Thread by @jaylyall_red5

In the spirit of bridge-building, I thought I'd offer a quick thread on six terrific new military histories that political scientists who study military effectiveness (and political violence more broadly) should add to their pandemic reading pile 1/10

THREAD

(Also, we should heed Barry Posen's advice:

"Read, read, read. Read diplomatic and military history. It's good for your head and it gives you a lot of raw material for thinking about both policy questions and theoretical questions.")

mei.edu/events/middle-…

These works vary sharply in subject matter but share a belief that we need to understand social and cultural dynamics within societies and armies to explain how military power is created and employed in war, and how battles and wars are ultimately won

@megankatenelson's terrific "The Three-Cornered War" traces the collision of Union, Confederate, and Native American armies in the western front of US Civil War, deftly weaving social history (letters, diaries) with military records to craft her narrative
amazon.com/Three-Cornered…

Elizabeth Varon's "Armies of Deliverance" combines social and military history to shed new light on Union and Confederate war aims during the US Civil War. Pays close attention to how everyday acts (slave protests, draft dodging) shaped government policy amazon.com/dp/019086060X/…

Pekka Hamalainen's "Lakota America" is a revelation. Astonishingly detailed history of the Lakota's diplomacy, war-making, trade relations, and their decades-long efforts to beat back French, British, and American colonists. Gorgeously written, too. amazon.com/dp/0300215959/…

@jonathanfennell's masterful "Fighting the People's War" offers a sweeping social history of the British Army during the 1930s-45 that spotlights the role of Commonwealth soldiers. Particularly insightful is his discussion of morale problems in these units
amazon.com/Fighting-Peopl…

@KateImy2's amazing "Faithful Fighters" explores the cultural legacies of the British Indian Army from 1900-40, with an eye toward how debates over race affected both British combat performance & how the Army shaped colonial society during peacetime amazon.com/Faithful-Fight…

Blink and you'll miss it, but the role of social factors affecting the fate of armies is a subtle theme of Mikaberidze's epic "Napoleonic Wars." The perils of nation-building while war-making are driven home at Moscow's gates & countless smaller battles.
amazon.com/Napoleonic-War…

If you've read (or written) a great military history, let me know what I've missed. While political science and (military) history have different methods & goals, the time seems ripe for greater dialogue between the fields --- especially once we all get out of quarantine. 10/10