Thanks to the popularity of his earlier book, “Armageddon,” about the battle against Germany in World War II, there is quite a bit of anticipation for Max Hastings’ “Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45.” (A starred early review from Booklist didn’t hurt, either). Part of Hastings’ goal is to refute the characterization of the Japanese as victims, and the consequences of the Japanese refusing to acknowledge defeat.

In another book about war, but on a much more sweeping scale, historian Anthony Pagden explores 2,500 years of clashes between the Western and the Eastern worlds in “Worlds at War.” He starts all the way back when Greece and the Persian Empire were at war, then moves forward through the Crusades, the first world war, up the current war in Iraq.

For a more modern look at warfare, there’s “Trigger Men” by Hans Halberstadt, which takes a detailed look at people who serve as American combat snipers. Yes, there’s a book about everything.