Michael Stevenson, a military historian and author of "The Last Full Measure: How Soldiers Die in Battle," dives deep into the evolution of warfare and its deadly realities. He explores how technological advancements like gunpowder reshaped combat strategies and the soldier's experience. Insights on the psychological and cultural pressures motivating soldiers to fight are also discussed, along with the grim truths of casualties throughout history. This conversation emphasizes a humane reflection on the often-ignored complexities of war and death on the battlefield.
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insights INSIGHT
Cultural Influences on Warfare
Societal expectations influence warriors' actions in battle.
These expectations vary across cultures and time periods, like ancient Greece vs. modern warfare.
insights INSIGHT
Ancient Greek Warfare
Two conflicting views exist on ancient Greek warfare: extremely violent vs. ritualistic shoving matches.
Both can be true, as ritualistic battles could still be bloody.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Disdain for Missile Warfare
Ancient Greeks and Romans used missiles and artillery but disdained them.
They viewed missile warfare as less honorable than hand-to-hand combat.
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This book concludes Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Trilogy, following 'The Killer Angels' and 'Gods and Generals'. It captures the devastating final two years of the Civil War, starting post-Gettysburg and detailing the intense struggles between Union and Confederate forces. The story highlights the leadership challenges, the human cost of war, and the eventual conclusion of the war at Appomattox. The novel also reflects on the later lives of the main characters, each contemplating their role in history[3][4].
War is about many things: glory, violence, courage, destruction. But at its heart is death. Each side in a conflict tries to kill as many of the enemy as possible, while avoiding being killed themselves.
The way these deaths have played out over thousands of years of warfare has changed not simply based on the way martial technology has changed, but also on the way that the psychological and cultural pressures that have led societies and individual men to fight have changed.
My guest today, Michael Stephenson, is a military historian who explores these evolutions in his book The Last Full Measure: How Soldiers Die in Battle. Today Michael and I discuss the forces that led soldiers to their fate over the centuries, from advancements in weaponry to the expectations of social class. At the beginning of our conversation Michael discusses why he wanted to write this book, and the balance he had to walk in trying to describe the reality of death on the battlefield, without conveying those details in a sensationalistic or titillating manner. We then trace the history of death in war, beginning with its primitive beginnings and working our way to the modern day. Along the way we discuss how gunpowder changed the nature of warfare, the effect that distance has on how heroic a confrontation seems, why artillery is particularly terrifying, what motivates soldiers to fight, and much more.
This is a surprisingly enlightening and humane look at an oft glossed over aspect of the human experience.
The Art of Manliness 
