For centuries warfare was glorified and romanticized in paintings and art. This began to change with the invention of photography in the 1850s and the public became acquainted with the true nature of war. This book tells the story of modern warfare as it was captured in some of the most dramatic photos ever taken from the Crimean and the American Civil War through the world wars the Vietnam War and 21st-century conflicts in the War on Terror reproduced in black and white sepia and color images up to 18 x 11 inches.

"[The book] assembles some fascinating curiosities such as Sir Hiram Maxim dressed in high hat and formal coat posed with his machine gun around spent cartridges.... The book's Vietnam section includes the three most iconic photos of the era and perhaps of all time: the terrified Kim Phuuc running naked down a road; General Van Loan executing a North Vietnamese man; and Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling at the body of a dead Kent State student." Publishers Weekly