The Profession of Arms

I read this book on the recommendation from a fellow officer in order to gain a better historical perspective of the military profession. This book develops the lineage from Armies of the ancient world to today's modern Armies in a rather concise and insightful manner. Sir John Hackett focuses a lot on the relationship between the military forces and the countries they represent on the battlefield. He also offers some interesting opinions about training future leaders in the Armed Services based on his vast military experience and career. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (it has many interesting photos and prints throughout the text), although it is written from a European (the author is British) perspective. The author does devote some time to the US Army, but his main focus is the European military system. Therefore, if you are looking for a book about how the American Army has changed over time, I do not recommend this one.On the other hand, I do recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about how the profession of arms has developed over time. It would make a fine addition to your military history library if you have one, or serve as a great first addition, if you are thinking of starting one.