Great Captains Unveiled [Paperback]

Hart does not go into great depth with any of these commanders, but he gives enough background to understand the times in which they formed their methods. This provides a base from which the reader can see how different these captains were from the mold. With each, Hart describes briefly their campaigns, but the majority of his writing is devoted to showing what each captain added to the art of war. Instead of extracting maxim's that provide and "formula" for winning, Hart indentifies one or two principles that each commander brought to warfare. He then shows how these principles were a departure for their times, and are still viable in the modern era, often referring to WW I.

From a writing standpoint, the book can be slow at times, and difficult to follow. Also, Hart is writing for an audience he assumes has some knowledge of military history, as he often makes references to other wars and battles. This is not a book for a beginner. I suggest reading a general European or military history prior to delving into this fascinating yet complicated book.

This is not a life story of great unknown warriors, nor a recipe book on how to win a war. Instead, Hart illuminates several dark corners of history, and demonstrates that these "forgotten" generals were true masters of war, and and modern student would be wise to learn their lessons well.

While certainly weak in the use of primary sources and complete perspective, as recognized in the foreword to the most recent edition, "Great Captains" is effective as an essay rather than straight history.

Here, however, in a collection of biographical essays written for popular journal readers, Liddell Hart shows himself as not being above gushing hack writing more typical of a teenager's fan magazine than a military history. As another reviewer has pointed out, "Great Captains Unveiled" jumps about in its biographies. It offers facts which might be interesting in the context of a major biographical work, but which are all but pointless in the brief biographies presented -- acceptable perhaps for a general readership, but unacceptable for those expecting information which explains WHY these particular individuals were chosen to be considered "Great Captains."

The worst biography is probably that of Wolfe, victor at Quebec. What difference does it make if he was delayed on this date or that date because he or someone else was sick? The Battle of Quebec and his tactics were completely unaffected by his health (unlike, for example, General Rommel's psychosomatic illnesses, which seriously affected the course of the North African campaign and led to his disillusionment with Hitler and his own forced suicide, a series of events which unfolded after the publishing of this book, which Rommel might well have read, although he himself throve too late to be included). The gushing tone is most obvious in the actual description of the "Battle" of Quebec, which seems to have boiled down to a sneak attack, one effective volley at close range which caused the French to panic, and a foolish French salley which cost both Wolfe and defender Montcalme their lives. A perceptive reader might well get the impression that death was Wolfe's greatest ally: had he lived he might well have shown himself to be as mediocre as most of his contemporaries -- one lucky volley does not a "Great Captain" make.

The acccount of the Mongol conquest of the Khwarezm Shah's empire, however, is very good indeed. Although the casus belli is often repeated in histories of the Mongol conquests, few histories relate the unfolding of the events which led to the Mongol victory, nor so succinctly explain EXACTLY why this victory was more significant than any other Mongol victory in Central Asia. The other Mongol victories get short shrift, but this book's account of the Central Asian campaign is outstanding.

The life of Wallenstein is covered in far greater detail in Friedrich Shiller's history of the Thirty Years War (available free online through Project Gutenberg and other web sites) than it is in "Great Captains Unveiled," while the life of De Saxe is over-rated and inflated to highlight the importance of his "Reveries." I can't even remember who else was covered in this book, so trivialized are the biographies.

This is one book by Liddell Hart which bears missing. The interested reader should merely note the names of those whose biographies he includes and look up their lives elsewhere, although, as stated, the account of the defeat of the Khwarezm Shah is outstanding.