Internationally acclaimed historian and military expert Gwynne Dyer charts the evolution of human warfare from the hunter-gatherer era up to the present day—including tribal warfare, classical combat, “total war,” cold war, foreign invasions and occupations, terrorism, climate clashes, and superpower rivalries—for anyone seeking to understand why we engage in war, where it could take us, and how to stop.

London-based Gwynne Dyer is a renowned journalist, columnist, broadcaster, and lecturer on international affairs. His documentary television series on the history of war was nominated for an Academy Award. His twice-weekly column on international affairs appears in 175 newspapers in 45 countries and is translated into more than a dozen languages.

Foreword
1. Origins
2. How Combat Works
3. The Evolution of Battle 3500–1500 BCE
4. Classical War 1500bc–1400 CE
5. Absolute Monarchs and Limited War 1400–1790
6. Mass Warfare 1790–1900
7. Total War
8. A Short History of Nuclear War, 1945–1990
9. Trifurcation: Nuclear, Conventional, Terrorist
10. The End of War
Endnotes
Image Credits