The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics--that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens--but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, maneuver, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century b.c. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government--an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute.The Western Way of War draws from an extraordinary range of sources--Greek poetry, drama, and vase painting, as well as historical records--to describe what actually took place on the battlefield. It is the first study to explore the actual mechanics of classical Greek battle from the vantage point of the infantryman--the brutal spear-thrusting, the difficulty of fighting in heavy bronze armor which made it hard to see, hear and move, and the fear. Hanson also discusses the physical condition and age of the men, weaponry, wounds, and morale.This compelling account of what happened on the killing fields of the ancient Greeks ultimately shows that their style of armament and battle was contrived to minimize time and life lost by making the battle experience as decisive and appalling as possible. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war.

古典时代的希腊人不仅发明了西方政治的核心理念--国家权力应该由大多数公民来指导，而且还发明了西方战争的核心行为--决定性的步兵战。公元前五世纪的希腊人没有埋伏、短兵相接、演习或个人英雄之间的战斗，而是设计了所有时代的武装人员之间凶猛、短暂和破坏性的正面冲突。在这项大胆的原创性研究中，维克多-戴维斯-汉森展示了这项残酷的事业是如何致力于实现与协商一致的政府相同的结果--明确、即时地解决争端。《西方的战争方式》借鉴了一系列非凡的资料--希腊诗歌、戏剧和花瓶画，以及历史记录--来描述战场上实际发生的情况。这是第一部从步兵的角度探讨古典希腊战斗的实际机制的研究报告--残酷的长矛刺击，穿着沉重的青铜盔甲作战的困难，这使得他们很难看到、听到和移动，还有恐惧。汉森还讨论了士兵的身体状况和年龄、武器装备、伤口和士气。这个关于古希腊人杀戮场上发生的事情的令人信服的描述最终表明，他们的武器装备和战斗风格是经过精心设计的，通过使战斗经历尽可能地具有决定性和令人震惊，来尽量减少时间和生命损失。汉森将这种新的战斗风格与宪政的兴起联系起来，提出了新的问题，并对有关战争史的旧假设提出质疑。