Some readers might find the vast amount of information overwhelming, and at times, the narrative might meander into minute details that could have been condensed. Instead, Wilson gives reasons why modern English-written works especially comb over well-trodden ground with respect to the history of military Prussia, while giving scarce attention to the leviathan that was the Holy Roman Empire during the 1500s-1700s.

Astonishingly ambitious and detailed…An absorbing overview of how slowly changing societal forces—such as fiscal systems, scientific and technological capabilities, ideological and cultural beliefs, and the social background of soldiers—have transformed the use of military force across modern times.

I would never suggest that this is a book not worth reading but it is not one I felt that I had to read. It focuses on what principalities eventually became Germany and Austria, along with others, especially Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Wilson’s fascinating and comprehensive chronicle reminds us that the country’s vaunted reputation was of recent vintage anyway and failed to encompass the many Germanic traditions that had little to do with Prussia, which was dominant for only a limited period. The key lesson is to NOT take the teleological view, reading all past events as if somehow (almost by destiny) culminating in the string of wars of 1866 + 1870-1871 + 1914-1918 + 1939-1945 and leading to the great reset, of "Zero Hour" in 1945 (followed by a new chapter).

The other type of reader is interested in what caused the great wars that defined European history over this period. The book opens in the late-medieval heyday of the Holy Roman Empire, an intricate political entity of 226 lordships, counties and priories, eighty-six cities, eighty-three principalities and seven powerful electorates, whose rulers had the right to choose the emperor.

Nevertheless, these are minor drawbacks that do not detract significantly from the overall quality of the work.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Their armed forces’ fighting style was characterised by a ruthless obsession with ‘military necessity’, a myopic focus on battlefield tactics and extraordinary violence. What Frederick the Great's ultimate, and only partial, success in the Seven Years War did go to show was that a quick and decisive victory, achieved through pre-emptive strike, was the pattern by which Prussian (and later German) armies could expect to win against a coalition of enemies to their east and west. This is a long book and Professor Wilson knows what he is presenting and has thought deeply about it. A very comprehensive tour of German military history from the Middle Ages to modern times (including GWOT).

By the time the author got to the Cold War and modern times, he had run out of steam, I think, because the chapters just glossed over most of that period. If there is one constant it has been the sense of being beset by seemingly more powerful enemies - France or Russia or Turkey - and the need to strike a rapid knockout blow to ensure a favourable result. Wilson does note the Taiping Rebellion and the millions who died there (in discussing how it contrasted with, say, the losses from the Franco-Prussian War or the War of the Triple Alliance). He fails to note the Dunghan Revolt of Muslims (and others) in China or the southern Panthay Rebellion which both also had a huge butcher's list (p364).Prussian could have been wiped from the face of the earth in the 1750s and the fact that it wasn't is only partly down to a flash of Frederick the Great's genius (a recklessness that got him into trouble in the first place). Just because we know what happened next doesn't mean that this could be seen with any certainty at the time.