Boot Max. War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History: 1500 to Today

Gotham Books, 2007. — 624 p.An analysis of the pivotal role of technology in modern warfare focuses on four historical periods that shaped the rise and fall of empires, in a narrative account that covers such topics as gunpowder, the Industrial Revolution, and stealth aircraft. Boot describes a number of case studies to illustrate the effect that technology has had on military affairs: the battle of the Spanish Armada, decided at least in part by superior English ship design, cannons and gunnery; Breitenfeld and Lutzen, where Sweden's King Gustavus Adolphus developed the tactics required to employ gunpowder with decisive results; Konniggratz, where Prussian mastery of breach-loading rifles, railroads and telegraphs spelled disaster for the Austrian army; Omdurman, where the British Maxim gun annihilated the forces of the Sudanese; Tsushima, where Japan's use of advanced battleships, superior training and bold tactics led to catastrophe for the Russian fleet; the Fall of France, where German doctrine effectively deployed tanks and close air support to defeat opponents who were somewhat better equipped than the Germans; Pearl Harbor, an amazing strategic and logistical feat that rendered the battleship obsolete in the space of a few hours; the firebombing of Tokyo, where newly developed B-29 Superfortresses were combined with ruthless tactics to destroy a city overnight; the First Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan, and the Second Gulf War, which illustrate the power and limitations of a military organized to fight using information technology.