New Releases by John Keegan

This series of essays aims to clarify and enlighten the position of Jesus as the one unifier of all Spiritual Truth and religious beliefs. Written over a period of some twelve years, The Imprint of Eternity - A Miracle of Grace sets out his clear and simple teachings and seeks to strip away the clouded obscurity so often introduced by man''s invented religions. His message is and always was one of purity, calmness, peace and reconciliation, with above all, love for one another without judgement. Inspired by Spiritual disclosures given over several years to an uncomprehending, uncomplicated child mind, shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War, for almost seventy years, the events remained asleep in the author''s deep subconscious. Now they are being revealed. This is not an autobiography, but in many ways it is an intensely human tale, and indeed a timely one.

Military history and geography explain each other in North America as nowhere else in the world. Award-winning historian John Keegan explores their relationship and examines the battles fought over three centuries between Frenchman and Indian, Royalist and colonist, Union and Confederacy, offering compelling profiles of both the land and military leaders, alongside historical events. Combining rigorous research and insightful analysis with personal experiences and reflections, all in lean and lively prose, Warpaths is a rich and engaging work of military literature.

From the dean of modern military historians, John Keegan: a key selection from his masterpiece, The First World War. The road to World War I, from the death of the archduke to the first salvos of battle, an incredibly thorough and straightforward account of how a supposedly rational liberal Europe became engulfed by war. Everyone remembers the powder keg, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife by Serbian national Gavrilo Princip; but what about the fact that a full month elapsed between Princip’s deed and the actual beginning of war? Or that the German Kaiser spent much of that time on his imperial yacht Hohenzollern, on his annual cruise in the Norwegian fjords? John Keegan explains in careful and fascinating detail how exactly the war began, taking the reader through this fateful and exciting month of diplomatic back and forth, last-minute near-saves, and ultimate failure. An eBook short.

Na, also known as Sara Kaba Na, is a Sara Kaba language used by some 35,000 speakers in the area around Kyabé in southern Chad. There are also a large number of speakers in the Chadian capital N''djamena. This lexicon contains approximately 2780 words, 2000 sample sentences, and 580 idiomatic expressions. The Na data was gathered in N''djamena during the summers of 2012 et 2013, working principally with Kodé Koutou. The work also contains a 42 page introduction explaining the basic features of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language. This Na lexicon provides an excellent starting point for a future dictionary of this language.

A comparative lexicon of 13 Sara-Bagirmi languages spoken in Southern Chad, organized into two sections: French -- Sara Languages, and English -- Sara Languages. Each contain approximately 1050 words, taken from work done for the Sara Language Project.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The definitive account of the Great War from one of our most eminent military historians. "Elegantly written, clear, detailed, and omniscient.... Keegan is...perhaps the best military historian of our day." —The New York Times Book Review 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 faith in rationalism and liberalism that had prevailed in Europe since the Enlightenment. The First World War probes the mystery of how a civilization at the height of its achievement could have propelled itself into such a ruinous conflict and takes us behind the scenes of the negotiations among Europe''s crowned heads (all of them related to one another by blood) and ministers, and their doomed efforts to defuse the crisis. Keegan reveals how, by an astonishing failure of diplomacy and communication, a bilateral dispute grew to engulf an entire continent. But the heart of Keegan''s superb narrative is, of course, his analysis of the military conflict. With unequalled authority and insight, he recreates the nightmarish engagements whose names have become legend—Verdun, the Somme and Gallipoli among them—and sheds new light on the strategies and tactics employed, particularly the contributions of geography and technology. No less central to Keegan''s account is the human aspect. He acquaints us with the thoughts of the intriguing personalities who oversaw the tragically unnecessary catastrophe—from heads of state like Russia''s hapless tsar, Nicholas II, to renowned warmakers such as Haig, Hindenburg and Joffre. But Keegan reserves his most affecting personal sympathy for those whose individual efforts history has not recorded—"the anonymous millions, indistinguishably drab, undifferentially deprived of any scrap of the glories that by tradition made the life of the man-at-arms tolerable." By the end of the war, three great empires—the Austro-Hungarian, the Russian and the Ottoman—had collapsed. But as Keegan shows, the devastation ex-tended over the entirety of Europe, and still profoundly informs the politics and culture of the continent today. His brilliant, panoramic account of this vast and terrible conflict is destined to take its place among the classics of world history.

The acclaimed author and preeminent military historian John Keegan examines centuries of human conflict. From primitive man in the bronze age to the end of the cold war in the twentieth century, Keegan shows how armed conflict has been a primary preoccupation throughout the history of civilization and how deeply rooted its practice has become in our cultures. "Keegan is at once the most readable and the most original of living military historians . . . A History of Warfare is perhaps the most remarkable study of warfare that has yet been written."--The New York Times Book Review.

At once a grand tour of the battlefields of North America and an unabashedly personal tribute to the military prowess of an essentially unwarlike people. • "[A] magisterial narrative history, enriched by an authorial voice."--The Washington Post Fields of Battle spans more than two centuries and the expanse of a continent to show how the immense spaces of North America shaped the wars that were fought on its soil.

John Keegan has assembled a cast of seventeen generals whose reputations were made (and some of them broken) by Churchill and the Second World War. Churchill''s reputation as prime minister during the Second World War fluctuated according to the successes and failures of his generals. Most of them were household names, and often heroes, during the war years. All of them were prey to the intolerance, interference, irascibility - and the inspiration - of the man who wanted to be both the general in the field and the presiding strategic genius. He sacked his warlords ruthlessly, yet in the end he came to be served by perhaps the greatest generals this country has ever produced. Includes chapters on Wavell, Ironside, Ritchie, Auchinleck, Montgomery, Alexander, Percival, Wingate, Slim and Carton de Wiart. Note: The Publisher regrets that the biographical note for Gary Sheffield is incorrect in the book. Please refer to the Orion website (www.orionbooks.co.uk) for the correct version.

This is the second of a series of volumes dedicated to the study of the Sara Languages, a group of languages and dialects spoken in Southern Chad. It includes lexicons for four of the Eastern Sara languages: Daba, Nar, Ngam and Sar. Each lexicon contains between 850 and 1350 words, most with sample sentences illustrating the word''s use, and with translations in French so as to make the work more usable to readers in Chad. The work contains a general introduction to the sound system of the Sara Languages, discussion of the unique aspects of Eastern Sara, and an introduction to the each of the four languages.

John Keegan''s new book applies to maritime warfare the technique he put to such dazzling effect in his classic of war on land, The Face of Battle. His analysis concentrates on four key battles - Trafalgar, Jutland, Midway and the Battle of the Atlantic. The result not only illustrates the development of naval warfare through the sailing warship, the battleship, the aircraft carrier and the submarine, thereby giving a panoramic view, but takes the reader into the heart of the fighting, reminding us that the price of battle, whether on sea or land, is measuring in men''s lives.

John Keegan, widely considered the greatest military historian of our time and the author of acclaimed volumes on ancient and modern warfare--including, most recently, The First World War, a national bestseller--distills what he knows about the why’s and how’s of armed conflict into a series of brilliantly concise essays. Is war a natural condition of humankind? What are the origins of war? Is the modern state dependent on warfare? How does war affect the individual, combatant or noncombatant? Can there be an end to war? Keegan addresses these questions with a breathtaking knowledge of history and the many other disciplines that have attempted to explain the phenomenon. The themes Keegan concentrates on in this short volume are essential to our understanding of why war remains the single greatest affliction of humanity in the twenty-first century, surpassing famine and disease, its traditional companions.

The greatest military historian of our time gives a peerless account of America’s most bloody, wrenching, and eternally fascinating war. In this magesterial history and national bestseller, John Keegan shares his original and perceptive insights into the psychology, ideology, demographics, and economics of the American Civil War. Illuminated by Keegan’s knowledge of military history he provides a fascinating look at how command and the slow evolution of its strategic logic influenced the course of the war. Above all, The American Civil War gives an intriguing account of how the scope of the conflict combined with American geography to present a uniquely complex and challenging battle space. Irresistibly written and incisive in its analysis, this is an indispensable account of America’s greatest conflict.

The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics—that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens—but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government—an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war. A new preface addresses recent scholarship on Greek warfare.

Adrian Goldsworthy reveals why Rome developed the most professional fighting force of the ancient world and what it was like to be a soldier in the legions. --from publisher description.

An estimated one-third of all combat actions in the American Revolution took place in South Carolina. From the partisan clashes of the backcountry''s war for the hearts and minds of settlers to bloody encounters with Native Americans on the frontier, more battles were fought in South Carolina than any other of the original thirteen states. The state also had more than its share of pitched battles between Continental troops and British regulars. In South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History, John W. Gordon illustrates how these encounters, fought between 1775 and 1783, were critical to winning the struggle that secured Americas independence from Great Britain.

A stunning visual account of the greatest conflict in world history. The Second World War is the largest event in the history of mankind. No populated continent was untouched by its operations, and the political structure of the postwar world has been largely determined by its outcome. The global nature of the war, and the ambitions of the belligerents, meant that it was fought on a scale that, even today, confounds the imagination. It was a stimulus to unparalleled economic activity and provoked the most important clash of ideologies experienced by the world since the Crusades. The Collins Atlas of World War II furthers our understanding of the war that forever changed our world. The scale and scope of the war is examined here in graphic form, with maps that trace the military campaigns as well as the social and political developments. Authoritative text addresses the issues and events leading to war and all of the clashes and challenges during wartime. More than 125 full-color maps, diagrams, and timelines Edited by acclaimed military historian John Keegan Comprehensive coverage of the prewar world and the world at war Examination of military plans and key battles Internet links for further research Glossary and Index For anyone with an interest in the history, society, politics, warfare, and culture of the world, the Collins Atlas of World War II is a perfect companion.

Praised as “the best military historian of our generation” by Tom Clancy, John Keegan reconsiders his masterful study of World War II, The Second World War, with a new foreword Keegan examines each theater of the war, focusing on five crucial battles and offering new insights into the distinctive methods and motivations of modern warfare. In eloquent, perceptive analyses of the airborne battle of Crete, the carrier battle of Midway, the tank battle of Falaise, the city battle of Berlin, and the amphibious battle of Okinawa, Keegan illuminates the strategic dilemmas faced by the leaders and the consequences of their decisions on the fighting men and the course of the war as a whole. An extraordinary, definitive history, The Second World War will be required reading for generations to come. "The Second World War merits the acceptance as the standard work that it will surely recieve." -The Washington Post "If you want to know how it happened, read Keegan''s thoughtful and elegant prose." -Los Angeles Times

Discover the days of the Great Depression, World War II and the post-war years through the eyes and ears of a young Irish-American Catholic boy who grew up in Jersey city, New Jersey. Young boys always have many childhood adventures in sports and neighborhood games. John is able to share his life and relationships with you. His friends and foes come to life, in particular, his memories of his first close friend, Phyllis. The story also tells about the neighborhood heroes who were killed during World War II, and it describes some of the key battles of the war. As the story unfolds, we find that young John depended on his Irish immigrant parents for love and guidance, and they were always there when he needed them.

Namads at war, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Mongols, The Arabs, Turks, the Vikings includes Maps, Chronology of events.

Looks at the development of military art and science during the Renaissance and the impact of these changes not only on the nature of war but also on history.

Illustrates life on the home front, important battles, war from the perspective of generals and soldiers, the collapse of empires, and glimpses of World War II through photographs, paintings, cartoons, and posters.

The Ancient Greeks--who believed that war is the most important thing humans do--bequeathed to the West an incomparable military legacy that still influences the structure of armies and doctrine. Understand the reasons why their unique approach to fighting was so successful and so relentless, its role at the heart of classical culture, the rise of the city state, agrarian duels, the emergence of Athenian and Spartan power, the development of war as a specialized science, and the collapse of Greek warfare after Alexander the Great. 224 pages, 70 color illus., 80 b/w illus., 7 3/4 x 10 3/8.

Why did Japan instigate an encounter with the only nation--the United States--capable of defeating her? This illuminating record explains why, as well as the crucial shifts in naval power and strategy that occurred as World War Two progressed. Set off on the road to war, analyzing the effects of WWI; Japan''s policies in China; the first victories, as Japan surged through Asia; the great battles of Midway and Guadalcanal; and the final, devastating launch of the first nuclear weapons.

The author concentrates on four key conflicts, Trafalgar, Jutland, Midway and the Battle of the Atlantic. He aims to take readers into the heart of the fighting and also to give them a panoramic view of naval warfare through the centuries.

Military historian John Keegan’s gripping history of naval warfare’s evolution. In The Price of Admirality, leading military historian John Keegan illuminates the history of naval combat by expertly dissecting four landmark sea battles, each featuring a different type of warship: the Battle of Trafalgar, the Battle of Jutland in World War I, the Battle of Midway in World War II, and the long and arduous Battle of the Atlantic. “The best military historian of our generation.”—Tom Clancy “The Price of Admirality stands alongside Mr. Keegan’s earlier works in its power to impart both the big and little pictures of war.”—The New York Times