The Culture of War: Invention and Early Development

(Hardback)

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Although war has been analyzed from many perspectives, no scholar has satisfactorily explained why the human race fights and how we came to create a degree of military sophistication capable of destroying the entire species. Gabriel addresses these questions in his study of the origins and development of warfare. He looks particularly at the relationship between the evolution of the social institution of war and the development of the military institutions, tactical sciences, and technology required for organized conflict. Beginning with a discussion of the biological and evolutionary history of man, Gabriel investigates the proposition that the human race is genetically predisposed to warlike behavior. He next reviews the archaeological record to test the common assumption that war has existed from the earliest times. He traces the evolution of the social institutions and technology of war in a succession of ancient cultures beginning with the Bronze Age. The development of armies, tactics, logistics, and weapons is examined, together with the psychological and social implications of mankind's choice to use them. The work concludes with a discussion demonstrating how the practice of war in modern times relates to the perpetuation of values and institutional forms created by earlier societies--especially those of classical Greece and Rome. The first study to integrate the findings of cultural anthropology with the concerns of military analysis, this work will be of interest to students and academics in these and related fields.

Reviews

Gabriel (author of some 21 other books, most of which pertain to modern war) is well versed in the history of human conflict. This brief, interesting survey is focused on early warfare, ranging from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age, followed by chapters on the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and the Romans through the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Gabriel's analysis emphasizes the origins of war as a function of societal changes, and his discussion of the successive stages of warfare is couched in the context of political and cultural revolution. At the same time, he includes numerous examples of technological influences, such as the advantages of fixed spear points that permit additional usage as tools to pry apart stone fortifications. A useful summary, with a commendable bibliography for further research. Advanced undergraduates and up.-Choice
"Gabriel (author of some 21 other books, most of which pertain to modern war) is well versed in the history of human conflict. This brief, interesting survey is focused on early warfare, ranging from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age, followed by chapters on the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and the Romans through the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Gabriel's analysis emphasizes the origins of war as a function of societal changes, and his discussion of the successive stages of warfare is couched in the context of political and cultural revolution. At the same time, he includes numerous examples of technological influences, such as the advantages of fixed spear points that permit additional usage as tools to pry apart stone fortifications. A useful summary, with a commendable bibliography for further research. Advanced undergraduates and up."-Choice

Author Bio

RICHARD A. GABRIEL adjunct professor of Ethics and Humanities at Daniel Webster College. He is the author of twenty-one books, scores of articles, and hundreds of presentations on various military subjects. Dr. Gabriel is among the country's most published military writers, and is a frequent lecturer to the military establishments of the United States, West Germany, England, Canada, and Israel.