One of the most fascinating aspects of history—military history in particular—is the process of change in weapons and ideas in warfare.

Colonel T. N. Dupuy, U.S. Army, Retired, here views this evolutionary process not only as a historical study of a crucially important aspect of human behavior, but also—and more importantly—as a way of gaining perspective for understanding the potentialities of modern weapons, techniques, and technologies; and for forecasting realistically how these may be applied in future wars.

This book deals with ideas, with technology, with the drama and horror of battle. It is far more than a textbook summary of the progress of weaponry and the use of weapons; it is an entertaining account of the most significant weapons human ingenuity has been able to invent. It discusses weapon effectiveness in terms of lethality, and through this discussion permits commentary on the essence of warfare.

Dupuy decries the tendency prevalent among American military men and operations research analysts to assume that changes in military technology and weapons have invalidated the lessons learned from experience in warfare of the past. He points out that there has been no discernible change in the essential nature of the principal element of military forces—man—since the dawn of recorded history. He also notes that among the major characteristics of man have been inventiveness and imagination, which have caused unceasing change in the implements he has used in warfare.

The book will appeal to historians, to military men in uniform, to professional operations research analysts, and to the military buff and wargame enthusiast who wishes to gain insight into the terrible attractiveness of war and his fascination for it.