Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate policy
Smithsonian History of Warfare Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Smithsonian History of Warfare books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: April 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Smithsonian History of Warfare series? Start with "War in the Air 1914-45 (By: Williamson Murray)" (1999) and follow publication order through all 12 books.
The complete Smithsonian History of Warfare reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order

War in the Air 1914-45 (By: Williamson Murray)
1999

The Civil War and the Wars of the Nineteenth Century (By: Brian Holden Reid)
1999

Warfare in the Eighteenth Century (By: Jeremy Black)
1999

The Second World War in Europe (By: Charles Messenger)
1999

The Second World War in the East (By: H.P. Willmott)
2000

The Art Of War: War And Military Thought (By: Martin van Creveld)
2000

War at Sea in the Age of Sail (By: Andrew D. Lambert)
2000

War at Sea in the Ironclad Age (By: Richard Hill)
2000

History of Warfare: The Renaissance at War (By: John Keegan,Thomas F. Arnold)
2001

Wars of National Liberation (By: Daniel Moran)
2001

The Wars Of The Ancient Greeks (By: Victor Davis Hanson)
2002

Roman Warfare
2005
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, Reading Order Books earns from qualifying purchases. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us maintain the site and continue providing reading order guides. Read our full disclosure