Seven Myths of Military History

Seven Myths of Military History is a brief, provocative, and accessible book that offers snapshots of seven pernicious myths in military history. These myths have been perpetrated on unsuspecting students, readers, moviegoers, game players, and politicians.

The book promotes awareness of how myths are created by "the spurious misuse and ignorance of history" and highlights how misleading ideas about military problems, such as 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 those 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, and the "academic party game" of once-faddish "Military Revolutions," the book demonstrates that while myths about history may be fun, myth-busting is the most fun of all.

- Reina Pennington, Norwich University