Geoffrey Parker

Andreas Dorpalen Professor
History
105A Mershon Center
614.688.4425
parker.277@osu.edu

Education
B. A., History, Cambridge University (1965)
Ph.D., History, Cambridge University (1968)
D.Litt., Cambridge University (1981)

Teaching/Research
Professor Parker studies the social, political and military history of Europe between 1500 and 1650, with special reference to Spain and its empire. So far he has authored, edited or co-edited 35 books and published about 100 articles and book chapters.

His first book was The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road: The logistics of Spanish victory and defeat in the Low Countries Wars, 1567-1659 (1972, 2004). He then published a biography of Philip II (1978, 2002; The Grand Strategy of Philip II (1998); and, with Colin Martin, The Spanish Armada (1988, 1999).

Parker's best-known book is The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800 (Cambridge University Press, 1988), winner of two book prizes. An expanded edition came out in 2002, with Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese and Spanish translations. He is currently working on a third, thoroughly revised edition.

Parker is also interested in world history, and has edited The Times History of the World (3rd ed, 1995), The Times Atlas of World History (3rd ed., 1993), and The Times Compact Atlas of World History (5th ed., 2008)

Parker was named University Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University in 2007, and won the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2006. He is also winner of the Society for Military History's Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for work in military and naval history.

Faculty Links
Curriculum Vitae (short version) (pdf)
Mershon faculty spotlight
Department web page
High resolution photo

Mershon Projects
Revising The Military Revolution, which draws on 20 years of discussion and debate as well as additional research to thoroughly revise Parker's classic book The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800, first published by Cambridge in 1988 (2011-12)

The World Crisis: Climate, Catastrophe, and State Breakdown in the 17th Century, which examines the economic, social and political impact of extreme climatic events on states and their population by looking at the last global crisis to leave abundant records: 1640-60 (2006-08)

Ohio and the World (2003)

Unmaking the West: “What If?” Scenarios That Rewrite World History, with Philip Tetlock (1998-2005)