ABSTRACT:

“The Book of War: 25 Centuries of Great War Writing,” by John Keegan, Viking, 492 pages, $34.95.

Here’s a rare treat for fans of British military historian John Keegan: In his new and challenging anthology, “The Book of War,” readers learn what Keegan has read about every significant conflict from the Peloponnesian War to the liberation of Kuwait.

Keegan is on many best-seller lists right now with “The First World War.’ And he’s been there before, for good reason. He relays with clarity not only the who, what, when and where of warefare – but also the why-it-matters-to-begin-with. …..