Michael Howard and the Evolution of Modern War Studies

Sir Michael Howard has made an enormous contribution to writing about war since 1950. This essay offers a considered assessment of his work and devotes due attention to the context in which he wrote and the influences that shaped his outlook. Three essential themes have permeated his work: the Germa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of military history Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 869 - 904
Main Author Reid, Brian Holden
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Lexington Society for Military History 01.07.2009
Subjects
German
Historians
Historiography
Howard, Michael
Influence
Military history
Military studies
Personal profiles
War
United Kingdom > UK
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Summary:Sir Michael Howard has made an enormous contribution to writing about war since 1950. This essay offers a considered assessment of his work and devotes due attention to the context in which he wrote and the influences that shaped his outlook. Three essential themes have permeated his work: the German problem (and thus the British problem that complicated its resolution), the Soviet problem, and the relationship between war and society. The essay charts his efforts to impart a framework to the study of war and the degree to which it has been shaped by societal, but especially organizational and moral forces. The essay offers a slice of British historiography and intellectual life in the postwar years.
ISSN:0899-3718
1543-7795
1543-7795
DOI:10.1353/jmh.0.0336