Katie Uhlaender
Western Civilization
Book Review Assignment
July, 3 2018
Book Review
Arnold, Thomas. The Renaissance At War. (Smithsonian History of Warfare) Harper
Perennial. 2006.
The Renaissance At War’s introduction is key to understanding the author’s perspective
in describing the evolution of war and how the art of it was transformed. This was not
solely due to the introduction of gunpowder. The lack of a central power within Europe,
combined with the cultural revival of the classics created a perfect mixture to fuel an
aggressively zealous fight among the nobles funding war. The author, Thomas Arnold,
was greatly influenced by The Art of War, by Machiavelli; which is apparent in the way
he highlights how men, and not weapons were the cause of this military revolution
(Arnold 2005).
Thomas Arnold is currently an assistant professor of history at the Indiana Academy. He
held a post-doctoral position at Yale University, where he primarily did research work.
This is when he wrote The Renaissance at War (Academy 2018). The overall influence
of the Renaissance period on Western Civilization cannot be overlooked, and Arnold
most definitely holds it in high regard. He emphasizes this by contrasting the European
