New Releases by John Keegan

Le récit et l''analyse magistrale de la première guerre moderne, par le plus grand historien de la guerre de notre temps. La guerre de Sécession (1861-1865), la plus coûteuse en vies humaines et en pertes matérielles de toute l''histoire des États-Unis, marqua le passage de l''ère napoléonienne du combat à la " guerre totale ". Pour raconter ce conflit sans précédent, il fallait un historien d''envergure internationale. Dans la lignée de ses synthèses renommées sur les deux guerres mondiales, John Keegan retrace les grandes batailles (Bull Run, Gettysburg) et le duel des généraux (Lee contre Grant) tout en donnant une large part aux enjeux stratégiques, à l''analyse psychologique et à certains aspects trop souvent négligés comme l''approvisionnement, la géographie militaire ou le rôle des Noirs dans le conflit. Ce grand livre, déjà considéré comme un classique, permet ainsi de comprendre comment la déchirure de deux peuples fonda une nation.

Publicado originalmente en 1976 y actualizado en 2004, este es el libro que consagró a John Keegan como el mejor historiador militar de su generación. Un análisis de tres batallas emblemáticas del arte de la guerra: Agincourt, Waterloo y el Somme, contadas desde el punto de vista del soldado que lucha en primera línea. Es una mirada a la experiencia directa de las personas "en el punto de máximo peligro", examinando las condiciones físicas de la confrontación, las emociones particulares, las dinámicas que se experimentan en el campo y los motivos por los que el soldado se mantiene en pie y sigue luchando en vez de darse la vuelta y huir.

Desde los tiempos de Alejandro Magno, hay una pregunta que obsesiona al líder militar: ¿dónde he de estar en la batalla? ¿En primera línea? ¿Un poco hacia la retaguardia, para dirigir mejor a las tropas¿ ¿O mejor no pisar el frente, y controlar sobre el plano desde mi cuartel de campaña? En resumen: ¿cuál es el papel y el lugar del líder? ¿Es lo mismo líder que héroe? Keegan analiza las personalidades de cuatro generales históricos, cada uno un reflejo de su tiempo: Alejandro, el superhombre que arriesgaba su vida junto a su tropa; Wellington, el gentleman, dispuesto a luchar únicamente cuando era necesario; Grant, el demócrata que no se consideraba superior a los suyos; y Hitler, que arengaba a sus tropas apelando a heroísmos pasados escondido en su búnker, a cuentos de kilómetros del frente. Keegan se atreve a esbozar un quinto líder, que surgirá de la era nuclear: un posthéroe que basará sus decisiones en la racionalidad y en los cálculos, y cuyo objetivo será evitar la guerra más que ganarla.

"No estaba yo destinado a ser guerrero", se lamenta Keegan. Sin embargo la fascinación por las historias de los veteranos fue la que le llevó a convertirse en uno de los principales expertos mundiales en historia militar. Desde las primeras puntas de flecha hasta los misiles teledirigidos, desde el soldado anónimo al más grande de los generales, esta es la historia de la guerra en todas sus vertientes. La lectura ideal tanto para los admiradores de la disciplina marcial como para sus detractores, completísima, erudita y narrada con el saber hacer de un clásico en su especialidad.

Con su habitual perspicacia sobre el complicado mundo bélico y su gran capacidad de narrador, Keegan teje un relato lleno de ritmo sobre los medios que han empleado los grandes estrategas de la historia para identificar las debilidades, las intenciones o las tácticas de sus enemigos. En ocho capítulos que se leen como ocho mini-novelas, el autor analiza las claves de algunos de los enfrentamientos más famosos de todos los tiempos y el papel que desarrolló la información, para bien o para mal, en cada uno de ellos. Julio César, el almirante Nelson, Napoleón, Stonewall Jackson o Churchill aparecen en estas páginas inmersos en las complicadas decisiones tácticas de sus grandes batallas, para acabar con un relato especialmente interesante para el lector de habla hispana: el análisis de la guerra de las Malvinas en 1982. Profusamente ilustrado con mapas y gráficos, y documentado con un impresionante despliegue bibliográfico de primera mano, este libro apasionará a los interesados en la historia y ayudará a poner en perspectiva el uso actual de la información en la lucha antiterrorista.

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.

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.

La historia definitiva de la guerra de Secesión, narrada por el decano de los historiadores británicos. Una historia militar de primera clase, unida a una narrativa vívida y apasionante. Imprescindible para lectores de narrativa bélica, pero también de historia internacional, por el análisis en profundidad de este conflicto que dio pie al nacimiento de Estados Unidos como superpotencia. El autor ha sido profesor en la academia militar británica de Sandhurst, y en las universidades de Harvard y Cambridge.

Anatomie de la bataille de John Keegan est un ouvrage de référence dans le monde anglo-saxon. Loin, comme ses prédécesseurs, de décrire la bataille telle qu''elle est jaugée d''en haut par l''état-major, Keegan la restitue telle qu''elle est vécue par les hommes de troupe qui la mène sur le terrain. Il ausculte donc l''homme au combat à travers trois batailles emblématiques. Celle d''Azincourt (1415), qui représente l''un des épisodes les plus épiques et les plus vivants de l''histoire anglaise. C''est l''écrasante victoire des fantassins anglais contre la chevalerie française, celle d''une troupe d''exilés sur des seigneurs trop confiants. Keegan s''attache ensuite à démystifier la bataille de Waterloo (1815), longtemps abandonnée aux romanciers et aux peintres. Enfin, il revient sur l''une des confrontations les plus sanglantes de la Première Guerre mondiale, la bataille de la Somme (1916), pendant laquelle les forces britanniques et françaises tentèrent de percer à travers les lignes allemandes : il s''attarde sur la souffrance de ces soldats, terrés dans une guerre de tranchées, soumis à d''effroyables pilonnages avant de se lancer dans des assauts atrocement meurtriers. John Keegan nous montre ainsi l''évolution du soldat à travers les siècles, son appréhension du champ de bataille et des technologies de la guerre, la peur et les souffrances rencontrées et à quoi tient la perception de la victoire ou de la défaite sur le terrain.

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.

La 4e de couverture indique : "L''importance de cette histoire, à la fois chronologique et thématique, réside certes dans la narration des faits de guerre, mais plus encore dans la manière dont John Keegan - historien britannique de grande notoriété - explique la préparation et l''évolution du conflit à différents niveaux : gouvernements, états-majors, combattants... Chaque phase de la guerre est éclairée par une vue d''ensemble de la stratégie globale des Alliés et de l''Axe, puis par une analyse détaillée des dilemmes tactiques auxquels sont confrontés les belligérants, complétée par un examen approfondi de leur caractère et de leurs motivations. L''auteur s''attache aux opérations caractéristiques des nouvelles formes de guerre propres à 1939-1945 : raids des divisions blindées, bombardements, opérations aéroportées ou aéronavales... II évoque simultanément les répressions, les résistances, la saignée monstrueuse et le bouleversement de la carte du monde. Cette synthèse publiée pour la première fois en septembre 1989 a été saluée à Londres comme un ouvrage de référence majeur sur la Deuxième Guerre mondiale."

One of the greatest historians writing today gives us a defining portrait of the incomparable Winston Churchill In his landmark biography of Winston Churchill, acclaimed historian John Keegan offers a very human portrait of one of the twentieth century''s enduring symbols of heroic defiance. From Churchill''s youth as a poor student to his leadership during World War II, Keegan reveals a man whose own idea of an English past—eloquently embodied in his speeches—allowed him to exhort a nation to unprecedented levels of sacrifice. The result is a uniquely discerning look at one of the most fascinating personalities in history. “The best military historian of our generation.” –Tom Clancy

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.

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

The 2003 Iraq war remains among the most mysterious armed conflicts of modernity. In The Iraq War, John Keegan offers a sharp and lucid appraisal of the military campaign, explaining just how the coalition forces defeated an Iraqi army twice its size and addressing such questions as whether Saddam Hussein ever possessed weapons of mass destruction and how it is possible to fight a war that is not, by any conventional measure, a war at all. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Donald Rumsfeld and General Tommy Franks, Keegan retraces the steps that led to the showdown in Iraq, from the highlights of Hussein’s murderous rule to the diplomatic crossfire that preceded the invasion. His account of the combat in the desert is unparalleled in its grasp of strategy and tactics. The result is an urgently needed and up-to-date book that adds immeasurably to our understanding of those twenty-one days of war and their long, uncertain aftermath.

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.

One of the world’s leading maritime experts traces the path that led to European supremacy on the high seas, with detailed accounts of each of the key naval conflicts from the highest strategic level right down to the experience of the ordinary sailor. At the end of the seventeenth and throughout the eighteenth century, oceangoing forces developed into instruments of worldwide control. At first, Spain, France, Holland, and Britain headed the pack, but eventually the struggle for domination at sea culminated in Britain’s triumph during the Napoleonic Wars and the elevation of the Royal Navy to global domination.

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

Acclaimed military historian John Keegan’s anthology of war writing from 25 centuries of battle In The Book of War, John Keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of Western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participants—from Thucydides’ classic account of ancient Greek phalanx warfare to a blow-by-blow description of ground fighting against the Iraqi troops in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Keegan gathers more than eighty selections, including Caesar’s Commentaries on the Roman invasion of Britain; the French Knight Jehan de Wavrin at the battle of Agincourt; Davy Crockett in the war against the Creek; Wellington’s dispatch on Waterloo; Hemingway after Caporetto; and Ernie Pyle at Normandy. “The best military historian of our generation.” –Tom Clancy “A monumental piece of literary military history.” –Chicago Tribune A brilliantly edited and comprehensive anthology."—The New York Times Book Review.

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.