This timely book is a mustread corrective to the fallacies in the current unduly cultural strategic orthodoxy. Military orientalism against the way of war in the west. Patrick porter of the british defence academy at kings college, university of london, is a man with a message. See all 9 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Sep 21, 2015 patrick porter presents his book, the global village myth distance, war, and the limits of power, and disputes globalisms claims and the outcomes that so often waste blood and treasure in the. Patrick porter has written a brilliant book about projecting military power in the modern world.
Eastern war through western eyes critical war studies unnumbered 9780231154147. Buy military orientalism by patrick porter from waterstones today. Be the first to ask a question about military orientalism. The global village myth georgetown university press. Reeling from failures in iraq and afghanistan, culture has. Patrick porter of the british defence academy at kings college, university of london, is a man with a. Military orientalism patrick porter oxford university press. It is not a question of whether culture matters, writes porter, but how it matters, and how to conceptualise sic. Reviews this important new book takes a fresh and detailed look at the role of culture, culturalism, ethnocentrism and perceptions of the other in strategy. Buy military orientalism by patrick porter with free delivery. Culture is powerful, patrick porter asserts, but it encompasses an ambiguous repertoire of ideas rather than a clear code of action. Patrick porter is professor of strategic studies, university of exeter uk and the author of military orientalism. Patrick porter this book argues against the idea that culture dictates the strategy of war and only encompasses an ambiguous repertoire of ideas rather than a clear code of action.
Observing the east at war the oriental tradition, however, had not been eliminatedon september 11, 2001 it returned in an absolutely traditional form. The best books on the rise and fall of america five books. The book is a plea by walter lippmann for america to rediscover the realities of power politics that he believed the founding fathers had grasped. In the global village myth, he disputes globalisms claims and the outcomes that so often waste blood and treasure in the pursuit of an unattainable total security. British perceptions and accounts of the russojapanese war, interwar military. Porters opening chapter, for instance, surveys the past 2,500 years of history, beginning with aeschylus persians and finishing up with the racial stereotypes of japanese troops propagated during the second. This book was actually written in world war ii and he was partly looking ahead to the possibility of a cold war with the soviet union. Eastern war through western eyes by patrick porter 2009, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. According to security elites, revolutions in information, transport, and weapons technologies have shrunk the world, leaving the united states and its allies more vulnerable than ever to violent threats like. Military orientalism, as with saids work, covers a vast range of historical and contemporary examples in order to make its argument. Exposes the danger in using culture as a means of understanding warfare.
Lippmann counselled that america needed to rebalance its power and commitments and use the classical tools of negotiated spheres of influence, military muscle and alliances. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Amazon price new from used from hardcover please retry. British perceptions and accounts of the russojapanese war, interwar. Eastern war through western eyes columbia university press, 2009.
Jun 22, 2009 patrick porter s military orientalism provides an excellent analysis of the recent culturallyfocused bent within western military thinking. Eastern war through western eyes 2009 was listed on the uk chief of. Ditcham published on hgerman february, 2010 commissioned by susan r. Patrick porters military orientalism provides an excellent analysis of the.
Patrick porter has 17 books on goodreads with 335 ratings. Military orientalism by patrick porter, 9781850659600, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Booktopia military orientalism, eastern war through western. Distance, war and the limits of power georgetown university press, 2015 and military orientalism. Military orientalism argues against the idea that culture dictates the strategy of war. Military orientalism is a study of western views of warfare as conducted by eastern peoples and military institutions and western fascination with and often repulsion by the seemingly bizarre. Porters fascinating book explains why the oriental warrior inspires fear, envy. Dr patrick porter is a senior lecturer at kings college london in the british defence academys joint services command and staff college. Military orientalism eastern war through western eyes patrick porter. Patrick porter s military orientalism provides an excellent analysis of the recent culturallyfocused bent within western military thinking. Boettcher it has to said at the outset that this is not an.
Shatters romanticised notions about the courage oriental warriors, from the samurai to the taliban. Reviews this important new book takes a fresh and detailed look at the role of culture, culturalism, ethnocentrism and perceptions of the other in. It is primarily directed at the political and military establishments of the united kingdom and united states, though presumably those of any other country whose military forces might be engaged in conflicts with foes in faraway. Eastern war through western eyes has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Patrick porters most popular book is military orientalism.
Nostalgia, delusion and the rise of trump polity, 2020. Military orientalism by patrick porter overdrive rakuten. Patrick porters military orientalism provides an excellent analysis of the recent culturallyfocused bent within western military thinking. Military orientalism argues that viewing culture as a script that dictates warfare. Patrick porter has written this very interesting book in which he has tried to look at the role of culture in military history and in particular the argument that there are fixed national cultures and that this can or cant lead to particular outcomes. The phenomenon of war is a potent site for orientalism. He could see the seeds of it even in the middle of world war ii. Military orientalism by patrick porter waterstones.
As the book argues, britains war in iraq was caused by bad ideas that were dogmatically held and widely accepted. Porters fascinating book explains why the oriental warrior inspires fear, envy and wonder and how this has shaped the way western armies fight. The collection provides captivating case studies that will be of interest in particular to world history courses at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level. The best books on the rise and fall of america five. Books by patrick porter author of military orientalism. Edward said reinforced the notion that orientalism has an instrumental. His most recent book is the false promise of liberal order. Professor patrick porter department of political science. Patrick porter presents his book, the global village myth distance, war, and the limits of power, and disputes globalisms claims and the outcomes that so often waste blood and treasure in the. Porters critical essay takes a new look at an old pattern.
Booktopia has military orientalism, eastern war through western eyes by patrick porter. Buy military orientalism by patrick porter with free. Eastern war through western eyes critical war studies 9780199333424. Get free shipping on military orientalism by patrick porter, from. Culture is powerful, patrick porter asserts, but it encompasses an ambiguous repertoire. Your next choice is patrick porters military orientalism. Military orientalism acquired a name only in the mid2000s, thanks to the efforts of two innovative academics in the fields of military history and strategic studies. Porter reexamines the notion of the endangered global village by examining alqaedas global guerilla movement, military tensions in the. Arabs, appearing suddenly out of an empty space like their desert raider ancestors, assaulted the heartlands of western power, in a terrifyin. Military orientalism patrick porter bok 9781850659600. Reviews in this beautifully crafted critique of globalism, american foreign policy, and much current thinking about the impact of modern military technology on security, patrick porter offers a. Booktopia military orientalism, eastern war through. In particular, he shatters the widely held belief that globalisation has shrunk the planet, making it easy for bad guys everywhere to strike at.
Patrick porter has written this very interesting book in which he has. Ditcham independent scholar published on hgerman february, 2010 commissioned by susan r. Co, london, 2009 intends to help initiate a wider scholarship focusing on military cultures through the purview of critical studies of orientalism and situated in and through the potent site of war. Military orientalism is a study of western views of warfare as conducted by eastern peoples and military institutions and western fascination. In it patrick porter takes on an important but often overlooked aspect of strategyphysical distanceand critiques the popular notion that technology has diminished its importance or even rendered it irrelevant. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Eastern war through western eyes hardcover oct 1 2009. Pepsi cola versus death pepsi cola versus death the cultural turn definitions.
Christopher coker, professor of international relations patrick porter has written a brilliant book about projecting military power in the modern world. The global village myth distance, war, and the limits of power patrick porter. In particular, he shatters the widely held belief that globalization has shrunk the planet, making it easy for bad guys everywhere to strike at the united states and its allies. As patrick porter argues, in, and through, war, people formulate what it means to.
Patrick porter is professor of strategic studies, university of exeter uk and the. Although the title itself proclaims such a direction, for me the book becomes lost in anecdotal information and. Buy a discounted paperback of military orientalism online from australias leading online bookstore. Eastern war through western eyes by patrick porter. Of course, these books should not be read in isolation, i implore all of you to get.
From the ancient greeks obsession with the armies of the persians, westerners have been irresistibly drawn to the exotic nature of oriental warfare and have sought either to emulate their enemies imagined ways of fighting or to. The global village myth is a short, tightlyargued body blow to contemporary american security policy. The best books on the history of war five books expert. Blunder patrick porter oxford university press existing accounts stress dodgy dossiers, intelligence failures, and the flaws of individual leaders.