"World History of Warfare" covers worldwide military history from ancient times to the present and is designed as a textbook for college courses. Its principal theme is an exploration of change and continuity, revolution and tradition, in three thousand years of warfare. It teaches students and general readers how warfare evolved and how that evolution affected human society, with emphasis on major turning points in the conduct of warfare rather than a superficial general history of wars.
Although the volume addresses traditional subjects such as generals and tactics, each chapter also includes discussion of the idea of war, the role of the common soldier, and the changing interpretations of the military's place in society and politics. Of special value is the authors' treatment of non-Western societies and the role that military forces have played in shaping societies worldwide.