The 10 chapters of this volume contain definitions or discussions of over 2,500 terms and concepts that are a part of the military vocabulary. Some of these terms can be found in current doctrine and some cannot, but all are important to the understanding of the military past and present. The terms and concepts presented in this book are organized into seven chapters, each of which is concerned with a major period of military history beginning at the time of the ancient Greeks through the wars of the very recent past.

Fundamental concepts in the language of the military profession -- Notes on offensive, defensive and retrograde operations -- From the ancients to the gunpowder revolution -- Gunpowder, renaissance, and reason -- The age of Napoleon -- From Napoleon through the American Civil War -- To the Great War, the First World War -- From the Great War to the Second World War -- The age of small wars and nuclear deterrence -- Toward a more perfect understanding.