"What is total war? Definitions abound, but one thing is certain - the concept of total war has come to be seen as a defining concept of the modern age. Historian Jeremy Black explores the rise and demise of an era of total war, which he defines in terms of the intensity of the struggle, the range (geographical and/or chronological) of conflict, the nature of the goals, and the extent to which civil society was involved. He contends that war during this era (roughly 1860-1945) was markedly different from the warfare that chracterized earlier periods; and that it is very different from the situation that has evolved since, with its emphasis on asymmetrical conflict and limited warfare."--Jacket.

Ch. 1.Introduction -- Ch. 2. Overawing the world, 1860-1914 -- Ch. 3. Developments within the West, 1860-71 -- Ch. 4. Uneasy peace and small wars, 1872-1913 -- Ch. 5. World War I, 1914-18 -- Ch. 6. Between the world wars, 1919-38 -- Ch. 7. World War II, 1939-45 -- Ch. 8. Postscript.