entire book - Chris Hables Gray

[ 108 ] The Past
heroes, they have crossed the line (it has been called "the military
horizon") from "primitive" to "true" or "organized" warfare. (1985, p. 11;
emphasis in original) 1
Whether its organizing principle is called calculation, as Sun Tzu termed it,
or mechanism, as in Mumford's pejorative formula, or formation, as in FerriU's
definition, it is clear that ancient war was organized in a very different way
from ritual war.
The break between ritual war and ancient war is greater than any since.
Modern war developed out of ancient war and kept many of the same rules
and most of the same metarules. Postmodern war is very closely related to
modern war and ancient war as well. The details of their differences, however,
occupy a major part of this book. But before they can be explored, the key
elements of modern war have to be articulated.