In this occasional podcast, The Cove talks to author Jim Storr about his new book, The Hall of Mirrors: War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century.

The last century was one of the bloodiest in history and saw the evolution of war, from horsed cavalry armed with swords and lances through to tactical nuclear weapons and the dawn of the internet age.

The Hall of Mirrors seeks to understand what can be learned from war and warfare in the 20th century. As such, the book looks at the evolution of strategy, campaigns, tactics, people and technology rather than simply charting the course of history.

‘War is hugely important. War shapes continents, and can do so dramatically quickly. After just 52 months of the First World War, four empires had ceased to exist. Eight new countries were born in Europe. As a result of the six years of the Second World War, Japan and Germany renounced militarism and ceased to be major players on the world stage for decades. The border of Russia moved 800km west, to the Oder... The Hall of Mirrors is not a narrative history. It takes a deep look at war, and warfare, in the 20th Century. It looks at the strategy, the operational art, and the tactics. It looks at how technology developed, was developed, and affected military events. It looks at the human beings, the human organizations, and how they affected events. It makes judgments and comes to conclusions.' - Helion & Company

About the author: Jim Storr wrote high-level doctrine for four years as a Regular infantry officer in the British Army. He then embarked on a second career in analysis, consulting, writing and postgraduate teaching. He has lectured, spoken and taught at staff colleges around the world. His first book, ‘The Human Face of War’, has been on the reading guide at a number of them. Jim Storr was appointed professor of war studies at the Norwegian military academy, Oslo in 2013.

The Hall of Mirrors is now available from Helion and all good bookstores / online retailers.