Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7029 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
"'This without any doubt is one of the half-dozen best books on warfare to appear in the English language since the end of the Second World War.' Michael Howard, Sunday Times 'In this book, which is so creative, so original, one learns as much about the nature of man as of battle.' J. H. Plumb, New York Times Book Review"

From the Publisher
'The most brilliant evocation of military experience in our time.' C. P. Snow

About the Author
John Keegan is the Defence Editor of the Daily Telegraph and Britain's foremost military historian. The Reith Lecturer in 1998, he is the author of many bestselling books including The Mask of Command, Six Armies in Normandy, Battle at Sea, The Second World War, A History of Warfare (awarded the Duff Cooper Prize), Warpaths, The Battle for History, The First World War, and most recently, Intelligence in War. For many years John Keegan was the Senior Lecturer in Military History at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and he has been a Fellow of Princeton University and Delmas Distinguished Professor of History at Vassar. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He received the OBE in the Gulf War honours list, and was knighted in the Millennium honours list in 1999.

Customer Reviews

The definitive work on battle & the human condition.
This is a great work. I've always been facinated by the Human elements of war making. What posseses people to endure battle? What were the experiences of the various types of combatants through the ages? This book looks at all of this and much more.
Be warned, this is not light reading and nor shoul it be. Keegan employs complex structure in his language. This adds value for me. I've read this over and over and derived new thoughts each time. If you are interested in military history this is essential.

Soldiers view of the relatity of three different battles
Keegan delivers a military history book from a different perspective - the soldiers eye and with little detail on the 'greater' tactical picture of battle. The concept is original and engaging. Takes away any glory of victory and details the truth behind the clatter of Agincourt, the thunder of Waterloo and the iron rain of Somme. The well written frankness of the book seldom disappoints.

A Classic of Military History--or better, A Classic, period
Surely The Face of Battle was meant to be a very specialistic study of military history, dealing with a very specific issue, that is, what is combat seen from those who fight, be they medieval knights or modern soldiers. But the success of this book goes far beyond the narrow boundaries of military history, making this essay a classic of history in general--a classic of culture, one should add. This is a book that has fueled the writings of other military historians, of literary critics, of intellectuals of any kind; you find it quoted just everywhere. Because the main issue of the book is war as it was lived by human beings, not statistical abstractions; and Keegan has managed to render vividly and powerfully that experience. His elegant and classical prose helped him, no doubt; plus his brilliant scholarship; but there is also a powerful intelligence at work here, which enables him to provide us with dazzling insights in every page. So this is not just a book for academics or war buffs; it's a great monument of culture and thought that should be part of anyone who wants to understand the world we live in.