The Roots and Consequences of Civil Wars and Revolutions: Conflicts That Changed World History

Tucker (Modern Conflict in the Greater Middle East: A Country-by-Country Guide), a former U.S. Army captain, intelligence analyst in the Pentagon, Fulbright scholar, and visiting research associate at the Smithsonian, presents 30 significant civil wars or revolutions. The events range from the Peloponnesian wars (460–04 BCE) of ancient times to conflicts from the Middle Ages and the 17th through 21st centuries, concluding with the Libyan Civil War of 2011. Geographically, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Near and Far East are represented. The author strives to offer a balance but notes that "the preponderance of material covers the modern world simply because the events here have more relevance today." Each entry contains an essay summarizing the conflict, followed by a lengthy and highly detailed contextual account of the struggle, with information on political atmosphere and military strategy. A time line follows each essay and offers a comprehensible overview for those who are not as well versed in military history and the history of war. Tucker states that not all the battles mentioned here will be familiar but that they are important for the overall understanding of the topic.