Reviews (2)

A Masterpiece of Military Studies
This book is, as the title suggests, a Strategical and Tactical, not Political, history of the Second World War; and it accomplishes this task magnificently. Fuller analyzes both theaters of operations in terms of initiative and resources giving invaluable, and relatively unbiased, insights into successes and failures at all levels of warfare, then integrating the tactical, operational, and strategic levels, demonstating how they affected each other and how they lead to the ultimate results of the operations, campaigns, and war itself. No military studies or modern military history library is complete without this work, which contains analyses that are essential to an understanding of the Second World War from a military perspective.

Good on the strategy and tactics - bad on the politics
I thought that the book conveyed clearly the military struggle on all of the fronts in the second world war. The author was an early proponent of the mechanised warfare that characterised the second world war. He explainsthe tactics and strategy of the antagonists he explains well and quiteeven-handedly. Giving credit and blame where they are due. The book fallsdown on the politics. The second world war was not like the gentlemanlyaffairs of the eighteenth century. It was a war of peoples and ideologies. The author is clearly more in sympathy with the beaten Germans (He wasafter all a supporter of Mosley). He can be understood for criticising thepolicy of strategic bombing (a waste of military resources he thinks), buthe hardly mentions the extermination of the jews, gypsies and millions ofRussians and Poles by Herr Hitler's forces. The killing of so many peoplehelped the Nazi war effort not one bit. This book was published in 1954, sothe author could not plead ignorance. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - World War II    6. World War, 1939-1945    7. Europe    8. European history: Second World War    9. War & defence operations    10. World history: Second World War   

Editorial Review

When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli, who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television network, he only wrote a book. But what a book Read more

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Reviews (241)

It Takes Courage To Know One's Motives
For a book as brief as THE PRINCE, its impact on history has been at least as great as almost any other work. Over the centuries, it has gotten a bad reputation as some sort of guidebook for evil.But back when it was first written in the 16th century, Machiavelli indeed intended it as a guidebook, but neither for evil or for good.Rather he wrote it for a specific purpose. It was written expressly for the ruler princes of the Italian city-states who he believed could best benefit. Although its precepts are generalized to fit most country's ruling elite to a certain extent, the advice was tailored to fit the only government with which he was most familiar, his own. His motivation for writing has been construed as a bald grab for power, with Machiavelli as Mephistopheles and the grabber as a power hungry Dr. Faustus.The truth is more prosaic.His sole concern was the security of Italy.Concepts such as good, evil, war, peace, love, and hate were irrelevant only insofar as they productively led to this security.Those who read THE PRINCE today and try to follow his advice will find that such advice simply cannot be applied when the host country can reasonably call itself democratic.Consider an American politician who reads Chapter 17: "Of Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether It Is Better to Be Loved or Feared." Machiavelli could not have conceived of a leftist judiciary ruled by the edicts of Political Correctness which would not inconvenience even one's enemies to protect one's friends or even oneself.In the 16th century, rulers could and often did take actions that were harmful to a few for the betterment of the many. Similarly such a politician today may read Chapter 18: "In What Ways Princes Must Keep Faith." Here Machiavelli argues that since the world is often run by unscrupulous and faithless dealers, one need not be overly concerned with keeping one's word given to those reprobate leaders.Can you imagine what some politicians would say when they realize that they are dealing with world leaders who may not always be honest but we must act nobly in any case?Despite the resurgence in interest in THE PRINCE, such interest is likely to remain in the academic arena until such time as our governmental system of checks and balances is replaced by one with which Machiavelli is more familiar.

Political Power and Political Reality vs. False Appearances
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)wrote THE PRINCE as a "how to" book.While this book was written in Renaissance Italy, THE PRINCE is a timely classic of political thought that has been badly distorted by shallow media men and historians too cowardly to carefully examine political reality.
A great little book...
I love this little book. I only wish Mr. Machiavelli had written more - much more. One word says it all: honest. This book tells it like it is. Not for the politically correct, but for those who appreciate an honest take on politics and government. If you love books that say it like it is, no matter the politics, then you'll likely enjoy this small book. Amazingly refreshing for 1530 AD. Like I said above, I only wish Mr. Machiavelli had written more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Europe - Italy    3. History    4. History & Theory - General    5. Military - Strategy    6. Political    7. Political Science / History & Theory    8. Study & Teaching    9. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    10. Audio - Nonfiction    11. Classics    12. Early works to 1800    13. European - Italian    14. History & Theory    15. Philosophy/Political    16. Political Science    17. Political ethics    18. Unabridged Audio / Misc.Nonfiction   

Reviews (44)

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
An excellent read.As a former Naval aviator and now an employe for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics where the F-16 is built, I can attest to Boyd's drive to build the best lightwight fighter in the world.He was certainly correct in his methodolgy to build somethng that the rest of the world did not have.Sales prove that.But the information in the behind the scenes tactics that Boyd employed are exceptional reading.Highly recommended - everyone that I have suggested that they read this book has agreed

BOYD: An overworked 'David vs. Goliath' story that misses the mark.
Overall, this book has more merit as the basis for someone interested in producing a 'Made for T.V. movie', then it does for anyone seriously interested in COL Boyd's career and his contribution to the art or war.
A Must Read For All Military Officers!
This is easily one of the most impactful books I have ever read on military theory.Boyd and the work of his acolytes should be on the Chief of Staff's reading list.I am also embarrassed at the behavior of senior officers during Boyd's time.It's revolting.There are still clearly military politicians and military warriors.
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Subjects:  1. 1927-1997    2. 20th century    3. Aeronautics, Military    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Boyd, John,    9. Fighter pilots    10. Fighter plane combat    11. History    12. Military    13. Military - Aviation    14. Military - Strategy    15. United States    16. Air forces & warfare    17. Aircraft: general interest    18. Biography & Autobiography / Military    19. Biography: general    20. Boyd, John    21. USA   

Reviews (43)

Interesting, Easy to Read, and Unbiased
In his book "The Price of Glory," Alistair Horne describes the Battle of Verdun in an easy to read and unbiased manner. The battle itself is described in chillingly close detail.
Grand Strategy Cloaks Tragic Stupidity
During World War I, soldiers fought against material. As a result, there was vast carnage, as the infantry attacked fortified machine guns or huddled helplessly in trenches during relentless artillery barrages.
The shameful cost of national "honor"
It's a difficult task to write history that is well-researched, in depth, and factually precise, but at the same time aware of the narrative power of an evocative story well told. "The Price of Glory" is all these things. It's a powerful piece of writing, but also a serious and important work of historiography. It's the first book of Horne's I've read, but I intend now to track down several others.
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Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: American    3. Military - World War I    4. Verdun, Battle of, Verdun, Fra    5. Verdun, Battle of, Verdun, France, 1916    6. Europe    7. European history: First World War    8. First World War, 1914-1918    9. History / Military / World War I    10. Land forces & warfare    11. War & defence operations   

Reviews (3)

An introduction and overview
This is an excellent, well-written, introduction and overview of the Eastern Front, 1941, with regard to German policies vis-a-vis the general populace. However, the author says upfront that the book is not intended as a work of great scholarship and, as indicated by the footnotes, it is not. Megargee wrote a great book in 2000 about the German General Staff (a WWII "must read"), and has a dream job at the U.S. Holocaust Museum. He is a top-notch military historian in the prime of his career, which is the reason I was so very disappointed with the book's bibliography. His book brings to mind scores of questions, and needs a good bibliography to lead the reader to appropriate literature. Instead, all we get is some lame "bibliographic essay". A definite flaw in the book.

An Outstanding Introduction to the War with Russia
For far too long historians of the Russo German war focused on either the military operations or the abuses of the civilian population in Soviet Russia.The most notably of these were obviously the Jews, although the Slavs and others suffered terribly.Although, in some instances Wehrmachtrear service units and the general staff have been identified as contributing to the escalation of brutality, for the most part the work of murder and starvation has been attributed to the various civil administration authorities and most notably, the SS.It is to this lack of connection between the occupation policies in Soviet Russia and the actual prosecution of the war that Geoffrey P. Megargee addresses in his book.Before I get any further however, let me be clear as to what this book is and is not.As the author informs the reader in the introduction, this book is not a comprehensive history of the Russo German war told from both sides of the story.It is primarily told from the perspective of the German plans and actions.This book is also not a shocking piece of new scholarship.What it is though, is a refreshingly new look at all of the pieces of evidence that have been laid down by other researchers and not previously seen for their interconnected nature.This book is a concise history of both the Nazi war against the USSR and the occupation policies and how the two inevitably led to the defeat of the Germany.
A quick introduction to the Eastern Front
This book is both for the layman and for those who want a better understanding of why the Eastern Front was such a struggle for life and death on the part of civilians and POW's not even speaking of soldiers on the front lines.The author goes through the history of Nazi ideology and the role it played in the creation of the Third Reich as well as the history of the German Army and why in the end it proved an essential tool in the genocidal campaign Germany would launch when it attacked the Soviet Union (although keeping in mind the Polish campaign showed signs of what was to come on a smaller scale).Although military movements are described, they are done so in a general sense simply to show the success the German Armed forces were enjoying and the amount of territory that was falling under their supervision.Then come the explanations for how involved the Army was in the genocide of Jews, Communists, and various other groups throughout the Soviet Union.Mainly the Armed forces helped the SS, Einzatsgruppen, Order Police, and other various units in their mass murders throughout the rear areas that they had just occupied.As well as making it possible for POW's to starve on a massive scale without a second thought to their fates.Without the Army's cooperation millions of Soviet POW's would have lived to see 1942 and perhaps tens of thousands of Jews and Communists would have lived to see the end of the war.The Army's complication in these crimes is now being shown for what it was, although the book is small, around 150 pages of text, the revelations it makes are very important for understanding what went on on the Eastern Front and how it evolved into outright genocide.Well worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Campaigns    3. Eastern Front    4. Europe - Germany    5. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    6. Europe, Eastern    7. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    8. History    9. History - Military / War    10. Military    11. Military - World War II    12. World War II - Europe    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. European history: Second World War    15. Germany    16. History / General    17. History / Germany    18. Second World War, 1939-1945    19. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations    2. Campaigns    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Aviation    7. Military - Strategy    8. Military - World War II    9. Pacific Area    10. World War, 1939-1945    11. Battles & campaigns    12. Second World War, 1939-1945    13. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (4)

From the new breed of military historians
Professor Citino, along with historians like Robert DiNardo (more diplomatic history) and Geoff Megargee are amongst a new breed of military & diplomatic historians. They seem to take off with Dennis Showalter as their touchstone (no problem there!), and merge with folks like David Glantz to give us a new view of German military history, especially, of course, WWII. If you want to be state of the art in your knowledge, you have to read these guys. You will not be sorry. They are utilizing the inspiration of Showalter- definitive writings intertwining diplomatic & military histories, to write some great stuff. This book is amongst that "great stuff".
or Why the Germans Fight Like They Do
Robert Citino takes a foundational view of Prussian (later German) way of seeing warfare that has led to the war fighting patterns observable over the past 400 years.Specific viewpoints based in the economic and population base of the Prussian state of 400 years ago led to a way of fighting that is recognizable throughout the history since.
A Brilliant Concept!
Imagine that you are in command of an army.You are marching your troops toward the enemy, when suddenly you find yourself under attack.You do your best to hold them off and might even find yourself starting to experience some success.Suddenly, you become surrounded in a giant cauldron of fire from a direction that you never would have imagined possible.You were prepared for a long, bloody, and drawn out war, but find yourself completely incapable of fighting within a matter of days, or even hours.You have just been defeated by the German/Prussian army.Relax, you were not the first.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - Germany    2. Germany    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History, Military    6. Military    7. Military - General    8. Military - Strategy    9. Military art and science    10. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (115)

A Page Turner...
This book is one of the best I have ever read on the Middle Eastern conflicts in general, and certainly the best about the Six-Day War. A lot of the previous reviewers have covered in details what makes this book so good. I would like however to comment on one thing that struck me throughout the book: the hate against America that virulently emerged in 1967 from the Arab dictators such as Egypt's Nasser or Syria's al-Assad who were using anti-American propaganda as a means to shore up their regimes and rally around the Arab street behind them. The Great Big Lie (the Arab regimes pretended that US ground and air forces intervened massively in the war to help Israel) is quite revealing... I thought anti-America hate was more a thing of recent times...but I was shocked to see how much the same slogans and arguments against America that we are hearing today were the same ones that were utter daily by Arab regimes at the time. It sounded eerily as today's Al Qaeda anti-US messages, except that the religious overtones of today were replaced by anti-imperialistic overtones. Nothing has changed under the Middle East sun basically, and this continuous hatred has now span more than one or 2 generations. Of course, America has not often questioned its Middle East policy towards Arabs and must share a part of the blame for the sorry situation Middle East is in, but Arab regimes are no less responsible of having willingly spread lies and misinformation about America.

One point of clarification....
There is a fundamental difference between `armistice' and `peace'.
Excellent Book; wonderful use of sources
Oren's book is a modern classic.Since the other reviews here go into such depth, it would seem superfluous for me to do so as well.I did, however, want to mention two things which impressed me about the book and which may not have been mentioned in other reviews:
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. International Relations - General    5. Israel-Arab War, 1967    6. Middle East - General    7. Military - General    8. Military - Other    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. History / Middle East    11. History, World | Middle Eastern    12. International relations    13. Middle East    14. War & defence operations    15. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (4)

A great book to understand insurgency and terrorism
I have read the first edition of this book and I found it very useful to understand insurgency and terrorism. Moreover I wish I had read this book when I was in Colombia or in Haiti where we had to deal with insurgencies. In my opinion the book is an important tool for the intelligence analyst because it shows a framework to analyze the complex phenomenon of guerilla and insurgency. It was very valuable for me to learn about the four strategic approaches (conspiratorial - military focus - protracted popular war - and urban warfare)
The Textbook on Insurgency and Counterinsurgency
Terrorism and Insurgency by Bard E. O'Neill, is an invaluable resource for those interested in understanding insurgency and the relevant factors that lead to its success or failure.
GreatReference
This is an excellent book. The author is a well known and respected expert of the field. The book begins with an introduction that attempts to level set and baseline definitions and meanings. Although this may appear to be semantics, the differences both subtle and great is important. The book is well organized it is easy to refer to a specific chapter or section in the event you need a quick refresher and or reference. The book is well written, concise and offers a large quantity of foot notes at the end of each chapter. This book is for both the expert and the novice.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. 21st century    3. Guerrilla warfare    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. Insurgency    7. Military - Strategy    8. Military Science    9. Political Freedom & Security - General    10. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. History / Military / Strategy    14. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Reviews (1)

A Must Read: The Future of Intelligence
Forecasting Terrorism demystifies intelligence methodology and demonstrates how relatively simple and cost effective it is to implement sound, effective intelligence systems, with our current capabilities, resources, and technology.
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Subjects:  1. Forecasting    2. Military - Strategy    3. Military Science    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Prevention    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology    10. Terrorism    11. Technology / Military Science    12. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Reviews (14)

ten years and twenty days
The book is fairly complex reading; only because, I feel, that I was looking at it from "my side", and the analysis was that much more difficult.Doenitz was a remarkable man, a brilliant strategist, and a professional soldier in the highest regard.One has to constantly keep referenced to the basis of Doenitz's dissertation, and moreso, keep in proper perspective the historical trackwork of the war.
Once You Start You May Never Stop
My friend lent me this book. It was my first book on the naval aspect of the Second World War. I figured after the hundreds I had read on the land and air element I should start to look into the naval war.I could not put this book down, I devoured it. I have been gobbling up submarine books since that day. From behind the scenes
Do you know Doenitz? Are you a WWII enthusiast? A historian? A submariner? Then, this book is a MUST HAVE. There are lots of books about the WWII submarine campaign, from both sides, many of them better written. So what's special? No other book provides that specific background knowledge and information. Why didn't Germany build more submarines than it did in the crucial early years? How did the wolf pack tactics evolve? What measures did the German Naval High Command take after discovering their torpedo crisis? How did they counter Allied scientific breakthroughs? Why didn't they devine Enigma was being broken? Finally, you will hear the German opinion about Roosevelt's "Short of War" strategy - nowaday's United Nations would be in turmoil...Read more

Subjects:  1. 1891-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Donitz, Karl,    4. Europe - Germany    5. Historical - General    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Military    9. Military - World War II    10. Naval operations    11. Naval operations, German    12. Submarine    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. Biography: general    15. Dönitz, Karl    16. Europe    17. European history: Second World War    18. Naval forces & warfare    19. Second World War, 1939-1945    20. War & defence operations   

Reviews (16)

Logistics for the Armchair General
It has been said that armchair generals think of strategy, whereas professionals study logistics.If that is true, Martin van Creveld has written a book on logistics for armchair generals.
Accountants, Gamblers and Thieves
Studying this book one gets the distinct impression that some of the most acclaimed military men in history were gamblers with a lucky streak or in other words very successful thieves, who solved their own supply problems by stealing it. the best book about the history of logistics
Martin Van Creveld provides an interesting overview of how logistics influenced the outcome of miltitary operations. The first part of the book deatils warfare during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the armies had to keep advancing in order in replemish their supplies. If the army stayed in the same area over a large amount of time such as Napoleon's army in Moscow, than the army would run out of supplies. This situation did not change during the Franco-Prussian War in which the Prussian army had to scrounge for food at the outskirts of Paris. All though food remained a problem for the armies there was always a plentiful supply of ammunition since armies of the 18th and 19th centuries expended very little of it. Martin Van Creveld makes some surprising claims in the later part of the book describing twentieth century warfare. Martin Van Creveld believes that the Schlieffen Plan was doomed to failure because of the logistical constraints of the German army. Because most of supplies delivered to the German army were by rail, the desturuction of the railways impeded their advance. Also German planners made no plans to deal with the massive traffic jams in Belgum. The next chapter Van Creveld has an revisionist appraisal of the Germany invasion of Russia in 1941. Van Creveld believes that Germany had the supplies to deal with winter warfare but the inability to transport them across Russia. Due to the difference between German and Russian rail tracks and maintance problems of German engines the supplies never reached the front. Van Creveld strongly criticizes Rommel's handling of the North Africam campaign. Rommel advance to far for his supplies to be replenished. The problem of supply duirng the North African War was that the supplies had to be delivered by trucks that were highly vulnerable to air attack. When Rommel tried to solve the problem by taking Tobruk, he only made matters worse. The ships that arrived at Tobruk were in range of Allied aircraft and as a result sunk. The final Chapter, Van Creveld evaluates Allied operations in Western Europe. Van Creveld believes that Patton's success had to due with the fact that Patton ignored logistic officer's plan for a slow a orderly pace but instead took advantage of the situation to advance quickly. Van Creveld theorizes that Montgomery's narrow front approach could have logistically reached Northwest Germany but were have not captured Berlin. I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who wants a new and interesting perspective about operations during the First and Second World Wars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Logistics    6. Military - Strategy    7. Military art and science    8. Military history, Modern    9. Europe    10. History / Europe / General    11. War & defence operations   

Editorial Review

James Bamford builds his case against America's intelligence agencies from the ground up, which makes for devastating reading not only for his subjects, but for anyone concerned with the nation's security or simply smart use of taxpayer dollars. Indeed, one can't help but cringe as the veteran journalist records the alarming post-Cold War floundering of the C.I.A., N.S.A., Defense Department, and succeeding administrations in the face of burgeoning terrorist threats that culminate with the attack on 9-11. Seemingly caught flatfooted by the demise of the Soviet Union, the U.S. intelligence community stumbles through the 1990s as it becomes institutionally hidebound and sluggish. During relatively peaceful times, its shortcomings, while not unnoticed, remain largely unaddressed. As Bamford sees it, with the arrival of George W. Bush, the situation goes from bad to worse. With the neocons in power, intelligence gathering is corrupted and politicized to create the grounds for going to war with Iraq. While much of what appears here has appeared earlier in works by Joseph Wilson, Richard Clarke, and others, Bamford pulls the loose ends together and adds new reporting to create a wide-ranging yet taut and absorbing expose of an American security apparatus that combines vast power with stunning ineptitude. Read more

Reviews (64)

What Intelligence failure?
It seems to me that Hans Blix and Muhammed al-Baradei correctly reported to us the likely state of Iraq's strategic weaponry and warned us against a preemptive war.The republicans are also using an incorrect definition of weapons of mass distruction.The correct definition of weapons of mass distruction only counts as WMDs those weapons which have at least the potential of killing millions of people.Using this correct definition most chemical weapons and some biologicals are NOT WMDs.
Disappointing
The cover of the hardbook advertises "9/11, Iraq, and the abuse of America's intelligence agencies" yet a lot of the book feels like a history lesson.The author has a tendency to provide extensive backgrounds and histories for each and every person, organization, and agency involved in his book.It becomes rather tedious after the first couple of chapters.I can't swear to it but portions of this book appeared in Mr. Bamford's other books.The chapters and sections that mention the NSA are an example.
The power of lies: we all were wrong
This book contains the analysis of two events: the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. In both cases the evaluation of the intelligence community is devastating: the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq could eventually not be prevented; the first one because of incompetence, and the second one because of the cowardice of the CIA chief, who didn't fight or resign in protest, but chose simply to go along with all the lies.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. History & Theory - General    3. Intelligence service    4. Iraq War, 2003    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction - General    7. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    8. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. United States    13. History / Military / Strategy   

Reviews (3)

Good artwork
I honestly found this book to be a disappointment. I expected a more thorough examination of "combat skills, and tactics." Unfortunately it is more a discussion of the various arms of a medieval army, infantry (which includes archers & gunners), cavalry, sappers (siege engines), and ships. There were various discussions of select battles and how each of these arms were used to win or lose the battle. There was a good discussion of tactics, but almost none of skills. The modern artwork is excellent. The line drawings were incredibly clear and accurate and quite informative. The color paints of the battles were excellent. The 19th artwork was an embarrassment. It was well written and a decently enjoyable read. The authors are clearly informed on the subject that they wrote about. But, what they wrote about isn't "combat skills."

Pretty good, but don't expect any fighting techniques
Despite a misleading title and some dubious choices of artwork, this is a pretty sound book. Like the earlier "Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World" there really isn't any discussion of actual fighting techniques. About as close as the authors get is a brief discussion of the adoption of the couched lance. Rather than a book about the techniques used in medieval fighting this is a solid but unremarkable book about medieval warfare.