Seven Myths of Military History

by John D. Hosler (editor), Alfred J. Andrea (Editor), Andrew Holt (Editor)

“This brief, provocative, and accessible book offers snapshots of seven pernicious myths in military history that have been perpetrated on unsuspecting students, readers, moviegoers, game players, and politicians. It promotes awareness of how myths are created by 'the spurious misuse and ignorance of history' and how
misleading ideas about a military problem, as in asymmetric warfare, can lead to misguided solutions.
     “Both scholarly and engaging, this book is an ideal addition to military history and historical methodology courses. In fact, it could be fruitfully used in any course that teaches critical thinking skills, including courses outside the discipline of history. Military history has a broad appeal to students, and there’s something here for everyone. From the so-called 'Western Way of War' to its sister-myth, technological determinism, to the ‘academic party game’ of once-faddish ‘Military Revolutions,’ the book shows that while myths about history may be fun, myth busting is the most fun of all.”
—Reina Pennington, Norwich University

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2022

About the author

John D. Hosler is associate professor of military history at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Delaware and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Dr. Hosler lives in Kansas City, KS.

Reviews

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

A very interesting book that slays some common myths of military history; and some perhaps less common in the general debate.