Beyond the Military Revolution: War in the Seventeenth Century World

Description

The seventeenth century has long been seen as a period of 'crisis' or transition from the pre-modern to the modern world. This book offers a chance to explore this crisis from the perspective of war and military institutions in a way that should appeal to those doing global history. By placing 17th century warfare in a global context, Black challenges conventional chronologies and permits a reappraisal of the debate over what has been seen as the Military Revolution of the early-modern period. The book discusses war with regard to strategic cultures, assesses military capability in terms of tasks and challenges faced and attaches styles of warfare to their social and political contexts. Genuinely global in range, this up-to-date and wide-ranging account provides fresh historiographical insights into this crucial period in world history.

JEREMY BLACK is Professor of History at the University of Exeter, UK. He is a leading authority on early modern British and continental European history, with special interest in international relations, military history, the press, and historical atlases. His recent publications include The English Seaborne Empire, Rethinking Military History, The Age of Total War, Using History and Naval Power.

'This book mounts a heavy challenge to the Military Revolution hypothesis, as it has been traditionally stated, and it does so with clarity, accessibility and an intimidating breadth of knowledge.' - The English Historical Review 'He does what no other scholar I know of can do in presenting the full range of global military history.' Peter Lorge, Vanderbilt University, USA 'Jeremy Black has provided a concise statement of where we are as well as a very useful call for military historians, and not just those working on the seventeenth century, to engage with others to better understand the role of warfare and its relative significance compared to other imperatives in different societies.' - Richard Harding, University of Westminster, European Review of History