What Military History Teaches Us

Have you ever wondered why the world keeps repeating the same mistakes when it comes to war and conflict?

One reason may be that we’ve stopped studying military history. When we lose touch with that past, we lose our ability to understand the present—and prepare for the future.

Victor Davis Hanson believes we need to change that. In a new free ebook from the Hoover Institution, "Why We Should Study War," he challenges the idea that military history is only about battles or strategy. Instead, he shows how it helps us understand human behavior, anticipate conflict, and recognize the price of peace.

This essential collection includes Hanson's foundational insights plus his answers to key questions about war, deterrence, and military history—diving deeper into why these lessons matter now more than ever.

Here's what's inside:

What history reveals about human nature and global conflict
The real cost of freedom—and why it's so easily taken for granted
Hanson's recommendations for the most important military history books
His analysis of WWII's enduring lessons

This isn’t just for scholars. It’s for anyone who wants to be better informed, more grounded in the past, and more thoughtful about the future.