Battle: A History of Combat and Culture

by John A. Lynn

A History of Combat and Culture spans the globe and the centuries to explore the way ideas shape the conduct of warfare. Drawing its examples from Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and America, John A. Lynn challenges the belief that technology has been the dominant influence on combat from ancient times to the present day. In battle, ideas can be more far more important than bullets or bombs. Clausewitz proclaimed that war is politics, but even more basically, war is culture. The hard reality of armed conflict is formed by -- and, in turn, forms -- a culture's values, assumptions, and expectations about fighting. The author examines the relationship between the real and the ideal, arguing that feedback between the two follows certain discernable paths. Battle rejects the currently fashionable notion of a "Western way of warfare" and replaces it with more nuanced concepts of varied and evolving cultural patterns of combat. After considering history, Lynn finally asks how the knowledge gained might illuminate our understanding of the war on terrorism.

Genres: History, Military History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War, World History, Anthropology

464 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2003

About the author

John Albert Lynn is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a visiting professor at Northwestern University, Evanston. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Although he specializes in the military history of France from the early modern period through the revolution, he has taught classes spanning the entire range of military history, including classes on the military history of south Asia.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found John Lynn's book to be a refreshing riposte to Victor Davis Hanson's "Carnage and Culture". This is primarily due to the fact that I found Hanson's arguments to be too reductivist, and not sufficiently explanatory of changing cultural values. Besides reminding one uncomfortably of cultural elistism, a "Western Way of War" was too simple to explain dominance, and couldn't even begin address the numerous counter-examples that bedevil the supposed hegemonic dominance of "democratic" "citizen soldiers".

Lynn argues for a different model, wherein a culture's conception of warfare is modified and informed by the practice of warfare. His model additionally accounted for when a foe's conception of warfare was far outside the range of the societal model, and the adaptations and accommodations that a society undergoes.

In over-simplified terms, this is what allows the US to believe that defeating the Axis was a pure and valorous combat, and yet still employ firebombing in Dresden and Tokyo, and other like tactics.

While not every historical period studied seemt to have as satisfying or interesting of answers as every other, it seemed conclusively convincing in many cases, especially in Clauswitz and Napoleon's shift from avoidance of battle to seeking for decisive battle. John Lynn has provided a worthwhile framework for considering the means and methods of warfare historically and going forward.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic concept: 'the cultural study of war'. The cultural factors in war - how and why ideas and battle-habits are distinctive to each culture. The essays themselves managed to bore me from time to time.

Both Azar Gat and John Keegan, in their universal histories of war, upset me, in my area, by not having the cultural knowledge they need to write about steppe warfare (with hideous results). So I can see, history of war must be culture-specific - as much as other history. John A. Lynn gives you the argument why, with examples: essays on war in different times and societies, and how that culture shaped ideas and practice.

[Jerry Mrizek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has had both supporters and detractors. Lynn's purpose is to overturn the idea of the western way of war as proposed and supported by Victor Davis Hanson and John Keegan. I have enjoyed the works of both these authors but Lynn's examples are clear and hard to argue with. Professor Lynn is extremely well respected in the academic community but his style of writing is not difficult to follow for lay people and those who have been lucky enough to take one of his classes will recognize many of the themes. The one issue that might cause detractors to disparage the work is that Lynn does not put forth an alternative to the Western way of war hypothesis, he just argues against it. I believe this is because effective militaries adapt and the construction of a western or eastern manner of warfare is articificial.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

How warfare changes over time because of culture, not just technology. In broad sweeps quite persuasive (I found the chapters on chivalry and linear warfare particularly interesting), though in some cases I wish he was more specific about where these cultural traits come from and how they translate into military behavior. I also wish that he had been been snarkier to Victor Davis Hanson while trashing his thesis that the West took over the world because Greek hoplites are awesome and the Orientals are all sneaky, though I can hardly fault this guy for being polite.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lynn might quite possibly be the most negative military historian alive. He loves to tackle other people's ideas and try to destroy them. He does make valid points from time to time, but this work, especially the introduction, is just repetitive of earlier work. I liked this book though his negative point of view can wear on you every now and then.

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was totally fascinating as well as super useful for the kinds of classes I teach. Lynn does a sort of extended case study approach to the questions of whether there are cultural/civilizational "ways of war" and how to more broadly understand the relationship of culture and warfare. I found basically all of these fascinating except the ones on ancient China and India, where our sources are so skimpy that we can't say much

Lynn is brilliant at coming up with analytical frameworks for military history. In this book, his framework is about discourses of war v realities of war. A discourse of war is what a society's conversation/conception about what war should be, which could be anything the Greek conception of war as a short, decisive clash between citizen-soldiers to medieval notions of chivalrous warfare to imperial Japanese notions of warfare as an exercise of spiritual purification.

All societies talk and think about war a certain way, which shapes the way they practice it (this is a classic constructivist approach). If, for example, you are an early modern aristocratic military officer, you may view the average commoner soldier as too stupid and disloyal to practice a more improvisational form of warfare. Hence, you might believe that they must be drilled and regimented to the utmost and deployed in fixed, linear tactical formations that, to modern eyes, seem kind of dumb. Lynn's point is that the kind of massed-volley fire formations we see in the 18th and early 19th century weren't simply tactical adaptations to technological change (mainly the challenge of achieving decisive shock effect with short-ranged and inaccurate musketry) but reflections and extensions of cultural and social views.

I enjoyed almost all of this book, especially the incredibly helpful chapter contextualizing Clausewitz as well as the fascinating critique of race-focused accounts of the Pacific War in WWII. Highly recommended for military historians of any kind as well as the general enjoyer of military history.

[Peter Goggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes a prolonged argument over the course of a dozen or so case studies that rhetoric and discourse concerning warfare has a profound effect on how those wars are waged. He argues this convincingly, and at the same time dismembers arguments put forth in other works such as “Carnage and culture”.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Lynn delivers an undeniably academic and well founded thesis in a format (chapters function as essays around a theme) and prose (formal but also somehow conversational) that make complex ideas/arguments both compelling and easily digestible. Highly recommended.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author posits culture affects how wars are fought by providing examples from history. He points out that western views and eastern views of war differed in the past. However, war has changed and while once, a long time ago, there were differences now it is pretty much the same.

[Teri Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another school book. It was very heavy on war history and the philosophies and social sciences of war. Overall not my cup of tea, but he did have some good things to say and I appreciated that he seemed to take a fairly balanced approach.

[Roy McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

An original and wide-ranging examination of how cultural characteristics impact military practice. While some chapters and concomitant arguments are more convincing than others, the book overall is a good and thought-provoking read.

[Michael Whitlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the rebuttal to very chauvinist arguments made by other authors, and the author’s contention re: cultural determinism vs technological determinism is good (though not completely persuasive). I do feel like this was somewhat “one note” though, and could have been adequately covered in equal depth with less pages.

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about all the wars that have been recorded over centuries. It talkes about the different tactics and strategies that each side of a war adopted over time. It allows you to look closely into traditions of certain people and how these traditions affected them in battle. This book also goes more into the psychology of war which is very interesting.
I really enjoyed reading this book, because even though it is nonfiction and pretty thick, i did't feel like i was reading a textbook, which usually happens. I really learned a lot and i think it was worth reading it. I think if someone else were to read this book you would have to know a lot about historical events and people. If you don't it's okay, i didn't know everything.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat insightful, I had hoped more would be delved into about the culture itself, not only its direct or indirect connection to military activity and discourse, but most of the subjects covered within were primarily directed at ideals of combat and the difference in the actual reality of wars. Perhaps a little more could've been looked at as far as the reach of technology goes in affecting the changes in ideals, but it seems more focused on the combatants themselves, with culture being the big difference that sets one group apart from another. I'd of also liked it better if more eras had been covered, feudal Japan, Cold War Russia (wars of words and subterfuge), etc.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nature of battle is... or, how i met clausewitz over summer vacation. Lynn is really sharp, with the academic credentials to back up some of his challenges to currently accepted notions of warfare.

[Steven]

Good read. Enjoyed the examination of the Spartan culture.

[sologdin · Rating 2 out of 5]

more a collection of essays, than a sustained argument, on aspects of particular conflicts that author appreciates.

[Rick F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes too far in refuting Hanson's Western Way of War. There is a middle ground where a continuos western ideal of war and the reality of war in execution.

[Alejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of the cultural influence on war, but somehow lacking in certain respects and laso takes huge historical leaps

[Lee Hunts]

This took me one to two years to read. I only read it in chunks, and took my time. Good for motivation’s sake. If only I could remember everything.