Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. - 403 p.
Отзыв редактора - Library Joual vol. 133 iss. 7 p. 94 (c) 04/15/2008
Brauer (economics) and van Tuyll (history), professors at Augusta State University, GA, here examine military history from the Middle Ages to the present through the lens of economics, intending to explain economic concepts in simple and accessible terms to a readership with a background in history. In-depth economic discussion is confined to a single chapter at the book's beginning. The remaining chapters examine case studies from history, e.g. , the rise and fall of mercenaries in Italy during the Renaissance, and reinterpret them through a grid of six broad economic concepts, such as opportunity cost and diminishing marginal retus. Brauer and van Tuyll's approach to military history is unusual and can bring out surprising insights, as when they apply economic and historical concepts to America's current use of private military companies in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, their book will be tough going for those not interested in the intricacies of war strategy or those who do not have strong existing knowledge of historical terms and subjects. Suitable for academic libraries only. —April Younglove, Linfield Coll. Lib. , Portland, OR
Отзыв редактора - Library Joual vol. 133 iss. 7 p. 94 (c) 04/15/2008
Brauer (economics) and van Tuyll (history), professors at Augusta State University, GA, here examine military history from the Middle Ages to the present through the lens of economics, intending to explain economic concepts in simple and accessible terms to a readership with a background in history. In-depth economic discussion is confined to a single chapter at the book's beginning. The remaining chapters examine case studies from history, e.g. , the rise and fall of mercenaries in Italy during the Renaissance, and reinterpret them through a grid of six broad economic concepts, such as opportunity cost and diminishing marginal retus. Brauer and van Tuyll's approach to military history is unusual and can bring out surprising insights, as when they apply economic and historical concepts to America's current use of private military companies in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, their book will be tough going for those not interested in the intricacies of war strategy or those who do not have strong existing knowledge of historical terms and subjects. Suitable for academic libraries only. —April Younglove, Linfield Coll. Lib. , Portland, OR