Publishers Weekly
05/30/2022
Journalist and historian Dyer (Don’t Panic!) delivers an insightful study of war “as a custom and tradition, as a political and social institution, and as a Problem.” Suggesting that climate change may bring an end to the 75-year period in which no great powers have fought each other directly, Dyer focuses on the forces the drive societies to war, and how to stop them. He notes that Homo erectus fossils from 750,000 years ago bear “signs of violence inflicted by human-style weapons,” but argues that the “ancient institution of warfare” can be abolished with the establishment of a “genuine international community” overseen by a world authority with the “power to coerce national governments.” The steps to get to there remain unclear, but Dyer makes a convincing case, through sketches of the Thirty Years’ War, the Napoleonic Wars, WWI, and more, that “war and national sovereignty are indissolubly linked,” and that the more egalitarian countries become, they less likely they are to fight each other. He also sheds light on how new technologies, from the composite bow to drones, have altered battlefield and geopolitical strategies. Though dry at times, and missing profiles of consequential military leaders, this is an incisive and well-informed overview of how warfare has evolved. Illus. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Shortest History of War “An incisive and well-informed overview of how warfare has evolved. . . . sheds light on how new technologies, from the composite bow to drones, have altered battlefield and geopolitical strategies.”—Publishers Weekly “From the first armies to clashes of drones and dirty bombs, this is eye-opening, big-picture stuff.”—BBC History Magazine “Readable and sharp . . . does what it says on the tin.”—Independent “Dyer writes with eloquence and authority . . . particularly effective in painting in broad strokes the evolution of warfare.”—Irish Examiner “Underwrite an overview of a complicated topic with one of these new short-and-sweet distillations. . . with maps, charts, sidebars, and illustrations to bring it alive.”—Mosaic, Morgan Stanley
School Library Journal
11/01/2022
HighSchool—Imagine covering the history of democracy, or war, or Europe in just a few hundred pages; that is what this series promises. The development from assembly democracies to today's governments, the growth of war from skirmishes among hunter-gatherers to nuclear bombs and cyber terrorism, and the slow emergence of modern Europe from ancient civilizations - condensed into books that could be read in a day. This is dense material due to its subject matter and the way it has been distilled. The democracy and Europe titles both have timelines and all three books have images (diagrams, maps, artwork, photos) to support the text. That text is written by content specialists who draw parallels with current events as well as explaining what has gone before. VERDICT A useful reference set, or a possible classroom purchase for Honors or A.P. courses.
