The Face of Battle

Keegan popularized a new kind of military history, history focused on the experience of those “at the sharp end” of battle. Generals may as individuals have the most influence on the course of battle, but Keegan argues that, taken together, the men doing the fighting have more influence than the generals. He describes the experiences of men in three famous battles, and shows how tactics evolved but the demands of facing death remained all too familiar. I love this book for using history to find the psychology of men in combat.

There are many military histories. However, Keegan’s account talks about what battle is really like for those who fight them. Although he only dwells on the Battle of the Somme in the twentieth century, his telling of it is compelling. There are few battles as tragic and heroic as the Somme.