War and Technology

Black (history, Univ. of Exeter; Fighting for America: The Struggle for Mastery in North America) explores technology's role in the evolution of armed conflict, noting that while technology is undeniably a factor in wars won and lost, the evidence indicates that we can neither simply make "bold claims for technology" nor "minimize its role." From 15th-century gunpowder to today's complex air power, Black examines weaponry production, use, and impact. While the introductory chapter may be demanding for lay readers, subsequent chapters are more engaging, as they cover the military effects of the move to steam and firepower, the internal combustion engine, railways, radio, and air power, extending up to today's drones in the fight against terrorism. Technology alone, Black shows, has not determined success in a war. He cites, for example, German U-boat failures as compared with American submarine successes in World War II. Something other than technology was at work. Black notes how today's conflicts demonstrate new means of strategizing and waging war owing to profound cultural global shifts, making battlefield technology of relatively less import.