The Worst Military Leaders In History

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The Worst Military Leaders in History

John M. Jennings,Chuck Steele
The Worst Military Leaders in History Book PDF

Author : John M. Jennings,Chuck Steele
Publisher : Reaktion Books
Page : 334 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2023-06-24
Category : History
ISBN : 9781789145847

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The Worst Military Leaders in History by John M. Jennings,Chuck Steele Pdf

Spanning countries and centuries, a “how-not-to” guide to leadership that reveals the most maladroit military commanders in history—now in paperback. For this book, fifteen distinguished historians were given a deceptively simple task: identify their choice for the worst military leader in history and then explain why theirs is the worst. From the clueless Conrad von Hötzendorf and George A. Custer to the criminal Baron Roman F. von Ungern-Sternberg and the bungling Garnet Wolseley, this book presents a rogues’ gallery of military incompetents. Rather than merely rehashing biographical details, the contributors take an original and unconventional look at military leadership in a way that appeals to both specialists and general readers alike. While there are plenty of books that analyze the keys to success, The Worst Military Leaders in History offers lessons of failure to avoid. In other words, this book is a “how-not-to” guide to leadership.

History's Greatest Generals

Michael Rank
History s Greatest Generals Book PDF

Author : Michael Rank
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2013-11-04
Category : Generals
ISBN : 1493676121

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History's Greatest Generals by Michael Rank Pdf

From the #1 bestselling author of The Crusades and the Soldiers of the Cross comes an exciting new book on the greatest minds of military leadership in history. Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a work of art that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society. This book will look at the lives of the ten greatest military commanders in history. Some conquered the fullest expanse of the known world, as did Alexander the Great. Still others were master statesmen and capable of translating military victory into long-term political gains, such as Julius Caesar, whose vanquishing of the Gauls and his political opponents laid the groundwork for several centuries of unmatchable Roman imperial might. It will also look at the tactics they used to bring down stronger armies and befuddle them at every turn; whether it is Napoleon, who nearly conquered Europe through his deadly manoeuvre sur les derrieres and marching unexpectedly away from the enemy's main strength and concentrating on a weak but vital enemy point; or Hannibal's double entrapment maneuver, which has been the envy of military strategists for the last 2,000 years. Whatever their background, these rulers show that the right military commander at the right time in history can destroy an empire, change civilization, and alter the course of world history forever.

The Allure of Battle

Cathal Nolan
The Allure of Battle Book PDF

Author : Cathal Nolan
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2017-01-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199874651

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The Allure of Battle by Cathal Nolan Pdf

History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive." Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt-all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Nor has the "genius" of the so-called Great Captains - from Alexander the Great to Frederick the Great and Napoleon - play a major role. Wars are decided in other ways. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking," the hope that victory might be swift and wars brief. As he proves persuasively, however, such has almost never been the case. Even the major engagements have mainly contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. Massive conflicts, the so-called "people's wars," beginning with Napoleon and continuing until 1945, have consisted of and been determined by prolonged stalemate and attrition, industrial wars in which the determining factor has been not military but matériel. Nolan's masterful book places battles squarely and mercilessly within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's role in war, replacing popular images of the "battles of annihilation" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war particularly among the Great Powers. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and illuminating, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare.

Great Commanders

Christopher Richard Gabel,James H. Willbanks
Great Commanders Book PDF

Author : Christopher Richard Gabel,James H. Willbanks
Publisher : US Army Combined Arms Center
Page : 205 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2012-01-01
Category : Generals
ISBN : 0985587970

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Great Commanders by Christopher Richard Gabel,James H. Willbanks Pdf

"This volume is not a study of the 'greatest' commanders; rather, it is an examination of commanders who should be considered great. The seven leaders examined, in various domains of ground, sea, and air, each in their own way successfully addressed the challenges of military endeavor in their time and changed the world in which they lived"--Foreword.

Great Military Blunders

Geoffrey Regan
Great Military Blunders Book PDF

Author : Geoffrey Regan
Publisher : Madcap
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2017-02
Category : Battles
ISBN : 0233005099

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Great Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan Pdf

"From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs and the Falklands War, military history has been marked as much by misjudgements and incompetence as by gallantry and glory. In this fascinating and entertaining collection, author Geoffrey Regan recounts some of the staggering stories of military blunder. His anecdotes encompass every aspect of warfare from the insanity of commanders to the provision of inadequate supplies."--Back cover.

Churchill & His Generals

Raymond Callahan
Churchill His Generals Book PDF

Author : Raymond Callahan
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 328 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015069315862

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Churchill & His Generals by Raymond Callahan Pdf

On the eve of World War II, the British army was more an international police force than a combat ready fighting force. This book examines its transformation in a look at Great Britain's top commanders in the field.

On War

Carl von Clausewitz
On War Book PDF

Author : Carl von Clausewitz
Publisher : Good Press
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2023-08-22
Category : Science
ISBN : EAN:4066339538344

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On War by Carl von Clausewitz Pdf

"On War" by Carl von Clausewitz (translated by J. J. Graham). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Fearing the Worst

Samuel F. Wells Jr.
Fearing the Worst Book PDF

Author : Samuel F. Wells Jr.
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 518 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2019-11-26
Category : History
ISBN : 9780231549943

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Fearing the Worst by Samuel F. Wells Jr. Pdf

After World War II, the escalating tensions of the Cold War shaped the international system. Fearing the Worst explains how the Korean War fundamentally changed postwar competition between the United States and the Soviet Union into a militarized confrontation that would last decades. Samuel F. Wells Jr. examines how military and political events interacted to escalate the conflict. Decisions made by the Truman administration in the first six months of the Korean War drove both superpowers to intensify their defense buildup. American leaders feared the worst-case scenario—that Stalin was prepared to start World War III—and raced to build up strategic arms, resulting in a struggle they did not seek out or intend. Their decisions stemmed from incomplete interpretations of Soviet and Chinese goals, especially the belief that China was a Kremlin puppet. Yet Stalin, Mao, and Kim Il-sung all had their own agendas, about which the United States lacked reliable intelligence. Drawing on newly available documents and memoirs—including previously restricted archives in Russia, China, and North Korea—Wells analyzes the key decision points that changed the course of the war. He also provides vivid profiles of the central actors as well as important but lesser known figures. Bringing together studies of military policy and diplomacy with the roles of technology, intelligence, and domestic politics in each of the principal nations, Fearing the Worst offers a new account of the Korean War and its lasting legacy.

A Very Stable Genius

Philip Rucker,Carol Leonnig
A Very Stable Genius Book PDF

Author : Philip Rucker,Carol Leonnig
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 482 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2020-01-21
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781984877505

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A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker,Carol Leonnig Pdf

The instant #1 bestseller. “This taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date." - Dwight Garner, The New York Times Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners, provide the definitive insider narrative of Donald Trump’s presidency “I alone can fix it.” So proclaimed Donald J. Trump on July 21, 2016, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and promising to restore what he described as a fallen nation. Yet as he undertook the actual work of the commander in chief, it became nearly impossible to see beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, and constant bluster. In fact, there were patterns to his behavior and that of his associates. The universal value of the Trump administration was loyalty—not to the country, but to the president himself—and Trump’s North Star was always the perpetuation of his own power. With deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, D.C., Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker reveal the forty-fifth president up close. Here, for the first time, certain officials who felt honor-bound not to divulge what they witnessed in positions of trust tell the truth for the benefit of history. A peerless and gripping narrative, A Very Stable Genius not only reveals President Trump at his most unvarnished but shows how he tested the strength of America’s democracy and its common heart as a nation.

The Most Dangerous Man in America

Mark Perry
The Most Dangerous Man in America Book PDF

Author : Mark Perry
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-04-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9780465080670

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The Most Dangerous Man in America by Mark Perry Pdf

At times, even his admirers seemed unsure of what to do with General Douglas MacArthur. Imperious, headstrong, and vain, MacArthur matched an undeniable military genius with a massive ego and a rebellious streak that often seemed to destine him for the dustbin of history. Yet despite his flaws, MacArthur is remembered as a brilliant commander whose combined-arms operation in the Pacific—the first in the history of warfare—secured America’s triumph in World War II and changed the course of history. In The Most Dangerous Man in America, celebrated historian Mark Perry examines how this paradox of a man overcame personal and professional challenges to lead his countrymen in their darkest hour. As Perry shows, Franklin Roosevelt and a handful of MacArthur’s subordinates made this feat possible, taming MacArthur, making him useful, and finally making him victorious. A gripping, authoritative biography of the Pacific Theater’s most celebrated and misunderstood commander, The Most Dangerous Man in America reveals the secrets of Douglas MacArthur’s success—and the incredible efforts of the men who made it possible.

On the Psychology of Military Incompetence

Norman F Dixon
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence Book PDF

Author : Norman F Dixon
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 528 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2016-05-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9780465097814

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On the Psychology of Military Incompetence by Norman F Dixon Pdf

The Crimea, the Boer War, the Somme, Tobruk, Pearl Harbor, the Bay of Pigs: these are just some of the milestones in a century of military incompetence, of costly mishaps and tragic blunders. Are these simple accidents -- as the "bloody fool" theory has it -- or are they inevitable? The psychologist Norman F. Dixon argues that there is a pattern to inept generalship, and locates this pattern within the very act of creating armies in the first place, which in his view produces a levelling down of human capability that encourages the mediocre and limits the gifted. In this light, successful generals achieve what they do despite the stultifying features of the organization to which they belong. A classic study of military leadership, On the Psychology of Military Incompetence is at once an original exploration of the battles that have defined the last two centuries of human civilization and an essential guide for the next generation of military leaders.

The First Soldier

Stephen G. Fritz
The First Soldier Book PDF

Author : Stephen G. Fritz
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 493 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2018-11-13
Category : History
ISBN : 9780300240757

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The First Soldier by Stephen G. Fritz Pdf

“An expert account of Nazi war strategy that concludes that Hitler was not without military talent.”(Kirkus Reviews) After Germany’s humiliating World War II defeat, numerous German generals published memoirs claiming that their country’s brilliant military leadership had been undermined by the Führer’s erratic decision making. The author of three highly acclaimed books on the era, Stephen Fritz upends this characterization of Hitler as an ill-informed fantasist and demonstrates the ways in which his strategy was coherent and even competent. That Hitler saw World War II as the only way to retrieve Germany’s fortunes and build an expansionist Thousand-Year Reich is uncontroversial. But while his generals did sometimes object to Hitler’s tactics and operational direction, they often made the same errors in judgment and were in agreement regarding larger strategic and political goals. A necessary volume for understanding the influence of World War I on Hitler’s thinking, this work is also an eye-opening reappraisal of major events like the invasion of Russia and the battle for Normandy. “Perhaps the best account we have to date of Hitler’s military leadership. It shows a scrupulous and imaginative historian at work and will cement Fritz’s reputation as one of the leading historians of the military conflicts generated by Hitler’s Germany.” —Richard Overy, author of The Bombing War “Original, insightful and authoritative.” —David Stahel, author of The Battle for Moscow

Extreme War

Terrence Poulos
Extreme War Book PDF

Author : Terrence Poulos
Publisher : Citadel Press
Page : 484 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 0806528354

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Extreme War by Terrence Poulos Pdf

Well-reasoned and documented answers to and explorations of the questions, the heroes, the hapless and the legends from over 2,000 years of human conflict. Poulos covers the finest hours and worst blunders the military world has seen through every period of warfare, from ancient times to the 21st century, all brought together in one illustrated volume. Topics are examined in fascinating detail, along with careful analysis of how and why each leader, weapon, tactic or battle came to fame - or infamy.

Masters of Command

Barry Strauss
Masters of Command Book PDF

Author : Barry Strauss
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2013-05-21
Category : History
ISBN : 9781439164495

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Masters of Command by Barry Strauss Pdf

Analyzes the leadership and strategies of three forefront military leaders from the ancient world, offers insight into the purposes behind their conflicts, and shows what today's leaders can glean from their successes and failures.

The Face Of Battle

John Keegan
The Face Of Battle Book PDF

Author : John Keegan
Publisher : Random House
Page : 362 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2011-08-31
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781446496824

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The Face Of Battle by John Keegan Pdf

The Face of Battle is military history from the battlefield: an imperishable account of the direct experience of individuals at 'the point of maximum danger'. It examines the physical conditions of fighting, the particular emotions and behaviour generated by battle, as well as the motives that impel soldiers to stand and fight rather than run away. In this stunningly vivid reassessment of three battles, John Keegan conveys their reality for the participants, whether facing the arrow cloud of Agincourt, the levelled muskets of Waterloo or the steel rain of the Somme.