description Victor Davis Hanson Overview
Victor Davis Hanson is an American classicist, military historian, and author whose work examines warfare, agriculture, and the history of the United States and the classical world. His 1989 book The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece argued that the practices and social structure of Greek hoplite combat helped shape a distinctive Western military tradition. He is for readers interested in classical history and military thought.
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Who was Victor Davis Hanson?
Victor Davis Hanson is an American classicist and military historian who studied ancient Greek warfare and later military history. He was also a professor of classics at California State University, Fresno.
What is Victor Davis Hanson's Western way of war theory?
Hanson's theory argues that Western military traditions developed distinctive preferences for decisive, face-to-face battle, especially through the Greek hoplite tradition. He presented the argument most prominently in The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece.
When was The Western Way of War published?
The book was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1989. It examines infantry combat in classical Greece and connects battlefield practice with the social structure of the Greek polis.
Which ancient soldiers are central to Hanson's military history?
Hanson focuses heavily on Greek hoplites, heavily armed citizen infantry who fought in phalanx formations. His examples include battles and campaigns involving city-states such as Athens, Sparta, and Thebes.
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