The Cambridge History of War: Volume 3, War and the Early Modern World

A four-hundred-year global perspective on the history of war from nomadic cavalry to steam-powered warships.

This volume provides a comprehensive and accessible history of war from the last Eurasian nomadic empires to the development of steam-powered, ironclad warships in the mid-19th century. It is for students, scholars, and general readers interested in the history of war, transnational and global history, and international relations.Volume III of The Cambridge History of War covers the early modern world, offering a four-hundred-year perspective from the last Eurasian nomadic empires to the advent of ironclad, steam-driven warships in the mid-nineteenth century. Together, the chapters cover the rise of professional armies and purpose-built warships in Europe; the evolution of military societies in the great Islamic empires; the vicissitudes of Ming and Qing military organization and that of their Asian neighbours; and the raising and maintaining of armies in Africa and the Americas. Numerous processes of imperial expansion, both on land of sea, are examined, as are the processes of global confrontation and interchange across different military systems. Technology, organization, finance, and military cultures are each explored from a broad perspective. Bringing together an impressive team of experts in their fields, the volume provides a comprehensive and accessible history of war from 1450–1850.