Dictionary of wars George C. Kohn

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A source of information on the global conflicts, civil wars, mutinies, punitive expeditions, undeclared wars, rebellions and revolutions that have occurred throughout the world.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (p. vi)
• Preface to the First Edition (p. vii)
• Entries A-Z (p. 1)
• Geographical Index (p. 557)
• Index of Names (p. 595)

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Dictionary of Wars, Revised Edition is an authoritative source of information on global conflicts, civil wars, mutinies, punitive expeditions, undeclared wars, rebellions, and revolutions. The scope of the book is truly impressive, covering events from early recorded history to the modern day. Excerpted from Dictionary of Wars All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

A decade and a half after the first edition (CH, Dec'86), Connecticut-based author Kohn provides a revision that contains 70 additional concise entries. Nearly 2,000 conflicts, dating from 2000 BCE, are arranged alphabetically, with new profiles of the Persian Gulf War and the conflicts in and around Yugoslavia, in the former USSR, and in Africa. In addition, previous entries on the US and French revolutions, the Franco-Prussian War, the Norman Conquest, the Six-Day War of 1967, and many others are updated or expanded. Kohn continues to pay attention to political, social, cultural, and biographical aspects of various wars; cross-referencing, particularly helpful for those conflicts or campaigns known by more than one name, is a major feature. The name and geographical indexes are enhanced. Undergraduate and public library collections. M. J. Smith Jr.; Tusculum College

Booklist Review

The first edition of this wide-ranging work, covering armed conflict between or within nations over the past 4,000 years, was highly praised [RBB D 1 86]. This edition has 70 new articles, for a total of 1,800. There has also been some amending of earlier entries. Conflicts are arranged alphabetically under their most accessible or familiar names, in double columns with running heads. Each entry includes basic descriptive information, such as dates of the conflict, sides involved, and outcome. Entries on Siamese wars through the centuries and the continuing Somalian civil war were checked and found accurate. Years of birth and death of leaders who are mentioned in the text are provided. Entries are current through 1998. Cross-references point readers to related or relevant articles. The extensive geographical index is arranged alphabetically, either by country or a larger area (for example, Central America or Africa), and then chronologically. See and see also references in this index are helpful. A general index follows. Like the first edition, the work does not have maps or other illustrations. The larger Harper Encyclopedia of Military History, 4th edition [RBB N 1 93], contains interpretive information on wars and weapons through a further range of time and also includes maps. Dictionary of Wars has more information on separate conflicts. Libraries that have the first edition and have also been adding recent titles, such as Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia [RBB Ap 15 99] and Encyclopedia of Guerrilla Warfare [RBB Jl 99], may not need to purchase the current work. Public and academic libraries that do not own the earlier edition will find the updated version meets their need for a general dictionary on wars. But whether one reads the articles or browses the geographical index, the overwhelming feeling will be that humankind does not learn from the past.