Review (PDF) How To Make War (Fourth Edition): A Comprehensive Guide To Modern Warfare In The Twenty-first Century
An indispensable guide to how wars are fought, James F. Dunnigan's classic text has been enormously popular with citizens, professional soldiers, and journalists alike. Now, it's been revised to include a stunning array of new subjects. From the cutting edge of cyberwar to the current concern about terrorism, How to Make War presents a clear picture of complex weapons, armed forces, and tactics. Describing a new world order, one with a greater number of equipped players than the "Big Two" (the United States and the former Soviet Union), this updated edition features all the elements of traditional warfare, along with a discussion of terrorist techniques; nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; and Third World ballistic missiles. Past editions of How to Make War were chillingly accurate in assessing and predicting the outcomes of all the major conflicts in the past two decades. Loaded with expertise and the latest information, this edition is an essential reference for any military library –– and a work that forewarns, and forearms, the Free World for the conflicts ahead.
Paperback: 672 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 4th ed. edition (April 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006009012X
ISBN-13: 978-0060090128
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.7 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #64,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #25 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Military Sciences #99 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Military #105 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Security
Dunnigan was part of the now gone SSI war gamers generation. This books is not a collection of war stories but a lay person's guide to how wars are managed from a broad perspective. This is not the book written by a beltway bandit trying to sell the next generation of wonder weapons, or an author who uses the usual beltway pompous pointless semantics that offend no one and says nothing. This is a book that talks about war at the retail and wholesale level. There are comparison tables, weapons charts and explanations of what it takes for modern war. You might get a 5 second blip about this on CNN. Dunnigan's books should be required reading for all those who want a more than casual shoot'em up approach to war. His chapters are organized around topics and themes such as "Leadership" or "The Poor Bloody Infantry". Those who are military academy students or citizens who want a more direct explanation of the mechanics of warefare management should read this book.
This book is one of the best I've come across on the subject of modern warfare. The chapters are well organized , easily read, and brutally honest on the truths of modern war as it is today and will be in the future. Dunnigan delves not only into tactis and strategy, but also other, often overlooked details of war in the modern world. Among these topics are morale of soldiers, training, equipment and technology, and logistics. Recommended for any student of warfare and current global issues.
Mr. Dunnigan is an respected authority on wargames and military simulations, having produced more than one hundred (mostly manual) games between the late 1960's and early 1990's. The rise and complexity of computer and video games has mostly left him behind, however, in producing profitable products in recent years. This book is best suited for a reader interested in wargaming or as a basic introduction to broad military topics. If you already own the Updated Third Edition (1983), very little substance has changed in the Fourth Edition. The post-9/11 war on terrorism and current war in Iraq are not covered in any useful detail. In fact, lessons from the first Gulf War are not explained much at all. The "How to Make War" editions are written very much from the perspective of a wargamer and to a lesser extent a civilian historical and military analyst. Mr. Dunnigan is not a military professional and did not command men and machines in combat as a career soldier, sailor or airmen. His insights are good and in many cases spot on, but an experienced reader will quickly realize that the book superficially covers most topics and never really explains the psychology, politics, and specialization behind the numbers. It portrays an idealized and romantic view, akin to Tom Clancy`s fiction, by simplifying the issues into mathematical analysis and technical explanations of systems. John Keegan's books do a much better job of giving readers a good understanding of men at war and how they win. Mr. Dunnigan's writing style may also put some readers off, as he tends to lecture and ramble. Given his expert stature in the wargaming community, this professor to pupil style is easily understood. In summary, this book makes a good introduction for non-professional military readers and in particular wargamers.
Dunnigan is one of the best military writers in America. This book explains the nuts and bolts of how warfare is waged better then any other book out there. If you are a war/history buff, you will like this book. I have read and reread it since the first edition in the 1980's, since then it has been revised and updated and has even more information. This book is probably the most comprehensive book about war-making ever written.
Fourth edition. Each edition is fully updated to meet the current developments, it's been well worth it to me to have bought every one. This is a companion work to "A Quick & Dirty Guide to War," which covers geopolitical situations. These two works together are the most superb guide to understanding war. The explanations are straight, without political bias, which makes this work a powerful testament to why war should be avoided if at all possible.You should check out his blog, I don't think we're allowed to name other sites in reviews—just do a search on his name.
a book that discusses the all around nature of war. It doesn't focus on only the infantry or only tanks but dabbles into a little of everything. For that same reason, it doesn't go into specifics about any one branch of the military but that's not the point of the book. It also not a book of tactics nor a book trying to explain why wars happen. It just tries to lay out the different weapons and branches of the military armies use in war. I recommend it if you want to know what happens in war, how armies fight, and why war is so expensive.
J.F. Dunnigan's How to Make War (H2MW) is an essential piece for all those who make war and who study war. Part history and part instruction manual, H2MW not only gives the reader an insight into modern warfare, but also the book illustrates the manner in which current innovations came to pass. From the historical impact of body armor to the tactical application of the hand grenade, H2MW is a great reference for those that study or operate in battle-space.
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