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The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security
The ideas of US Air Force Colonel John Boyd have transformed American military policy and practice. A first-rate fighter pilot and a self-taught scholar, he wrote the first manual on jet aerial combat; spearheaded the design of both of the Air Force's premier fighters, the F-15 and the F-16; and shaped the tactics that saved lives during the Vietnam War and the strategies that won the Gulf War. Many of America's best-known military and political leaders consulted Boyd on matters of technology, strategy, and theory.
In The Mind of War , Grant T. Hammond offers the first complete portrait of John Boyd, his groundbreaking ideas, and his enduring legacy. Based on extensive interviews with Boyd and those who knew him as well as on a close analysis of Boyd's briefings, this intellectual biography brings the work of an extraordinary thinker to a broader public. The paperback will retain the original publication date as it is the same book but different format.
In The Mind of War , Grant T. Hammond offers the first complete portrait of John Boyd, his groundbreaking ideas, and his enduring legacy. Based on extensive interviews with Boyd and those who knew him as well as on a close analysis of Boyd's briefings, this intellectual biography brings the work of an extraordinary thinker to a broader public. The paperback will retain the original publication date as it is the same book but different format.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 15, 2014
A very detailed biography of a vastly misunderstood man. Where Coram's description is mostly of the man himself, rather than his ideas; Hammond spends most of his time digging into Boyd's ideas. Boyd was an extremely flawed husband, father, and yes even officer. But despite his lumps he was a morally courageous officer and brilliant thinker.
Where Coram only gives you a basic overview of his theories (of which his minor theory is the oft-quoted mostly misunderstood OODA loop), but really this is only enough to pique your interest. Hammond's "The Mind of War" is more effective at describing Boyd's theories. Hammond spends most of his time focusing upon the operational art of Boyd's effects upon the tactical and grand-tactical levels, so if you prefer to focus upon these areas then Hammond's text is for you. But Osinga's "Science, Strategy and War" is most exhaustive at providing the reader with Boyd's intellectual context and foundations.
Boyd's most important and novel addition to humankind is his theories on learning in within uncertainty, adaptation, and synthesis of new novel strategies, theories, and concepts for application in the future. This goes well beyond the OODA-loop! For those readers who desire further insight in how successful learners overcome and adapt to change these texts are must-reads!
Where Coram only gives you a basic overview of his theories (of which his minor theory is the oft-quoted mostly misunderstood OODA loop), but really this is only enough to pique your interest. Hammond's "The Mind of War" is more effective at describing Boyd's theories. Hammond spends most of his time focusing upon the operational art of Boyd's effects upon the tactical and grand-tactical levels, so if you prefer to focus upon these areas then Hammond's text is for you. But Osinga's "Science, Strategy and War" is most exhaustive at providing the reader with Boyd's intellectual context and foundations.
Boyd's most important and novel addition to humankind is his theories on learning in within uncertainty, adaptation, and synthesis of new novel strategies, theories, and concepts for application in the future. This goes well beyond the OODA-loop! For those readers who desire further insight in how successful learners overcome and adapt to change these texts are must-reads!
July 6, 2012
John Boyd is one of the most underappreciated military thinkers in history. Of the last half-century, it's probably also fair to say that he was one of the only strategic thinkers of any position of power in the United States.
When it comes to this book, there are two problems. 1) Boyd didn't do himself justice. He hardly wrote anything down, he shunned attention and was highly combative. 2) Hammond hardly does Boyd justice either. This book is dry, dull and uninspired.
I'm sure the first problem exacerbated the second but there is no excuse for a lifeless book on such fascinating subject. There is no comparison between Mind of War and Robert Coram's "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War."
In short, skip this book unless you're using it as a supplement for Coram's biography or for research purposes. If you're considering learning about Boyd for the first time, this is not the place to start.
When it comes to this book, there are two problems. 1) Boyd didn't do himself justice. He hardly wrote anything down, he shunned attention and was highly combative. 2) Hammond hardly does Boyd justice either. This book is dry, dull and uninspired.
I'm sure the first problem exacerbated the second but there is no excuse for a lifeless book on such fascinating subject. There is no comparison between Mind of War and Robert Coram's "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War."
In short, skip this book unless you're using it as a supplement for Coram's biography or for research purposes. If you're considering learning about Boyd for the first time, this is not the place to start.
July 28, 2019
A Better Book on Boyd
This is one of the better books on John Boyd and his thinking. Unlike others that are overly simplistic, this book helps the reader capture the essence of Boyd's thought. It does not over simplify the OODA loop. Instead the reader is presented with a useful context and holistic understanding of Boyd's thought. This book is recommended for the reader who wants a deeper understanding of John Boyd's work.
This is one of the better books on John Boyd and his thinking. Unlike others that are overly simplistic, this book helps the reader capture the essence of Boyd's thought. It does not over simplify the OODA loop. Instead the reader is presented with a useful context and holistic understanding of Boyd's thought. This book is recommended for the reader who wants a deeper understanding of John Boyd's work.
November 28, 2021
Just finished the copy I borrowed from the library. Aaaaaand just bought a copy of my own online. This book demands a permanent place on my shelf. Definitely in the top five most important reads of my lifetime so far.
Boyd was a military genius only because he chose to channel much of his genius into the military. He was, in fact, a genius in all respects -- a thinker who wasn't merely comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, but who thrived on them. He was a maverick's maverick. Nobody has mattered more to the way the U.S. military approaches warfare today, but his ideas are applicable across every variety of human interaction.
Parts of the book are extremely difficult to read. I found myself losing focus in some spots. Forcing myself to go back and reread, as slowly and as many times as it took to gain an understanding, was worthwhile. Other parts of the book -- the biographical parts -- are very accessible. All of it is worthwhile.
Full credit to author Hammond for taking on the hard parts that endeavor to explain how Boyd arrived at his insights and then sought to work his way backward, chasing the question that some item of intuitive discovery might answer. And full credit for diligently persevering in the effort to explain the scientific and moral principles that underlay Boyd's methods and explorations. It's hard to imagine a thornier challenge for an author than to translate the intricate thinking of a genius -- with a most unusual approach to thought itself -- into something accessible to far more pedestrian thinkers. To an admirable extent, Hammond has succeeded. But the parts of this book that matter the most place significant demands on the reader. Read those parts when you're wide awake and safe from distractions. Give Boyd your full attention. Re-read as necessary. Put the book down if you're losing focus. I can't recall having read a book more worth the immersion "The Mind of War" requires.
And if you're wiser than I, you won't borrow it from the library. Just buy it at the outset. Then you can highlight sentences and make margin notes to your heart's (mind's?) content. It's that kind of book, and I guarantee you will want to refer to it repeatedly once it's on your shelf.
Boyd was a military genius only because he chose to channel much of his genius into the military. He was, in fact, a genius in all respects -- a thinker who wasn't merely comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, but who thrived on them. He was a maverick's maverick. Nobody has mattered more to the way the U.S. military approaches warfare today, but his ideas are applicable across every variety of human interaction.
Parts of the book are extremely difficult to read. I found myself losing focus in some spots. Forcing myself to go back and reread, as slowly and as many times as it took to gain an understanding, was worthwhile. Other parts of the book -- the biographical parts -- are very accessible. All of it is worthwhile.
Full credit to author Hammond for taking on the hard parts that endeavor to explain how Boyd arrived at his insights and then sought to work his way backward, chasing the question that some item of intuitive discovery might answer. And full credit for diligently persevering in the effort to explain the scientific and moral principles that underlay Boyd's methods and explorations. It's hard to imagine a thornier challenge for an author than to translate the intricate thinking of a genius -- with a most unusual approach to thought itself -- into something accessible to far more pedestrian thinkers. To an admirable extent, Hammond has succeeded. But the parts of this book that matter the most place significant demands on the reader. Read those parts when you're wide awake and safe from distractions. Give Boyd your full attention. Re-read as necessary. Put the book down if you're losing focus. I can't recall having read a book more worth the immersion "The Mind of War" requires.
And if you're wiser than I, you won't borrow it from the library. Just buy it at the outset. Then you can highlight sentences and make margin notes to your heart's (mind's?) content. It's that kind of book, and I guarantee you will want to refer to it repeatedly once it's on your shelf.
February 17, 2017
Hammond's book is probably the strongest general introduction to Boyd, so it'd be just like me to read the introduction last, after the general biography (Coram's Boyd), the academic analysis of OODA loop theory (Osinga's Science, Strategy, and War), and the application to business (Richard's Certain to Win). This book is an intellectual biography, tracing the development of Boyd's career from fighter pilot and the author of the Aerial Attack Study, to formulator of Energy-Maneuverability and one of the inspirations behind the F-15 and F-16, to the last third of his career, and the search for a grand strategic synthesis via the OODA loop and an unpublished presentation, A Discourse on Winning and Losing, along with the reform a hopelessly gold plated military procurement system.
Hammond was one of Boyd's confidants in the latter part of Boyd's life, a partner in long late-night phone conversations, a bouncing board for ideas, and a reviewer of scientific concepts. He paints a loving, almost hagiographic portrait of a brilliant unconventional thinker, the very antithesis of a USAF company man who won again and again by having the data and facts, against the politics of mediocrity. However, Boyd suffered greatly for his efforts: He retired on a colonel's pension and refused more than a token paycheck, and that only so he could maintain his Pentagon access. The military reform movement broke down in political disarray with the end of the Cold War. Modern strategists talk about the OODA loop all over the place, largely due to Hammond's book, but real strategic thinking is a rare bird.
Hammond was one of Boyd's confidants in the latter part of Boyd's life, a partner in long late-night phone conversations, a bouncing board for ideas, and a reviewer of scientific concepts. He paints a loving, almost hagiographic portrait of a brilliant unconventional thinker, the very antithesis of a USAF company man who won again and again by having the data and facts, against the politics of mediocrity. However, Boyd suffered greatly for his efforts: He retired on a colonel's pension and refused more than a token paycheck, and that only so he could maintain his Pentagon access. The military reform movement broke down in political disarray with the end of the Cold War. Modern strategists talk about the OODA loop all over the place, largely due to Hammond's book, but real strategic thinking is a rare bird.
February 9, 2020
A great book, providing an in depth explanation of John Boyd’s philosophies and action. Though the book does contain biographical elements, it is less a story of Boyd’s life and more about the development of his thoughts. The author does a good job of explaining the evolution of Boyd’s major theses, that of the human requirement to constantly interact with the external environment to creat positive action and avoid negative results. From his days as a top air combat maneuvering instructor through his time as an aviation technologist and finally to his leadership of Military Reform, all the various stages of Boyd’s intellectual journey are discussed in full. The last third of the book is a very useful synopsis of “Boydian” thought, with plenty of examples and contemporary quotes to supplement the author’s own words. As Boyd’s ultimate thesis was only presented orally and via his lengthy set of slides, this book presents probably one of the best written out explanations of Boyd’s thoughts. The only retraction is that, as a book written by a self-professed acolyte, it contains very little arguing of counter-points, usually relying on curt dismissals or assumptions of righteousness. This sometimes degraded the argument for, but doesn’t detract from the explanation of, Boyd’s ideas. Highly recommended for those wanting to learn more about John Boyd and his contributions.
October 30, 2019
I think it did a good job balancing the life of Boyd with the main essence of Boyd's teachings - which in itself is definitely vulnerable to over-simplification. Perhaps it has been oversimplified in this book as well? (Would probably need to read Orsinga's Science, Strategy & War to confirm) But it does expand on the OODA loop while supplementing with the thought processes required to operate through it in a comprehensive manner, which I greatly appreciated and learnt from.
September 15, 2020
As Robert Coram’s book does justice to Boyd “the man”, Grant Hammond does equal justice to Boyd “the mind.” Excellent job synthesizing the core teachings of the great military genius.
May 18, 2015
“The Mind of War” by Grant T. Hammond (Smithsonian Books, 2001) is one more in a series of books that tries to explain the life and times of John R. Boyd, a man who did no less than change the way we fight our wars. Boyd joined the Air Force and worked his way up to colonel, but his abrasive attitude prevented him from ever progressing past field grade in the service. Boyd was a deep thinker who did his part to revolutionize warfare but he rankled a lot of senior people on the way up. The difference between a General Petraeus and a Colonel Boyd is that the former achieved an unassailable rank before he started rankling the military, while the latter was only a junior officer and thus easily marginalized and prevented from achieving flag rank credibility. This was my second book on Boyd.
My first book was by Robert Coram who wrote “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War”…which is generally viewed as a more wide-ranging but less in-depth investigation of Boyd. “The Mind of War” is a bit more academic with helpful notes, but still not a wholly-satisfying narrative. Boyd was just that hard to pin down.
Boyd retired from the Air Force in 1975 and continued his work in the Pentagon for over a decade more. He died in 1997 at the age of 70. During his time in the Air Force and in the Pentagon Boyd developed novel principles of air combat, unique characteristics of decision making that could be applied to business or military matters, and fought for and achieved new designs in modern jet fighter aircraft. He presented his theories and concepts in briefings (overhead slides) – the military version of Powerpoint presentations in those days. He briefed just about any and all comers, and that is where he showed evidence of his abrasive attitude in response to those who didn’t like hearing the facts. Speaking truth to power has its risks and Boyd was penalized often for doing so.
As an example - Boyd had the opportunity to help shape the design of 4th generation fighter aircraft, most visibly demonstrated in the F-15 and F-16. With the F-15 Boyd fought the constant battle with superiors who wanted to place more and duplicative and needless extras on the airframe, rendering it less than optimal. He surreptitiously worked on the F-16 before superior officers had a chance to alter performance concepts and the result was one of the most successful fighter designs ever built. He went around people and over their heads, and achieved what was necessary but paid with career advancement. But he was a patriot first, and willing to do what was necessary.
Hammond’s book is a bit more detailed on Boyd’s concepts but still isn’t able to really get to the man. He mentions all the theories and hypotheses but doesn’t delve into them very deeply. Part of this goes to the fact Boyd left nothing published on his ideas…just lifeless briefing slides. My research into John R. Boyd continues…Jim Burton’s “Pentagon Wars” on military reform is my next approach into Boyd.
My first book was by Robert Coram who wrote “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War”…which is generally viewed as a more wide-ranging but less in-depth investigation of Boyd. “The Mind of War” is a bit more academic with helpful notes, but still not a wholly-satisfying narrative. Boyd was just that hard to pin down.
Boyd retired from the Air Force in 1975 and continued his work in the Pentagon for over a decade more. He died in 1997 at the age of 70. During his time in the Air Force and in the Pentagon Boyd developed novel principles of air combat, unique characteristics of decision making that could be applied to business or military matters, and fought for and achieved new designs in modern jet fighter aircraft. He presented his theories and concepts in briefings (overhead slides) – the military version of Powerpoint presentations in those days. He briefed just about any and all comers, and that is where he showed evidence of his abrasive attitude in response to those who didn’t like hearing the facts. Speaking truth to power has its risks and Boyd was penalized often for doing so.
As an example - Boyd had the opportunity to help shape the design of 4th generation fighter aircraft, most visibly demonstrated in the F-15 and F-16. With the F-15 Boyd fought the constant battle with superiors who wanted to place more and duplicative and needless extras on the airframe, rendering it less than optimal. He surreptitiously worked on the F-16 before superior officers had a chance to alter performance concepts and the result was one of the most successful fighter designs ever built. He went around people and over their heads, and achieved what was necessary but paid with career advancement. But he was a patriot first, and willing to do what was necessary.
Hammond’s book is a bit more detailed on Boyd’s concepts but still isn’t able to really get to the man. He mentions all the theories and hypotheses but doesn’t delve into them very deeply. Part of this goes to the fact Boyd left nothing published on his ideas…just lifeless briefing slides. My research into John R. Boyd continues…Jim Burton’s “Pentagon Wars” on military reform is my next approach into Boyd.
January 20, 2018
The Mind Of War is about the mind of one man...Colonel John Boyd. One of the finest pilots, jet designers, OODA loop inventor, and creator of maneuver warfare. A maverick. A buck the system type guy. A genius. A theory guy. An engineer. Yeah. I like this dude. Mind Of War discusses how this one single man and his merry band of fellows forced the Air Force to take the F-16. I did not know the F-4 Phantom was a Navy design forced upon the Air Force. The F-15 and A-10 were from Boyd's and others mind...the first of true Air Force designed aircraft. The F-16 was from the Fighter Mafia alone. A cheaper and sleeker alternative to the F-15. It almost trebled the Air Force fighter inventory. Later, Boyd in his retirement started lecturing about warfare and time. How to develop forces and assaults that would happen so fast that the enemy could not react fast enough. Getting within the opponents decision cycle was the game...and is now the US military's hallmark in maneuver warfare. Gulf War I and II (the initial assault) were spectacular examples of maneuver warfare. Guderian, the inventor of Blitzkrieg would have had tears in his eyes if he would have been able to witness the American assaults. The Mind Of War is a spectacular read and a must for understanding current Joint Warfare.
May 9, 2024
"People, ideas, things, in that order."
"Essence of Winning and Losing" og "A Discourse on Winning and Losing".
OODA...
"Essence of Winning and Losing" og "A Discourse on Winning and Losing".
OODA...
January 23, 2013
Worth reading alongside of complimentary book by Coram (also on Boyd). A tough subject to research and lay out in terms of the impact of this military genius whose impact was felt initially at Fighter Weapons School before moving to develop breakthrough process of describing air combat and aircraft capability (Energy Maneuverability) after which he could have still been credited with a singular achievement with far reaching impact without peer, but he then implemented it into influencing design of two of the most successful fighters ever built (F-15 and F-16) and leading the so-called Fighter Mafia in the Pentagon clashing with all levels of senior leadership. Yet, he still broke new ground in thinking about warfare as he moved beyond the province of Air Combat into nature of all conflict and breaking strategy/tactics into his now well-known OODA Loop....a must read!!
October 6, 2018
While lacking the journalistic flair of Robert Coram’s “Boyd,” Hammond’s work is documented much more thoroughly. In my mind, this alone makes it a more valuable book for those looking to dig deeper into John Boyd’s ideas, as readers of Coram’s work are left with little idea of what materials Coram used to frame his arguments. Furthermore, Coram gets a few historical details flatly wrong, yet the reader has no way of knowing this because of the absence of footnotes. Hammond’s work can be checked, and while Hammond does not explore Boyd’s personal life as extensively as Coram, his summary of Boyd’s professional ideas is more academically sound and that makes this book a better general reference on Boyd as a whole.
June 26, 2010
Very disappointing. I am a Boyd enthusiast and have read several books about him ("Boyd", "Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd", "Pentagon Wars", "Pentagon Paradox", and most of his papers), but I have tried to read this book twice and haven't been able to make it through. Instead of outlining Boyd's life and his contributions and demonstrating that he is a modern Sun Tzu, he simply states that he is a modern Sun Tzu and then quotes other people saying he is a modern Sun Tzu while leaving out the whole story.
March 1, 2015
This book has been on my shelf for years. I finally got to it in doing research for a current project. That Coram's Boyd:The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War is a more popular book is not surprising. Hammond's work is deeper in its exploration, but, it seems to me, requires a degree of familiarity with Boyd's briefings to digest fully. As a supporting text, a secondary source, for the reader endeavoring to work through the voluminous briefing slides of John Boyd it is the best thing in print.
June 14, 2015
Here you can taste a bit of Boyd’s intellectual intensity together with his numerous accomplishments in all US military echelons. This man managed to change how to fight and design fighters but also described the intellectual tools he used to do his contributions. This is priceless and is mainly related to his ability to do creative synthesis + voracious curiosity. He end up realizing that schools teach us how to do analysis leaving synthesis behind, but synthesis is the key skill to adapt therefore to thrive in life.
September 9, 2020
John Boyd is a unique character: charismatic and defiant, yet sincere in his goals. His ability to synthesize, rather than analyze, and break down significant questions into smaller, more answerable components is a gift. I admire his relatively unknown work that has helped maintain American air superiority for so long, but his work is applicable to many more fields than just aerospace.
August 7, 2019
A Boyd biography that focuses primarily on his strategic work, this is possibly the "core" Boyd piece. Well cited and researched, clearly written, and minimally distorts Boyd.
January 26, 2022
A solid biography of Col. John Boyd, Air Force fighter pilot, instructor, maverick bureaucrat, math/physics researcher, aircraft designer, and deep thinker. Author Grant Hammond knew Boyd for six years during which he served as a sounding board and gathered the wealth of personal knowledge he incorporated in this biography.
Boyd's widowed mother raised her five children under near poverty conditions. Despite his many accomplishments, Boyd never tried for, or attained, financial success. After completing his active duty military career he voluntarily worked as a civilian consultant drawing only one day's pay for every two week pay period. His driving commitment was to his country and his work.
One of his work obsessions was to bring a lightweight fighter plane into the Air Force inventory. The standard AF approach was to go for bigger, more expensive planes. Boyd developed analytic techniques that showed these planes to be inferior to Soviet aircraft, but AF leaders were not much swayed by this information. This turned Boyd into a maverick, even though this cost him good assignments, promotions, and recognition. His diligence, however, led to the eventual production of the F-16 and F-17 fighters. He developed a wide circle of believers in his approach for a more economical approach to defense weapon acquisitions. These people, in and out of government, formed the nucleus of the defense reform movement of the 1976-1986 decade.
Boyd's key tool in making his case was a series of slide briefings. These included Patterns of Conflict, and A Discourse on Winning and Losing. One eventual version contained over 350 slides and took 13 hours to present. He read frequently and widely, continually finding new insights which he incorporated into his briefings. He brought his findings on war fighting trends into his presentations, a concept now broadly known as Maneuver Warfare. This envisions small, fast moving combat groups capable of penetrating enemy formations and causing disruptions that enable larger follow-on formations to exploit. The U.S. Marine Corps is moving to the form of organization and operation.
Central to his thinking nd his briefings was the OODA loop. This involves Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action. Then repeat these steps as needed. For fighter pilots, the desired result would be to carry out this sequence more rapidly than his opponent and thus gain the advantage of position that would allow the enemy to be shot down. As a fighter pilot, he was known as "40 Second Boyd." He would bet another pilot that could maneuver to gain positional advantage over the other pilot within 40 seconds. If he did, the other pilot owed Boyd $40 dollars. If not Boyd was to pay $40; it is claimed that Boyd never had to pay.
Hammond provides extensive coverage on Boyd's career in highly readable text. This facility lags as he moves to trying to summarize the gist of the lectures. Boyd drew on so many sources, and introduced so many concepts, that a summary is difficult to produce. The pace picks up again in the closing chapters. These are an extended tribute to Boyd and his work. Hammond shows the pettiness of the Air Force toward Boyd, as bucking the management is not taken lightly, nor forgotten. The attitude of the other services stands in contrast. The Marine Corps, for instance, lauded Boyd in life and death. They acquired his books and papers for the Marine Corps University library, where they also display his Air Force flight suit.
Hammond draws on military history icons Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Jomini as he recounts Boyd's development of the patterns of warfare. He also gives examples of the breadth of his subject's reading and research into seemingly unrelated fields: evolution, neural development, engineering, and genetic algorithms. Boyd synthesizes connections with all of these fields, and more.
This is a readable, informative account of a fascinating (but not always pleasant) man and an interesting time in American history. It is recommended for curious general readers, but especially for military affairs readers.
Boyd's widowed mother raised her five children under near poverty conditions. Despite his many accomplishments, Boyd never tried for, or attained, financial success. After completing his active duty military career he voluntarily worked as a civilian consultant drawing only one day's pay for every two week pay period. His driving commitment was to his country and his work.
One of his work obsessions was to bring a lightweight fighter plane into the Air Force inventory. The standard AF approach was to go for bigger, more expensive planes. Boyd developed analytic techniques that showed these planes to be inferior to Soviet aircraft, but AF leaders were not much swayed by this information. This turned Boyd into a maverick, even though this cost him good assignments, promotions, and recognition. His diligence, however, led to the eventual production of the F-16 and F-17 fighters. He developed a wide circle of believers in his approach for a more economical approach to defense weapon acquisitions. These people, in and out of government, formed the nucleus of the defense reform movement of the 1976-1986 decade.
Boyd's key tool in making his case was a series of slide briefings. These included Patterns of Conflict, and A Discourse on Winning and Losing. One eventual version contained over 350 slides and took 13 hours to present. He read frequently and widely, continually finding new insights which he incorporated into his briefings. He brought his findings on war fighting trends into his presentations, a concept now broadly known as Maneuver Warfare. This envisions small, fast moving combat groups capable of penetrating enemy formations and causing disruptions that enable larger follow-on formations to exploit. The U.S. Marine Corps is moving to the form of organization and operation.
Central to his thinking nd his briefings was the OODA loop. This involves Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action. Then repeat these steps as needed. For fighter pilots, the desired result would be to carry out this sequence more rapidly than his opponent and thus gain the advantage of position that would allow the enemy to be shot down. As a fighter pilot, he was known as "40 Second Boyd." He would bet another pilot that could maneuver to gain positional advantage over the other pilot within 40 seconds. If he did, the other pilot owed Boyd $40 dollars. If not Boyd was to pay $40; it is claimed that Boyd never had to pay.
Hammond provides extensive coverage on Boyd's career in highly readable text. This facility lags as he moves to trying to summarize the gist of the lectures. Boyd drew on so many sources, and introduced so many concepts, that a summary is difficult to produce. The pace picks up again in the closing chapters. These are an extended tribute to Boyd and his work. Hammond shows the pettiness of the Air Force toward Boyd, as bucking the management is not taken lightly, nor forgotten. The attitude of the other services stands in contrast. The Marine Corps, for instance, lauded Boyd in life and death. They acquired his books and papers for the Marine Corps University library, where they also display his Air Force flight suit.
Hammond draws on military history icons Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Jomini as he recounts Boyd's development of the patterns of warfare. He also gives examples of the breadth of his subject's reading and research into seemingly unrelated fields: evolution, neural development, engineering, and genetic algorithms. Boyd synthesizes connections with all of these fields, and more.
This is a readable, informative account of a fascinating (but not always pleasant) man and an interesting time in American history. It is recommended for curious general readers, but especially for military affairs readers.
March 23, 2023
I found Robert Coram’s book to be a much better read about Boyd’s life though this books analysis of Boyd’s thought is more thorough.
Couple reasons for the 3 stars:
1. Hammond clearly has a chip on his shoulder against the new military and in particular the Air Force. From the outside as a civilian this comes across as unprofessional and detracts from the focus on Boyd and his thinking.
2. There were some sections I found to be incomplete or they lacked thoroughness
3. He spent a lot of time talking about the development of the f-16 which from a non-military perspective this was too much technical detail. Perhaps that reflects my own limitations though.
Couple reasons for the 3 stars:
1. Hammond clearly has a chip on his shoulder against the new military and in particular the Air Force. From the outside as a civilian this comes across as unprofessional and detracts from the focus on Boyd and his thinking.
2. There were some sections I found to be incomplete or they lacked thoroughness
3. He spent a lot of time talking about the development of the f-16 which from a non-military perspective this was too much technical detail. Perhaps that reflects my own limitations though.
September 21, 2024
Grant Hammond restitue la pensée unique et multidimensionnelle d'un pilote de chasse, John Boyd, relativement peu connu (en-dehors du concept "OODA loop"), qui a pourtant eu une influence déterminante dans des domaines aussi divers que la tactique du combat aérien, la conception d'avions de combat, et la stratégie générale, le tout en devant composer avec une institution (l'USAF) hostile qui le considérait comme une nuisance.
August 6, 2017
If you want detailed biography of the man read Coram's book Boyd. But if you want introduction to Boyd's idea this book may be the answer. But supplement the same by reading John Boyd's materials. There is no greater material on John Boyd's thinking than his materials.
December 7, 2017
Anything written about John Boyd the ‘maverick thinker’ is worth the commitment. This book discusses some of his core theories such as winning in war. John Boyd’s character and thought processes are worth studying. (Kindle).
June 13, 2022
Must read for students of Boyd
This book adds key insights and details to the work of John Boyd and Maneuver warfare than Coram's biography. The insights on the conceptual spiral alone are worth it. But overall, a moving and stimulating look at the achievements of a great man.
This book adds key insights and details to the work of John Boyd and Maneuver warfare than Coram's biography. The insights on the conceptual spiral alone are worth it. But overall, a moving and stimulating look at the achievements of a great man.
July 19, 2023
Hammond weaves Boyd’s biography, his relationship with Boyd, and Boyd’s lesson plans and briefs into an easy-to-read book. This is a great reference for anyone who wants to learn about Boyd’s orientation to his environment.
January 17, 2020
Phenomenal book, really good, recommend
May 16, 2022
A great way to get the essence of Boyd’s thinking and his contributions to the American Military. Definitely start here if you want too explore Boyd’s life and work.
October 22, 2023
A must-read for maneuver warfare. The book goes into Boyd's concepts and ideas in much greater detail than Coram's Boyd book.
December 30, 2025
[90s american infomercial voice]
October 7, 2024
Grant Hammond's "The Mind of War," is an important book about a revolutionary thinker, Col. John Boyd. Boyd took on both Newtonian science and the U.S. Air Force during the mid-twentieth century. The wounds are still open.
Boyd found himself at Georgia Tech in the early sixties, studying industrial engineering. He struggled with thermodynamics, yet managed to come away with a revolutionary way of assessing aircraft performance, over hamburgers and beer: E-M theory.
Aircraft maneuverability can be defined as the ability to change direction and/or magnitude of the velocity vector. While this describes maneuverability accurately, it provides scant aid to a fighter pilot engaged in an aerial battle. Boyd managed to move from theory to praxis.
The trade-off analysis spawned from E-M theory helped give us the F-15, the F-16, and the A-10.
In addition, Hammond traces the development of Boyd's intellectual journey; notably, examining the influence of such disparate writers as Kurt Goedel and Sun Tzu. Boyd's resulting briefings changed the way many in the American military establishment thought about compressing time in the battle space, maneuver warfare, and the general fluidity inherent to conflict.
An excellent study of a great thinker.
Boyd found himself at Georgia Tech in the early sixties, studying industrial engineering. He struggled with thermodynamics, yet managed to come away with a revolutionary way of assessing aircraft performance, over hamburgers and beer: E-M theory.
Aircraft maneuverability can be defined as the ability to change direction and/or magnitude of the velocity vector. While this describes maneuverability accurately, it provides scant aid to a fighter pilot engaged in an aerial battle. Boyd managed to move from theory to praxis.
The trade-off analysis spawned from E-M theory helped give us the F-15, the F-16, and the A-10.
In addition, Hammond traces the development of Boyd's intellectual journey; notably, examining the influence of such disparate writers as Kurt Goedel and Sun Tzu. Boyd's resulting briefings changed the way many in the American military establishment thought about compressing time in the battle space, maneuver warfare, and the general fluidity inherent to conflict.
An excellent study of a great thinker.
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