THE WARS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS

Victor Davis Hanson

Cassell, London, 1999, index, reading, excellent maps and illustrations, glossary, statistics, chronology, paperback

Reviewer Comments:
This is an even more detailed description and analysis of the main wars of classical Greek from earleist times through Alexander the Great and his Hellenistic successors than are in his Western way of War.. He accepts John Keegan's theories about the 'western way' of conducting war being unique. Dr. Hanson describes the characteristics of Greek tactics and th composition of Greek - Macedonian armies in great detail in both books. Granted this was different from the composition and tactics of their opponents such as Persians and Scythians. But he does not consider ancient Chinese warfare which involved very much larger armies in hand to hand combat.

Chronology

Introduction

1 - Early Greek Fighting, 1400 - 750 B.C.

2 - The Rise of the City State and the Invention of Western Warfare: (750-490)

3 - The Great Wars: 490 - 362)

4 - The Second Military Revolution: (362-336)

5 - Alexander the Great and the Creation of Hellenistic Warfare: (335 - 146)

Conclusion: The Hellenic Legacy

Glossary

Notable Greeks at war

Further Reading

Statistics

Index

Some references

Victor Davis Hanson - The Western Way of War

Donald Kagan - 4 volumes on the Peloponnesian War - The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War - The Archidamian War - The Peace of Nicias and Sicilian Expedition and The Fall of the Athenian Expedition

Philip de Souza, Waldemar Heckel & Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones - The Greeks at War

Ralph D. Sawyer - Ancient Chinese warfare