Wars of Modern Times
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Summary
Editor's review
The book's value lies in its systematic approach. It traces a clear arc: from the Napoleonic Wars through the two world wars to the Cold War and limited conflicts, war evolved from a limited game among aristocrats into "total war" requiring the mobilization of a nation's entire industrial system and population. Its discussions of logistics, communications, and the contest for resources (such as oil) are especially compelling, revealing the cold "energy" and "material" foundations beneath modern warfare. For readers who wish to go beyond individual battles and grasp the deeper drivers of war, this is an excellent intellectual map.
One caveat: the book was written relatively early and does not cover the latest forms such as information warfare and cyber warfare, yet the analytical paradigm it establishes remains valid. It reads more like a social-science treatise on the "mechanisms of war," rigorous in style and rich in material; it lacks literary narrative flourish, but the density of thought and depth of insight more than compensate.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in military and war history who wish to build a systematic framework of understanding
- Social-science enthusiasts concerned with how technology, industry, and resources shape society and historical change
- Readers who prefer rational analysis and clearly structured nonfiction over pure storytelling
- Professionals in strategic studies, international relations, or related fields who need historical reference points
Not a good fit for
- General history readers mainly seeking thrilling battlefield stories and tales of individual heroism
- Readers hoping to learn about the latest military technology and cutting-edge topics such as contemporary counterterrorism and cyber warfare
Reading tips
- Reading the chapters in order is recommended to follow the author's historical progression and analytical logic
- Consulting maps and materials on the economic and technological history of the relevant periods will enrich understanding
- Focus on the chapters on the formation of "total war," the logistics revolution, and the constraints of resources and environment
About the publisher
China Environmental Science Press is a professional publishing institution in China's environmental field, developing titles around environmental science as well as related humanities and social science topics. Judging from the 170 books in the collection, its publishing covers categories such as general biography, military affairs and inspirational growth. Representative books include Military Marshals, History of American Wars, History of Asian Wars, Military Generals, Life Aphorisms, Challenging Setbacks and Philosophical Maxims, balancing factual historical narrative with life inspiration. Representative authors include Feng Ping, Wang Guofu, Wu Zhiqiao, Li Ming, Xing Chunru and Wang Xiaoyin, forming a relatively stable author team. Beyond environmental specialties, the press also attends to general reading, bringing history, military and growth themes into its publishing scope and reflecting an orientation that values both professionalism and readability. Public information is limited, and the above focuses on the publishing profile reflected in the books in the collection.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 《世界军事百科》编委会
- 前言
- 祖鲁战争
- 虎门抗英之战
- 克里木战争
- 英国——伊朗战争
- 印度民族起义
- 越法战争
- 大沽抗击英法联军之战
- 奥意法战争
- 美国内战
- 墨西哥远征
- 汉普顿海战
- 丹麦战争
- 巴拉圭战争
- 奥意战争
- 四月起义
- 俄土战争
- 太平洋战争
- 英国——埃及战争
- 中日甲午海战
- 意大利——埃塞俄比亚战争
- 希土战争
- 美西战争
- 美国——菲律宾战争
- 英布战争
- 日俄战争
- 瓦房沟交战
- 辽阳交战
- 西摩战争
- 意土战争
- 巴尔干战争
- 边境交战
- 黑尔戈兰湾海战
- 佛兰德里交战
- 马恩河交战
- 达达尼尔海峡战役
- 凡尔登战役
- 亚眠战役
- 英国——爱尔兰战争
- 亚美尼亚——土耳其战争
- 爱尔兰国内战争
- 日军第一次在淞沪登陆
- 查科战争
- 西班牙人民民族革命战争
- 德波战争
- 第二次世界大战
- 北非战局
- 攻陷苏联的“巴巴罗萨计划”
FAQ
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About the author
Feng Ping, female, born in October 1956, is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Philosophy, Fudan University, and serves as vice president of the Chinese Society for Value Philosophy. She received her PhD in philosophy from Wuhan University in 1988 and has long been engaged in research on the philosophy of value. She is the author of On Evaluation and editor-in-chief of the series Classic Works of Modern Western Value Philosophy. Among the sixty works listed in the library, her five-volume Selected Works of Dewey and Criticism of Criticism: Dewey's Value Theory and Ethics reflect her translation and research in pragmatism and axiology. Her works also cover military affairs, world history, biography, and literary appreciation, including Military Marshals, Histories of Asian Wars, Histories of American Wars, Military Generals, and introductions to modern famous writers of Asia, Africa, and Western Europe. Overall, her writing combines scholarly rigor with broad subject matter, spanning philosophical translation and general cultural reading, though public information about her personal life remains limited.
Wang Guofu is an author about whom little public information is available. The library holds 46 of his works, spanning military history, philosophy and popular science. Judging from the existing titles, his writing leans clearly toward military history and figures: there are biographies of commanders such as Military Marshals and Military Generals, as well as works on the history of warfare and strategy, including A History of Asian Warfare, A History of American Warfare and Modern Land Warfare, covering topics from ancient battles to contemporary forms of war. At the same time, he has written A Study of the Ontological Mode of Thinking in the History of Western Philosophy, showing an interest in philosophical questions, while Modern Famous Writers of Asia and Africa indicates a literary scope as well. Overall, his books are largely works of knowledge organization and accessible introduction, classified under general biography, Western philosophy, military affairs and popular science, and suited to general readers seeking a basic overview of these fields. Since his dates, nationality and educational background are not clearly recorded, this introduction describes only the subjects of his works in the library.
Wu Zhiqiao is a Chinese author with a bachelor's degree in management from Peking University. He has served as a professor at the Economic Management Cadre Institute and as director of its humanities teaching and research section, and has been a specially invited lecturer for the Tsinghua University executive program. His long-term research covers corporate philosophy, stress management, management communication, leadership development and team building. He has compiled and authored books including Humanities Tutorial, Thought and Culture, International Business Negotiation and Business Etiquette, and has published dozens of papers. His publicly published works number more than fifty, spanning education, management, military history and biography. They include practical guides for homeroom teachers, method summaries on detailed class management and class-leading techniques, and popular history readings such as A History of the Wars in the Americas and Military Marshals. His writing emphasizes distilled experience and case-based discussion in plain language, serving frontline teachers, managers and general readers.
