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The Face of Battle

de John Keegan

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2,752265,187 (4.05)87
The Face of Battle is military history from the battlefield: a look at the direct experience of individuals at 'the point of maximum danger'. It examines the physical conditions of fighting, the particular emotions and behaviour generated by battle, as well as the motives that impel soldiers to stand and fight rather than run away. And in his scrupulous reassessment of three battles, John Keegan vividly conveys their reality for the participants, whether facing the arrow cloud of Agincourt, the levelled muskets of Waterloo or the steel rain of the Somme.… (més)
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Anglès (23)  Castellà (1)  Italià (1)  Alemany (1)  Totes les llengües (26)
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John Keegan is a renowned military historian who made his reputation while teaching at Sandhurst, Britain’s version of the United Sates Military Academy at West Point. The Face of Battle is one of his earliest and best books.

Although he confesses to never having participated in a battle, he taught many men who would do so and interviewed many eminent soldiers who had experienced battle first hand. As an academician, he studied many previous accounts of battle written by other historians, but his study of military history led him to conclude that most, if not all, earlier accounts failed to explore adequately what it was actually like to be in a battle.

The first chapter of The Face of Battle is a discussion of military historiography in which he explores some of the reasons that earlier historians failed so clearly to portray the experiences of actual fighting men. One reason is that until recently, the vast majority of the men engaged in battle were rather illiterate, and thus did not leave usable accounts of their experiences. Another reason is that it is easier to write history by focusing on commanders and politicians than on the very diverse experiences of individual soldiers. Keegan accuses earlier historians of creating the “Myth of the Decisive Battle” because it made writing about war easier than attempting to capture its complexities. Moreover, most earlier historians tended to treat the soldiers themselves as fungible, uniformly behaving (pun intended) pawns manipulated by their famous leaders. As an example, he cites Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars and several lesser known, more recent books.

Keegan credits a study led by S. L. A. Marshall of the United States Army in World War II as being the first systematic study of human behavior in combat.

Keegan applies lessons learned in his own studies and from Marshall’s work along with common sense to an analysis of three historically significant battles: Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1825) and The Somme (1916), that took place in different centuries, but in close geographical proximity.

An excellent and enjoyable book.

(JAB) ( )
  nbmars | Jan 14, 2023 |
Absolutely stunning and terrifying study of the human side of combat. Must read for anybody, not just military buffs. ( )
  Gumbywan | Oct 10, 2022 |
interesante ensayo de Keegan sobre las batallas, las reduce en definitiva en un punto a un dilema moral y de voluntad ( )
  gneoflavio | Mar 6, 2022 |
Well written and thoroughly researched. Excellent military history comparing warfare from different eras. ( )
  Whiskey3pa | Nov 25, 2020 |
I debated between being objective about this nonfiction or just reviewing it based on my gut feeling.

In the end, I had to give it a 5 for good analysis and its own bright objectivity.

But for myself, I have to wonder why I read military history and why, after each time I do it, I feel sullied and unclean. If I leave enjoyment out of it, I did learn a lot about the details of these battles and the author did his very best to bring in all sides of the battles, not just what-ifs and strategy, but a lifetime of critical thinking.

I really appreciated that. And, a point-of-fact, I would absolutely recommend this book for all military buffs and history buffs. He's not only pretty exhaustive and wise about the battles, but he has a healthy dose of self-doubt tempered by a lot of experience. But not of battle. He makes it very clear he cannot understand battle from direct knowledge. But more importantly, neither can almost anyone. :)

But, of course, any history is going to rest or fall on its details and analysis. Fortunately, this one comes through with flying colors. :)

But again... I really didn't *enjoy* this text all that much. Be it mood or distaste, I generally don't go out of my way to read about war and for that reason alone I had a hard time liking it. And yet I can still appreciate a good dose of new knowledge, so it balances out.

( )
  bradleyhorner | Jun 1, 2020 |
Es mostren 1-5 de 26 (següent | mostra-les totes)
Keegan may present little in the way of contextual information on each battle - the reader is left to slot each one into its relevant timezone - but the battles, chosen presumably because they are already well-known, are simply the vehicles through which the ideas are conveyed. The results are, nearly thirty years later, still wholly valid and required reading for anyone who ever wishes to hold an opinion on conflicts.
 

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I have not been in a battle; not near one, nor heard one from afar, nor seen the aftermath.
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Wikipedia en anglès (5)

The Face of Battle is military history from the battlefield: a look at the direct experience of individuals at 'the point of maximum danger'. It examines the physical conditions of fighting, the particular emotions and behaviour generated by battle, as well as the motives that impel soldiers to stand and fight rather than run away. And in his scrupulous reassessment of three battles, John Keegan vividly conveys their reality for the participants, whether facing the arrow cloud of Agincourt, the levelled muskets of Waterloo or the steel rain of the Somme.

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