The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World

by Andrew Roberts

Which was the most brilliant of Napoleon's victories? How close did the Duke of Wellington come to losing the battle of Waterloo? What qualities made 'Stonewall' Jackson a battlefield commander of genius? What tactics did Montgomery employ to defeat Rommel at Alamein? How did General Giap's Viet Minh troops inflict defeat on a French army at Dienbienphu, despite the massive artillery superiority of their colonial opponents? The answers to these and a myriad other fascinating questions can be found in The Art of War, a sumptuous chronological survey of the 50 greatest commanders of the early modern and modern worlds. Compiled by an exceptionally distinguished team of historians (the contributors include such eminent names as Antonia Fraser, Alistair Horne, Michael Burleigh, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Richard Overy) working under the general editorship of the Andrew Roberts, The Art of War is an authoritative and lavishly illustrated account of the lives and careers of the 50 greatest military commanders of the period, from Cromwell to Konev, from Marlborough to Moltke, and from Petain to Patton. Every commander is profiled in a concise and informative 3000-word article which not only brings its subject vividly to life via a lively, fact-driven narrative, but also analyses and assesses his tactical and strategic gifts. Each biography is accompanied by a 'battle feature' or 'campaign feature' - embellished by a full-colour battle plan or campaign map - focusing on the commander's greatest battlefield achievement. As accessible and informative as it is rigorous and scholarly, The Art of War is the perfect introduction to its subject for the layperson - but also a stimulating and thought-provoking read for those with greater knowledge of military history. With its companion volume, focusing on the great commanders of the ancient and medieval eras, it forms an indispensable guide to the greatest generals the world has seen.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction, Medieval, Reference

432 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2008

About the author

Dr Andrew Roberts, who was born in 1963, took a first class honours degree in Modern History at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, from where he is an honorary senior scholar and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). He has written or edited twelve books, and appears regularly on radio and television around the world. Based in New York, he is an accomplished public speaker, and is represented by HarperCollins Speakers’ Bureau (See Speaking Engagements and Speaking Testimonials). He has recently lectured at Yale, Princeton and Stanford Universities and at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big, thick, coffee table book with short chapters describing the leading military leaders of antiquity. There's a lot for the layperson to learn here, although the content is broad rather than deep. Recommended for history buffs who want an overview of historical figures, but would rather be spared the gory details.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but it suffers in comparison to its predecessor in that, since it only covers the most recent four centuries instead of two millenia, the authors have to "lower the bar", so to speak, to fill up the book. Still, the format of short chapters dedicated to individual commanders works well for the casual reader.