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The famous historian and author has died. He was probably the most eloquent and "public" military historian of the last 50 years or so. He regularly lectured at Sandhurst Military College and wrote several books.

My three favorites are:
The Face of Battle
The Mask of Command
The Price of Admiralty

I will miss his writings terribly, as they are the books that got me interested in history in the first place. of course, like all famous istorians, I also tended to disagree with him fundamentally about a great many things. However, that doesn;t change the fact that he could write some darn compelling history texts and lectures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keegan

I've got those three plus Intelligence in War.

Like you, I disagree with him about various things.

Still, let's not speak ill of the dead.

Historians will always be argued about and part of the interest is to read and compare different views and approaches to the same topic.

Kilkrazy wrote: and part of the interest is to read and compare different views and approaches to the same topic.

I wish more people on Dakka subscribed to this.

I have not read his books, but am intrigued. What would you suggest as a good first choice? I'm going on vacation this coming week and need to grab a new book for the trip.

The three I listed int he order I listed. They are the pinnacle of his work, in my mind.

Battlefields of North America is Okay
Intelligence in War is passablem, and feels like a cash-in
The First World War is okay, but others have done it better.

I can't recall others at the moment.

I've only read The First World war as a requirement for an essay... as I recall I cited it a few times though I don't recall it too well. My favourite book was Garry Sheffield's 'Forgotten Victory' in that essay, however, because it face-slapped that 'Oh What a Lovely War' brigade of the Blackadder-school that see WWI as a war that even a blind kitten could have fought better. Wrong. I believe Keegan's account was at least fairly neutral.

CT GAMER wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote: and part of the interest is to read and compare different views and approaches to the same topic.

I wish more people on Dakka subscribed to this.

I have not read his books, but am intrigued. What would you suggest as a good first choice? I'm going on vacation this coming week and need to grab a new book for the trip.

The Face of Battle is a great place to start.

This is sad news. I thought his writing style was excellent in how he was able to make sometimes boring subjects interesting.

I really liked The First World War.

GG

My favorite was 'A History of Warfare'. Awesomely powerful theory of why we make war.

RIP


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May have got the title slightly wrong, not at home.....