" . . . a concise, highly readable survey of pre- 19th-century warfare." —Choice

"A remarkable tour de force covering a vast span of time, different cultures, warfare by land and sea." —Gunther Rothenberg

A history of war and warfare from ancient to early modern times, Larry Addington's new book completes his survey of the patterns of war in the Western world. It explains not only what happened in warfare but why war in a certain time and culture took on distinct and recognizable patterns.