume is an invaluable and indispensable work for all military historians.?

David Parrott, Professor of Early Modern History, University of Oxford 

?This timely compendium, drawing on an impressive mix of established and emerging scholars, provides insights into the conduct and character of wars on a global scale, stretching from the earliest recorded conflicts to the postcolonial and postindustrial conflicts of today. It will quickly become a valuable platform for further scholarship.?

Douglas M. Peers, Professor of History, University of Waterloo