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The Defense of Hill 781: An Allegory of Modern Mechanized Combat
“Brilliant, hardhitting description of modern war on the U.S. Army’s premier training ground. A must-read tactical primer for today’s warrior.”—John C. “Doc” Bahnsen, Brigadier General, USA (Ret.)
At the turn of the century a small, humorous book on tactics was published. The Defense of Duffer’s Drift quickly became a bestseller and today is still widely read. The Defense of Hill 781 is a modem version of this classic—a tactical primer with ample funpoking, but with serious lessons to be learned.
Lt. Col. A. Tack Always Finds himself in the California high desert, alone, disheveled, confused. A guide soon appears to inform him of his situation: He has died and is now in Purgatory (his humility in the Army was somewhat lacking) where he must atone for past sins. Purgatory is, aptly, the U.S. Army’s National Training Center (NTC), and Lt. Col. Always may earn his way out by completing a successful mission. Through a series of six missions, the reader plans and fights with Lt. Col. Always, making the split-second decisions that determine victory or defeat, life or death.
Through successive difficulties, some important lessons are burned into the commander’s brain—lessons about tactics, about people, about what it takes to fight a winning battle. Like Duffer’s Drift this book is a valuable resource for all military tacticians. For the armchair general, it is a fascinating look at how the members of a military unit work together in combat.
At the turn of the century a small, humorous book on tactics was published. The Defense of Duffer’s Drift quickly became a bestseller and today is still widely read. The Defense of Hill 781 is a modem version of this classic—a tactical primer with ample funpoking, but with serious lessons to be learned.
Lt. Col. A. Tack Always Finds himself in the California high desert, alone, disheveled, confused. A guide soon appears to inform him of his situation: He has died and is now in Purgatory (his humility in the Army was somewhat lacking) where he must atone for past sins. Purgatory is, aptly, the U.S. Army’s National Training Center (NTC), and Lt. Col. Always may earn his way out by completing a successful mission. Through a series of six missions, the reader plans and fights with Lt. Col. Always, making the split-second decisions that determine victory or defeat, life or death.
Through successive difficulties, some important lessons are burned into the commander’s brain—lessons about tactics, about people, about what it takes to fight a winning battle. Like Duffer’s Drift this book is a valuable resource for all military tacticians. For the armchair general, it is a fascinating look at how the members of a military unit work together in combat.
203 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
35 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
James R. McDonough
8 books16 followersJames R. McDonough is is the former director of the Florida Office of Drug Control and the secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections from 2006 to 2008.
A Brooklyn native, he graduated from both MIT and West Point and served as an Army officer in Vietnam. He rose to the rank of colonel before retiring and taking a series of national positions in drug law enforcement and security. He worked under the national drug czar before becoming the drug czar of Florida in 1999.
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the United States Military Academy, McDonough concluded his extensive Army career with assignments in Africa (Rwanda, Zaire, and Uganda) and the Balkans (Bosnia). During his military career, he was awarded three Bronze Stars (one for valor), the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Medal, among others. He also served as an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the U.S. Military Academy, as an analyst with the Defense Nuclear Agency, and as a detailee with the U.S. State Department.
A Brooklyn native, he graduated from both MIT and West Point and served as an Army officer in Vietnam. He rose to the rank of colonel before retiring and taking a series of national positions in drug law enforcement and security. He worked under the national drug czar before becoming the drug czar of Florida in 1999.
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the United States Military Academy, McDonough concluded his extensive Army career with assignments in Africa (Rwanda, Zaire, and Uganda) and the Balkans (Bosnia). During his military career, he was awarded three Bronze Stars (one for valor), the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Medal, among others. He also served as an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the U.S. Military Academy, as an analyst with the Defense Nuclear Agency, and as a detailee with the U.S. State Department.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 13, 2024
The Defense of Hill 781
Lt. Colonel Always finds himself in quite a precarious situation after being killed and brought to purgatory from eating the brand new MRE issued meals. After viewing himself as too high and mighty during his lifetime as a Ranger, he must now atone for his ego through leading a mechanized battalion of soldiers dealing from all ranges of men. From the fire-eating infantrymen he knows all too well to the rear-echelon personnel who work behind the scenes and keep the battalion running. After successful completing his mission, Always finds himself heading to heaven but as a changed man who has found an appreciation for all walks of life in the Army.
TDoH 781 focuses on two major aspects that will be important to the reader. One being the focus Always has on other personnel who turn out to be dire to the battalion effort, particularly the operations required for a mechanized unit to function and the extreme in depth planning and execution required to command a mechanized unit in comparison to a light infantry unit Always had known so well. The second being the extremely detailed and accurate mission orientation that the author presents while the story progresses. While Always and his commanders and staff plan and execute an operation, whichever it may be, you follow these soldiers through the whole operation to the very minute detail as you see them weigh their tactical benefits and risks before ultimately designing their plan. Every step of modern day mechanized combat is recorded to precise detail almost to the point of redundancy. While the average reader may find this as falter to the book, I believe that this emphasizes the reality of combat a commander faces and can be a reminder to a junior officer that this is what they should prepare for. Their communications will fail, they will stay up for 5 days without sleep, they will fail to counter enemy reconnaissance, and at times they will fail their objective even if every member of their entire division executed their operation accordingly. On the same note, after trial and trial again, Always learns from his shortcomings each operation and both corrects the errors he made in the past and also finds a deeper understanding of the men he commands in areas he may have before never cared for.
Junior officers can benefit from reading this book as it provides insight on the battalion level operations that they may not be exposed to as often when compared to the typical platoon level operations. The average platoon leader doesn’t spend much time on counter-reconnaissance, reconstitution of a large force or any other myriad of larger scale operations unless you specifically belong to that field. Always, and in turn McDonough, serves as push to get the reader, with the target audience being young officers, to take expand their tactical application beyond the basic California or New York flank. McDonough tries to encourage the reader to truly apply the knowledge of reconnaissance, terrain, enemy disposition, and intent to think outside of the box when deciding tactical decisions rather than the simple methods a officer may already imagine. Always also emphasize the capabilities of one’s subordinates and the intelligence and training. He alone cannot carry the weight of the battalion, just like you alone cannot carry the weight of a platoon, thats why you have a PSG and your leaders. These people have all the training and experience the Army has to offer but are only as strong as their commander, tactical application is can only take you so far but you cannot be two places at once. Trust your squad leaders and lean on them, delegate what you can and trust them to execute your intent.
Always continues to learn through each operation, most of which end in failure, and at the end of each operation he leaves his own AAR of which again leaders can find very useful. My biggest takeaways were as follows:
As a leader, put yourself in a critical place, a picture says 1000 words.
Never put a non-sustaining force too far away from the main force without confident commitment for reinforcements.
Practice rehearsal as much as time will allow.
Don’t believe every report, weigh every report with its plausibility.
Assume confusion will reign at the moment of execution, and plan accordingly
Every resource must be brought to bear on the enemy; spare him nothing. Then and only then will he be stopped.
A deception, no matter how simple, pays off. Win the reconnaissance battle and you’re well on your way to win it all.
A commander is human, and a human is limited. He cannot bear the burden by himself.
TDoH 781 allows the reader to conceptualize the tactical application of a large unit, encourages them to apply tactical prowess and engage the enemy in the convention that fits the specific situation rather that the conventional style taught to them, and gain a better appreciation for all members that make up the Army. Very useful for upcoming combat leaders. 4.2
Lt. Colonel Always finds himself in quite a precarious situation after being killed and brought to purgatory from eating the brand new MRE issued meals. After viewing himself as too high and mighty during his lifetime as a Ranger, he must now atone for his ego through leading a mechanized battalion of soldiers dealing from all ranges of men. From the fire-eating infantrymen he knows all too well to the rear-echelon personnel who work behind the scenes and keep the battalion running. After successful completing his mission, Always finds himself heading to heaven but as a changed man who has found an appreciation for all walks of life in the Army.
TDoH 781 focuses on two major aspects that will be important to the reader. One being the focus Always has on other personnel who turn out to be dire to the battalion effort, particularly the operations required for a mechanized unit to function and the extreme in depth planning and execution required to command a mechanized unit in comparison to a light infantry unit Always had known so well. The second being the extremely detailed and accurate mission orientation that the author presents while the story progresses. While Always and his commanders and staff plan and execute an operation, whichever it may be, you follow these soldiers through the whole operation to the very minute detail as you see them weigh their tactical benefits and risks before ultimately designing their plan. Every step of modern day mechanized combat is recorded to precise detail almost to the point of redundancy. While the average reader may find this as falter to the book, I believe that this emphasizes the reality of combat a commander faces and can be a reminder to a junior officer that this is what they should prepare for. Their communications will fail, they will stay up for 5 days without sleep, they will fail to counter enemy reconnaissance, and at times they will fail their objective even if every member of their entire division executed their operation accordingly. On the same note, after trial and trial again, Always learns from his shortcomings each operation and both corrects the errors he made in the past and also finds a deeper understanding of the men he commands in areas he may have before never cared for.
Junior officers can benefit from reading this book as it provides insight on the battalion level operations that they may not be exposed to as often when compared to the typical platoon level operations. The average platoon leader doesn’t spend much time on counter-reconnaissance, reconstitution of a large force or any other myriad of larger scale operations unless you specifically belong to that field. Always, and in turn McDonough, serves as push to get the reader, with the target audience being young officers, to take expand their tactical application beyond the basic California or New York flank. McDonough tries to encourage the reader to truly apply the knowledge of reconnaissance, terrain, enemy disposition, and intent to think outside of the box when deciding tactical decisions rather than the simple methods a officer may already imagine. Always also emphasize the capabilities of one’s subordinates and the intelligence and training. He alone cannot carry the weight of the battalion, just like you alone cannot carry the weight of a platoon, thats why you have a PSG and your leaders. These people have all the training and experience the Army has to offer but are only as strong as their commander, tactical application is can only take you so far but you cannot be two places at once. Trust your squad leaders and lean on them, delegate what you can and trust them to execute your intent.
Always continues to learn through each operation, most of which end in failure, and at the end of each operation he leaves his own AAR of which again leaders can find very useful. My biggest takeaways were as follows:
As a leader, put yourself in a critical place, a picture says 1000 words.
Never put a non-sustaining force too far away from the main force without confident commitment for reinforcements.
Practice rehearsal as much as time will allow.
Don’t believe every report, weigh every report with its plausibility.
Assume confusion will reign at the moment of execution, and plan accordingly
Every resource must be brought to bear on the enemy; spare him nothing. Then and only then will he be stopped.
A deception, no matter how simple, pays off. Win the reconnaissance battle and you’re well on your way to win it all.
A commander is human, and a human is limited. He cannot bear the burden by himself.
TDoH 781 allows the reader to conceptualize the tactical application of a large unit, encourages them to apply tactical prowess and engage the enemy in the convention that fits the specific situation rather that the conventional style taught to them, and gain a better appreciation for all members that make up the Army. Very useful for upcoming combat leaders. 4.2
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2021
A. Tack on the Defense!
“Defense of Hill 781” is a modern military classic for those either aspiring to be excellent battalion/brigade commanders or those just wanting to understand the immense complexities in running a professional army unit in combat. It’s a remarkable accomplishment that integrates innumerable military check and to-do lists and dramatizes them in a memorable, gripping story.
The book was written by a brilliant military strategist, James McDonough, towards the end of his tour as a seminar leader at the Army’s “extremely rigorous” School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). McDonough later became the Director of SAMS. As such, McDonough’s book is in essence a professional master class taking one through half a dozen or so combat confrontations while watching the protagonist Lieutenant Colonel A. Tack Always (a small degree of mirth inserted to keep things extra interesting) lose, win, but always learn as he takes his battalion through the trials, tribulations, and purgatory of a rotation at the Army’s National Training Center, located at Ft. Irwin, in the desert northeast of Los Angeles, half-way to Las Vegas.
McDonough nicely works tension and suspense into the book as challenges are continuously thrown at Colonel Always Like a TV surgeon ordering up scalpel, forceps, syringe, etc., Colonel Always orders this, that, and that to eventually (spoiler alert?) win the day. For the most part, the author makes things easy: Company commanders have last names corresponding to their companies, e.g., Archer for Company A., Baker for Company B, etc. The author also mixes in his boxing background: Axis LEFT, Objective JAB, and comments like (p 68): “Altogether, he [Always] felt like he was on the losing end of a fifteen-round decision.” In addition, McDonough includes examples of military Sherlockian deduction: The enemy’s doing this and that, ergo, he’ll likely do this next…and this is how we can counter him. As well, McDonough throws in numerous instances of how character and leadership psychology add to a winning formula. As if this isn’t enough, the author has Always review his lessons learned in bold after each exercise.
Should the author ever wish to improve upon perfection in a future edition, here are some thoughts: Broaden the book’s audience with a glossary of terms (equipment and personnel), map symbols, and 24-hour-clock military time. For example, PITS could be an easy way for the nonmilitary reader to remember staff designators such as S1 (Personnel), S2 (Intelligence), S3 (Training/Operations), and S4 (Supply). While US Army acronyms are frequently mentioned upon introduction (e.g., TOC for Tactical Operations Center or command post), sometimes I don’t believe (without triple-checking) they are (e.g., FSO (Fire Support Officer, p 70); and FEBA (Forward Edge of Battle Area, p 188). So too with when addressing non-US equipment, e.g., T-72 (Russian tank) and BMP (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, Soviet Russian for “infantry fighting vehicle”). For the unfamiliar, the box over the unit size designation means task force or team. Finally, it would be nice to have an overall map to see all points of interest in relation to one another. This would have precluded a small error on page 168, where Hill 876 is said to be in the east, when in fact, it is in the west.
Bottom-line: Any very minor issues aside and those mostly for the nonmilitary reader, this wondrous, extremely well-crafted book is a treasure-trove of Army strategy and tactics. Very highly recommended!
Of possible interest: Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation and George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon.
“Defense of Hill 781” is a modern military classic for those either aspiring to be excellent battalion/brigade commanders or those just wanting to understand the immense complexities in running a professional army unit in combat. It’s a remarkable accomplishment that integrates innumerable military check and to-do lists and dramatizes them in a memorable, gripping story.
The book was written by a brilliant military strategist, James McDonough, towards the end of his tour as a seminar leader at the Army’s “extremely rigorous” School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). McDonough later became the Director of SAMS. As such, McDonough’s book is in essence a professional master class taking one through half a dozen or so combat confrontations while watching the protagonist Lieutenant Colonel A. Tack Always (a small degree of mirth inserted to keep things extra interesting) lose, win, but always learn as he takes his battalion through the trials, tribulations, and purgatory of a rotation at the Army’s National Training Center, located at Ft. Irwin, in the desert northeast of Los Angeles, half-way to Las Vegas.
McDonough nicely works tension and suspense into the book as challenges are continuously thrown at Colonel Always Like a TV surgeon ordering up scalpel, forceps, syringe, etc., Colonel Always orders this, that, and that to eventually (spoiler alert?) win the day. For the most part, the author makes things easy: Company commanders have last names corresponding to their companies, e.g., Archer for Company A., Baker for Company B, etc. The author also mixes in his boxing background: Axis LEFT, Objective JAB, and comments like (p 68): “Altogether, he [Always] felt like he was on the losing end of a fifteen-round decision.” In addition, McDonough includes examples of military Sherlockian deduction: The enemy’s doing this and that, ergo, he’ll likely do this next…and this is how we can counter him. As well, McDonough throws in numerous instances of how character and leadership psychology add to a winning formula. As if this isn’t enough, the author has Always review his lessons learned in bold after each exercise.
Should the author ever wish to improve upon perfection in a future edition, here are some thoughts: Broaden the book’s audience with a glossary of terms (equipment and personnel), map symbols, and 24-hour-clock military time. For example, PITS could be an easy way for the nonmilitary reader to remember staff designators such as S1 (Personnel), S2 (Intelligence), S3 (Training/Operations), and S4 (Supply). While US Army acronyms are frequently mentioned upon introduction (e.g., TOC for Tactical Operations Center or command post), sometimes I don’t believe (without triple-checking) they are (e.g., FSO (Fire Support Officer, p 70); and FEBA (Forward Edge of Battle Area, p 188). So too with when addressing non-US equipment, e.g., T-72 (Russian tank) and BMP (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, Soviet Russian for “infantry fighting vehicle”). For the unfamiliar, the box over the unit size designation means task force or team. Finally, it would be nice to have an overall map to see all points of interest in relation to one another. This would have precluded a small error on page 168, where Hill 876 is said to be in the east, when in fact, it is in the west.
Bottom-line: Any very minor issues aside and those mostly for the nonmilitary reader, this wondrous, extremely well-crafted book is a treasure-trove of Army strategy and tactics. Very highly recommended!
Of possible interest: Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation and George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon.
December 7, 2017
For those of you Team Yankee/Red Storm Rising/World War III fans, both the books AND the games that have derived therefrom, here is a perfect dessert. James McDonough had written a military allegory, teaching both TeamWork and tactics to the wayward young officer. The set up may be hokey and the writing of average caliber, but the tactical problems outlined are classic and the resultant action is straightforward. Lt. Col . Tack Always finds himself at the National Training Center out in the California Desert, having to get his Battalion size force through a week of hard engagement- so he can get into Infantry Heaven. But the chapters that follow- Dawn Attack, Change Of Mission, defense in Sector, Deliberate Attack, Night Attack and Battle Position Defense are wonderful explanation of the US army method. While clearly this book was written for professionals for whom nothing will surprise, for others the trip inside orders meetings at multiple levels, logistical discussion of different levels and the finer elements of morale and team-building will be revealing. we follow a combined arms team with M1 Tanks and Bradley APCs as well as Anti-Tank, Engineer, Helo, and logistical units, so this equipment and some of this doctrine still pertain to this day. Once one gets past the stiff setup, the book fairly flies along. Junior readers will find their persistence rewarded, although some battle damage assessments are brutally frank. For Military Enthusiasts/Gamers/Modellers the book is a treasure trove. Since the Forces used are very similar to WarGame units the Gamer has ready made scenarios, and the modeller has a myriad of scenes to turn into dioramas, although they will need to use other photos as the book is bereft of those. The many maps will be useful both in the reading and in the turning of these ideas into games. Any gamer of the modern era should read this book. As a remnant of Cold War military literature it has a place too.
April 5, 2020
An absolute MUST READ for any warfighter or student of combined arms maneuver. Admittedly, a friend lent me this book a year ago, but knowing I would want to mark in it I bought my own copy and returned his. That copy then sat on my desk until now. Written in the frame of the famous Defence of Duffer’s Drift allegory, Hill 781 is the summation of the authors extensive experience at the National Training Center. It is a fictional narrative about light-fighting, airborne Lieutenant Colonel A. Tack Always who dies from eating three complete MREs in a single day. He finds himself in purgatory where he is to pay his penance by leading a combined arms battalion against a determined enemy at Fort Irwin, CA–and suffer the evaluations of Observer Controllers. This is a short read, but its detail and use of graphics and details about the fight to paint the narrative of an ongoing battle resulted in me taking meticulous notes and wearing my highlighter thin on ink. This is a book about the nitty-gritty details of leading, fighting, and winning in combat. It is equal parts science and art. I cannot believe I waited this long to read it and will definitely be revisiting the many tabbed pages in the future.
August 21, 2016
I read this book because a former Army mentor and rater had recommended I read it. It is the story of a Lieutenant Colonel leading a battalion into a fictional battle. I found the amount of planning, coordination, execution and communication needed to be truly successful to be a bit overwhelming. That's why you have a staff and team to help you out. Here is a quote from the book that resonated with me, "A commander is human, and as a human, he is limited. He cannot shoulder the entire burden by himself. He needs others to help him, to pick up where his energies run out, when he cannot be there, when he is hit. He can command--but he needs others to make his command effective. It is not a sign of weakness to let others assert their strengths. The weakness lies in excusing them from the responsibility of independent, decentralized leadership, from denying them the incentive to pick up the mantle when the commander cannot do it all himself." If you want to learn military battle tactics, this is a book for you.
January 18, 2020
It’s like I was back at the NTC as an OCT watching units go through a rotation, or at my own BCT rotation and the bde 3. The book, written in 1988 I believe, is a mirror image of today’s fights at CTCs. The only major change is the technology, the doctrine and lessons remain the same. The men fighting remain the same. It was at NTC that I learned the true meaning of combining arms, all arms, be it combat or support. It takes everyone to when any fight. I am not a reader of military books, military history, and so on. I read doctrine and take pride in my knowledge and application of it, but find little interest in military history. This will quite possibly be my downfall and exit out of the army someday when someone higher than me believes I need to read and study history more. But for now, this book has opened my eyes to something that I need subordinates to read someday, if in fact I am in command in the future. I want the chance to fight at a CTC again. To lead Soldiers again, just like LTC Always did in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
This is a good book for visualizing the challenges of a mechanized rotation to NTC as well as considering other lessons. Some of the key themes of the book:
1. Mission Command and enabling subordinates to retain flexibility and some autonomy is important in a combined arms fight.
2. Mechanized soldiers and mechanized infantry are just as good at light albeit different.
3. Gunnery is king in combat amongst tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
4. Providing maximum time to subordinates is more important than a great order.
1. Mission Command and enabling subordinates to retain flexibility and some autonomy is important in a combined arms fight.
2. Mechanized soldiers and mechanized infantry are just as good at light albeit different.
3. Gunnery is king in combat amongst tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
4. Providing maximum time to subordinates is more important than a great order.
April 22, 2018
Not sure how I managed to never have finished this classic ( and often required ) reading for junior leaders, but it is a quick and easy read that contains virtually all of the lessons and principles that our leaders need to master. Although the dream sequence plot can be a bit clunky, the content is spot on, relevant and worth every turn of the page. A must read for our junior leaders and highly recommended for all.
December 16, 2018
A wickedly funny, but serious look at command. No reader who has been through an IOC, coyote, or NTC debrief can escape this book without more than one audible chortle. Despite some dating (non persistent gas to deny enemy OPs? Deconflicting air and IDF only through time?), the book is a welcome update of Duffer’s Drift to the modern warrior. Read the majority of the book in an afternoon.
July 23, 2017
A must-read for ground combat arms leaders at the tactical level, regardless of platform or MOS. The lessons in this book are timeless, and they do not apply only to mech infantry. Written in the style of The Defense of Duffer's Drift.
November 7, 2017
Outstanding, entertaining read of fictional characters that learn real lessons of tactical leadership. This book is a lens into the world of the US Army's combined arms battalion and the nuances required to lead them effectively.
May 26, 2019
Honestly, I thought the book was difficult to get through. Personally, I feel like I would have had more interest in it if it followed an actual historical campaign rather than a fictional campaign. Well written, but just couldn't get my interest.
June 24, 2021
Required Reading
This is an excellent book for Soldiers, particularly those interested in the Combined Arms fight and how to approach leadership as a learning process. Perfect for leader development programs.
This is an excellent book for Soldiers, particularly those interested in the Combined Arms fight and how to approach leadership as a learning process. Perfect for leader development programs.
October 25, 2021
Again, rather worrisome that professional military people learn here what they are not taught in their courses. McDonough writes clearly and distinctly of combat with compelling clarity about all its aspects.
June 23, 2018
A worthy successor to The Defense of Duffer's Drift. I think I got all the military strategy down. I'm ready to command a mechanized infantry battalion... or maybe not.
January 6, 2019
Excellent story required read for tactical leaders
April 7, 2019
This is an easy to read narrative version of an NTC AAR. It's a reflection on tactical leadership. The protagonist is a mechanized battalion task force commander.
September 21, 2019
I loved Duffer's Drift, Defense of Jisr AlDorea, and I love this one even more. It's modern, it's easy to read and it packs lots of lessons about the basics.
January 6, 2014
Putting this under non-fiction, despite the slightly fantastical premise to it.
Lt. Col. A Tack Always ends up in Purgatory, and must overcome his bias against other branches of the army as well as proving his leadership skills before he can finally find rest.
Purgatory in this case in the National Training Center, with a similar group of soldiers and officers also trying to prove themselves.
The enemy know the ground well, and get quicker replacements, and Always needs to fight them all of the way.
This is a cleverly written book, not just for military enthusiasts, explaining the situation, forces deployed and decisions taken, with a critique at the end of each chapter which become lessons for Always into the next situation.
Lt. Col. A Tack Always ends up in Purgatory, and must overcome his bias against other branches of the army as well as proving his leadership skills before he can finally find rest.
Purgatory in this case in the National Training Center, with a similar group of soldiers and officers also trying to prove themselves.
The enemy know the ground well, and get quicker replacements, and Always needs to fight them all of the way.
This is a cleverly written book, not just for military enthusiasts, explaining the situation, forces deployed and decisions taken, with a critique at the end of each chapter which become lessons for Always into the next situation.
December 12, 2007
An update of The Defence of Differ's Drift; where the original depicted a British lieutenant leading an infantry platoon of around the year 1900, this book is about an American lieutenant colonel in charge of a mechanized infantry battalion (a much larger unit, some three or four dozen times as many people and a whole bunch of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles and machinery); it uses the same storytelling/teaching method of having the protagonist face repeated tactical challenges and learning new lessons from his mistakes of planning and execution each time. Interesting enough to keep, re-read multiple times, and study.
September 5, 2010
Good book. Worthy of a read.
September 24, 2012
A solid Retailing of Duffers Drift on a far greater scale. Read it as a lieutenant and it has stuck with me for almost 2 decades.
June 18, 2016
A fantastic look at modern mechanized tactics.
Read
June 30, 2016Geleend van Lkol Ouwehand
Boek is aanrader voor iedere batstaf functionaris
Boek is aanrader voor iedere batstaf functionaris
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2012
Great primer for combat leadership at the tactical level.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews