Conflict is central to human history. It is often the cause, course and consequence of social, cultural and political change. Military history therefore has to be more than a technical analysis of armed conflict. This study addresses war as a cultural phenomenon, discusses its meaning in different societies and explores the various contexts of military action. Each chapter takes a geographic area and provides an in-depth analysis of its military history. Areas and subjects range from Japan and China to Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, breaking away from a Western focus on war history and offering a global perspective. The result is a portrait of war across the world in the last 200 years, showing connections, similarities and contrasts.