The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800"This is a new edition of Geoffrey Parker's much-admired illustrated account of how the West, so small and so deficient in natural resources in 1500, had by 1800 come to control over one third of the world. This edition incorporates new material, including a substantial 'Afterword' which summarizes the debate which developed after the book's first publication." "Geoffrey Parker's argument is in two parts. First the military practice of the West 'at home' in Europe is analysed, with special reference to the role of firearms in the transformation of both offensive and defensive warfare; to the rapid growth in army size; and to the creation of ocean-going warships which fought with long-range guns instead of ramming and boarding. He then argues that these major changes amounted to a 'military revolution' which gave Westerners a decided advantage over the people of other continents: over the Amerindians in the sixteenth century, over most Indonesians in the seventeenth, and over many Indians and Africans in the eighteenth. The book concludes with a brief survey of how the industrial revolution caused a second series of military changes which allowed the West to dominate almost the entire world by 1914." --Book Jacket. |
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The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 Geoffrey Parker No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
2nd edn Armada armed Army of Flanders arquebus artillery fortress Asia Asian attack bastions battle bombardment built C. R. Boxer Cambridge campaign captured castle cavalry cent chap Charles China Chinese commander conquest defeat defence Details Dutch Republic early modern Europe East India Company empire enemy England English English Civil War European example fighting fire firearms fleet forces fortifications fought France galleons galleys garrisons Guerre gunpowder guns Gustavus Adolphus Habsburgs infantry invasion Ireland Irish Irish sword Japan Japanese Journal later London Low Countries medieval metres military revolution Military revolution debate Ming Mughal musketeers Muslim naval navy Netherlands Ottoman Oxford Paris Parker plate Portuguese quoted recruits regiments Royalist Scotland Scottish seventeenth century ships siege sixteenth century society soldiers Spain Spanish Spanish Armada strategy supply Swedish tactics techniques Thirty Years War tion towns trace italienne trade troops Turks Vauban victory walls warfare wars warships weapons Western