The Shortest History of War
Gwynne Dyer
Paperback (08 Feb 2022)


Publishers Synopsis

‘From the first armies to clashes of drones and “dirty bombs”, this is eye-opening, big-picture stuff’ BBC History Magazine

In this addition to the bestselling ‘shortest history’ series, acclaimed historian and military expert Gwynne Dyer tells the story of the war from its prehistoric – perhaps pre-human – origins up to the present age of algorithms and atom bombs.

Dyer chronicles the spread of warfare in the world’s first cities; the seemingly inexorable rise of inequality and tyranny as human societies expand; the millennium-long ‘classical age’ of combat ended by the firearm and the carnage of the Thirty Years’ War; the brief ensuing interlude of ‘limited war’ before the popular revolutions of the 18th century ushered in an era of total war – itself abruptly halted by Hiroshima. The final chapters deal with the precarious equilibrium of the past 75 years – the longest period of peace between major powers in modern history – and with the looming threats posed by nuclear proliferation, superpower rivalry, and climate change.


Book information

ISBN: 9781913083236
Publisher: Old St Publishing
Imprint: Old St Publishing
Pub date: 08 Feb 2022
DEWEY: 355.02
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 256
Weight: 234g
Height: 250mm
Width: 198mm
Spine width: 22mm