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Campaigns and Commanders #77
Ski, Climb, Fight: The 10th Mountain Division and the Rise of Mountain Warfare
Mountains, Carl von Clausewitz said, introduce a “retarding element” into warfare. To fight in mountains, armies must overcome this challenge via survival strategies and mobility. But the techniques and technologies for doing so are best found in civilian skiing and mountaineering communities, a situation almost unique to mountain warfare. Ski, Climb, Fight looks at how the 10th Mountain Division of World War II met this challenge and how the U.S. military does so today. The first military history of that storied division, the book is also the first general history of U.S. mountain warfare.
With a focus on strategy and doctrine, Lance R. Blyth explores how the military has adapted civilian gear and skills for surviving and moving in mountainous terrain to effectively conduct operations. He traces the long-standing but largely unexamined relationship between the civilian outdoor recreation industry and the military—a relationship that figures in almost every aspect of military operations in mountainous terrain. Intertwining the history of the World War II 10th Mountain Division and U.S. mountain warfare with the history of American skiing and mountaineering, Ski, Climb, Fight is at once an unprecedented, in-depth account of one of the most celebrated military units of World War II and a fresh look at U.S. mountain warfare from its inception eighty years ago.
With a focus on strategy and doctrine, Lance R. Blyth explores how the military has adapted civilian gear and skills for surviving and moving in mountainous terrain to effectively conduct operations. He traces the long-standing but largely unexamined relationship between the civilian outdoor recreation industry and the military—a relationship that figures in almost every aspect of military operations in mountainous terrain. Intertwining the history of the World War II 10th Mountain Division and U.S. mountain warfare with the history of American skiing and mountaineering, Ski, Climb, Fight is at once an unprecedented, in-depth account of one of the most celebrated military units of World War II and a fresh look at U.S. mountain warfare from its inception eighty years ago.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 7, 2026
What a great book about the development, history, culture, and civilian-military interactions of/in the 10th Mountain Division. I learned so much, and it was simply a great read to boot.
January 30, 2026
Well-researched history on the 10th Mountain Division, its origins, and its effect on later military operations. This book presumes a base-knowledge of military terms and history. It is still readable even if you don’t understand the technical terms, but I would imagine that understanding the technical terms would help you get more out of it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews