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Which was the most brilliant of Napoleon’s victories? How close did the Duke of Wellington come to losing the battle of Waterloo? What qualities made ‘Stonewall’ Jackson a battlefield commander of genius? What tactics did Montgomery employ to defeat Rommel at Alamein? How did General Giap’s Viet Minh troops inflict defeat on a French army at Dienbienphu, despite the massive artillery superiority of their colonial opponents? The answers to these and a myriad other fascinating questions can be found in The Art of War, a sumptuous chronological survey of the 50 greatest commanders of the early modern and modern worlds. Compiled by an exceptionally distinguished team of historians (the contributors include such eminent names as Antonia Fraser, Alistair Horne, Michael Burleigh, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Richard Overy) working under the general editorship of the Andrew Roberts, The Art of War is an authoritative and lavishly illustrated account of the lives and careers of the 50 greatest military commanders of the period, from Cromwell to Konev, from Marlborough to Moltke, and from Pétain to Patton. Every commander is profiled in a concise and informative 3000-word article which not only brings its subject vividly to life via a lively, fact-driven narrative, but also analyses and assesses his tactical and strategic gifts. Each biography is accompanied by a ‘battle feature’ or ‘campaign feature’ - embellished by a full-colour battle plan or campaign map - focusing on the commander’s greatest battlefield achievement. As accessible and informative as it is rigorous and scholarly, The Art of War is the perfect introduction to its subject for the layperson - but also a stimulating and thought-provoking read for those with greater knowledge of military history. With its companion volume, focusing on the great commanders of the ancient and medieval eras, it forms an indispensable guide to the greatest generals the world has seen.
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Which was the most brilliant of Napoleon’s victories? How close did the Duke of Wellington come to losing the battle of Waterloo? What qualities made “Stonewall” Jackson a battlefield commander of genius? What tactics did Montgomery employ to defeat Tommel at El Alamein? How did General Giap’s Viet Minh troops inflict defeat on a French army at Dien Bien Phu, despite the massive artillery superiority of their colonial opponents? The answers to these and a myriad other fascinating questions can be found in The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World, a sumptuous chronological survey of the greatest commanders of the last four centuries. Compiled by an exceptionally distinguished team of historians (including such eminent names as Lady Antonia Fraser, Sir Alistair Horne, Michael Burleigh, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Richard Overy) working under the general editorship of Andrew Roberts, The Art of War is an authoritative account of the lives and careers of the greatest military commanders of the period, from Cromwell to Konev, from Marlborough to Moltke, and from Pétain to Patton. Every commander is profiled in a concise and informative 3000-word article which not only brings its subject vividly to life via a lively, fact-driven narrative, but also analyses and assesses his tactical and strategic gifts. Each biography is accompanied by a “battle feature” or “campaign feature” - embellished by a full-colour battle plan or campaign map - focusing on the commander’s greatest battlefield achievement. As accessible and informative as it is rigorous and scholarly, The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World is the perfect introduction to its subject for the general reader - but also a stimulating and thought-provoking survey for those with greater knowledge of military history. With its companion volume The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Ancient and Medieval World, it forms an indispensable guide to the greatest generals the world has seen.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No weak links in this chain of command (updated 3 December 2009),
This review is from: The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World Since 1600 (Hardcover)
This volume, together with its companion dealing with the ancient and medieval period, provides an exceptionally informative and handsome overview of the history of warfare, as epitomised by the careers of some of its most significant practitioners.
Editor Andrew Roberts, himself no slouch as a military historian, has assembled a top team of writers, many of them leading authorities on their subjects. For example, in Volume One Scipio Africanus is tackled by Adrian Goldsworthy and Hannibal by Tom Holland, while Jonathan Sumption looks at the Black Prince and John Julius Norwich surveys Sultan Mehmet II. The line-up for Volume Two is equally impressive with, for example, Saul David on Shaka Zulu, John A. Barnes on Robert E. Lee, Michael Burleigh on Erich Von Manstein and Carlo D'Este on Douglas MacArthur. In consequence of this level of author expertise, the essays do not simply summarise what is already known, but in many cases they actually challenge the accepted wisdom, or present fresh evidence. With eight pages per commander, there is also space to add analysis to the core narrative, and to examine weapons and tactics, while a box exploring a particular battle or campaign gives further depth. The choice of commanders in both volumes is also refreshingly broad. The big names are all there to be sure, but so are some lesser known, yet equally interesting, figures. In addition, the book's scope embraces key military writers and theorists, from Thucydides to Clausewitz (both assessed by Roberts). The geographical range is likewise wide, embracing Asia, Africa and South America as well as the more familiar battlefields of Europe and North America. The production values of these chunky hardbacks are extremely high, with a well-designed layout, clear maps and an inspired collection of illustrations. Here, images really do complement the text. Although written to be accessible to the general reader, there is also much here that will interest the specialist. Currently being sold at a hefty discount, both books are worth more, and should not be confused with much of the hack-written and hackneyed military picture books that fill the shelves of the cut-price stores.
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4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some great insights,
By Unknown Comic - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World Since 1600 (Hardcover)
I picked this book up from the discount rack at a local bookstore. I expected very little from this book...large colorful military books seemed to get published by the ton and many are pointless rehashes, but this one is a cut above. Different historians provide the analysis for each commander, and they were all well-informed and surprisingly critical. There isn't a bias towards the victors...you wil find more German generals from WW2 in this book than Americans. I was expecting a simple hagiography for Robert E. Lee but instead the author changed my entire view of Lee with some reasoned criticism. This is more than just a coffee book table for guys, there is some real worthwhile history here. I only found one glaring omission: since the authors have focused on generals in recognized armies, there is no mention of guerrilla commanders who have been especially effective...for example, Red commanders of the Russian Revolution.
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