John Keegan

The First World War created the modern world. A conflict of unprecedented ferocity, it abruptly ended the relative peace and prosperity of the Victorian era, unleashing such demons of the twentieth century as mechanized warfare and mass death. It also helped to usher in the ideas that have shaped our times--modernism in the arts, new approaches to psychology and medicine, radical thoughts about economics and society--and in so doing shattered the...

Tells the story of the Allied invasion of Normandy and shows how each of the armies mirrored its own nation's values.

Analyzes many puzzling aspects of the Civil War, from its mismatched sides to the absence of decisive outcomes for dozens of skirmishes, and offers insight into the war's psychology, ideology, and economics while discussing the pivotal roles of leadership and geography.

Noted military historian observes the command characteristics of Alexander, Wellington, Grant, and Hitler within the context of heroism.

Including fascinating details and anecdotes, Keeegan expertly chronicles the individual successes and setbacks of six separate national armies -- American, Canadian, English, German, Polish, and French -- as they struggle for control. Keegan clearly depicts each nation's values and their approach to war with unique insight and intelligence.

Although fifty years have passed since the end of World War II, there has as yet been no definitive history of that conflict. Existing histories have raised as many questions as they answer: Did President Roosevelt have foreknowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? Might bombing the Auschwitz railroad have impeded the course of the Holocaust? Now one of our most esteemed military historians assesses the literature that has emerged from World...