The Great Commanders: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant, Georgi Zhukov

by Phil Grabsky

The Great Commanders is a masterly portrait of six men - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant and Georgi Zhukov - whose military genius changed the course of world history. Providing a refreshing new opportunity to compare soldiers from such disparate backgrounds and periods, each chapter focuses on the life and achievements of one of the commanders, considering their motivation, overall strategy, tactical skill, and the vital importance of each man's special personal qualities. What forces drove them? Did Nelson's legendary victory at Trafalgar in 1805 derive from his brilliance as a naval tactician alone? Does Marshal Zhukov's triumphant conquest of Berlin in 1945 justify the claim that he was the greatest general of the Second World War?

Concentrating on one battle in particular for each commander, this penetrating study brilliantly illustrates the thinking, method, and individual dynamism behind the great military campaign.

Genres: History

Audible Audio

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Phil Grabsky is an award-winning documentary film-maker and writer. With a career spanning over 30 years, Phil and his company Seventh Art Productions make films for cinema, television and DVD. His latest project is the creation of a hugely successful and unique new arts brand: EXHIBITION ON SCREEN.

Reviews

[Adam Georgiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun appetizer, which for me as someone with not even a toe in the water of this subject, was satisfying.

That being said, there's a lot of rote timelines of events and not a lot of personal investigation

You get an overview of what Caeser, Alexander, and Napoleon did, but how exactly did they become the people of ambition the were? And how do their personality types contrast with Grant and Zhukov's described stoicism? How did such differences produce such similar success? Or was their success all that similar? When you read off a list of battles won over contextually impressive scales, it feels like it.

Anyway, I enjoyed it.

[Matt Boak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly - on the audiobook version the guy is RUBBISH at narrating. The stupid voices he puts on when reading quotes can really irk.

Also, the hour long readings are interesting, but hardly go into much detail. You find yourself wondering if reading more detailed accounts of each individual would make more sense.

In short, interesting overviews of some of these guys, but nothing to really sink your teeth into.

[James]

This is a book we are reading for the Ambassadors training program. Its about five great commanders: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon, Ulysses S. Grant, and Georgi Zhukov. Very educational and interesting. These guys were ambitious and driven. Good read.

[Ossian's Dream · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the inclusion of Zhukov which most people often ignore, and the excellent chapter on Alexander.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cursory overview of 6 great commanders. Ok, but lacking in detail and containing some questionable conclusions and analysis.