A chronicle of the changing face of conflict as recorded by the men and women who went to the front and captured on film, or in words, the experience of battle. From the Crimean War, the American Civil War, through two world wars, Vietnam and the two recent Gulf Wars to the Balkans and beyond, photographers have been drawn to the battlefront. Just as warfare has been transformed by technology, so have the cameras that document the watching, the waiting, the heat of battle, or the bloody aftermath; weapons have become more deadly whilst the camera has become smaller, quicker, sharper. The best photographs distil the chaos of war into visual icons that haunt the mind. This book selects 200 of the most powerful, together with poignant first-hand descriptions by battlefield witnesses, to make an outstanding visual record.

"Words and photographs from the front line"--Jacket.

Introduction /John Keegan -- 1. The Camera Goes to War 1855-65 -- 2. Imperial Expansion 1865-1900 -- 3. Rehearsals for Armageddon 1900-14 -- 4. First World War 1914-18 -- 5. Short Intermission 1918-39 -- 6. Second World War 1939-45 -- 7. Independence Wars 1945-1994 -- 8. Conflicts of Faith 1948-2003.