Book Review Of “Where Have All The Soldiers Gone”

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Book review of "Where have all the soldiers gone."

The book “Where have all the soldiers gone” is a non-fiction, written by one of the famous historian James J. Sheehan, published in 2009. The book belongs to the genre of politics and history. The context of book is set around transformation and radical shift of Europe in terms of culture transitioning into modern Europe. The author has emphasized and examined the European attitudes regarding war as well as about militarism that have changed over the time span of last hundred years and more specifically after the instances of World War I. The author of book places his emphasis on transformation of European society from the War towards the aspect of making a peaceful society. In the book, Sheehan has attempted to cover major political and historical events that happened in Europe during the period of last hundred years.

James J. Sheehan is an American based historian, currently serving at the University of Stanford as a professor of history in the Department of humanities. Major work by Sheehan focuses the Modern European and German history, specifically including the topics of a modern European state, German Empire and the German liberalism. He also formed the American Historical Association (AHA) in 2005. He has been author of many articles and books, including "Political History," and "Democracy." Sheehan has extended his work in this field by providing a detailed account of history with the work like "Where have all the soldiers gone." Along with his writing, he has also been a part of many Historian and Arts societies. Moreover, he has also acquired numerous awards for his research in this specific era of modern European state. Hence, writing, “Where have all The soldiers gone” is an explained context of his lifelong field research.

The general idea around which the whole revolves includes the stance where the war-oriented European mindset and attitudes have gone. Considering the beginning of twentieth century, it was the time, when war was considered as the most legitimate political activity and one of the successful sources, being able to provide price and identity to a state. Comparing the current European mindset and attitudes towards military institution's as nothing but a source of evil, the conflicts of the armies is accounted as one of the failure for political system. Sheehan stresses in his book a central point that there is a huge difference in mindsets and attitudes of Europeans now and before, but this shift has not happened overnight, it has taken hundred years and events during these years including two most devastating world wars for transforming the attitudes toward war. Hence, the whole set of events and major happenings of these years, that lead to this significant transition in the mindsets and attitudes, has been covered in this book by the author. However, those events have been combined in the book as one tale to provide insight to the readers about the shift in the history of Europe.

As the book is written in the postmodern era. Hence, the major themes of this book include the author’s stress on the “civilian state” as he has emphasized in his book as well. Based on this theme, the author has pointed at the idea that the Europeans have lately created a state which has developed as a peace-oriented state, where military is regarded as tolerated entity as compared to the esteemed entity. Furthermore, other themes of the book include the causes of this transformation. However, these themes include the arguments of the author referring to the causes that paved the way for this transformation to happen. It also included the loss of life and widespread destruction after the world wars.

Based upon on the themes of book, like Sheehan some other historians have also provided similar themes and context for this transformation of European society. Such as the Bloch's and Angell's has also pointed at the world war as a destructive incidence for leaving European to consider the war as something which should ever be used to deal the society side by side the destructions it has led are inevitable to regain (Ashworth, 2017). Thus, Sheehan also accounts the world war as one of the significant points in the history of Europe, like the above two historians.

Moreover, as the era of use of politics and war in European society has changed a lot based on modern era of this society. Considering the rise of United States, and its use of war to conquer the supremacy of world, Sheehan has warned European society with this civilian state, the country might have to face some difficulties, as it can be seen in the text “not be an easy matter to absorb this kind of state into Europe’s resolutely civilian politics and culture.”

The book is a good example of publication based on history; best one so far, as the author has described the instances of book in a way of continuous tale. The writings style of author was very prolific, and that is the reason I could not lose interest at any point while reading the book. Moreover, the book can be well suited for the people studying history or political science as it will provide with the insight of the after effects and transformations of European history. Also, the book combines major events of modern European society in a coherent and continuous tale, making the book worth reading for. Hence, based on all these aspects I would like to recommend it for the way it is written as well as the information that presented in it.

Works Cited

Ashworth, L. M. (2017). Creating international studies: Angell, Mitrany and the liberal tradition. Routledge.

Sheehan, J. J. (2009). Where have all the soldiers gone?: the transformation of modern Europe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.