The title accurately encapsulates the matter of the book. What it doesn't note is that it does the job in only 140 pages of cultured and lucid prose. Not a word is wasted and, if this is a subject which interests you, Howard's work is a must-read. ( )

Howard gives a broad outline of war in European history, therefore he chose a good title. He covers from just after the fall of Rome through present day, all in less then 150 pages. A good survey of the period that is more then just a military history, Howard shows how society has been changed by warfare and how changes in society have been reflected in military developments as well. The book was originally written in 1976, this updated version was published last year and has been updated to include an epilogue discussing the war on terror as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was the only weak section of the book, perhaps showing that Howard is a better historian then he is reporter on current events. The only other minor issue I had with the book was the epilogue was printed in a smaller font size then the rest of the book for no obvious reason. Howard also included an updated "Notes on Further Reading" which was almost as useful as the rest of the book by itself. ( )