Battling the Elements: Weather and Terrain in the Conduct of War

by Harold A. Winters, Gerald A. Galloway Jr. (Primary Contributor), William J. Reynolds (Primary Contributor)

Throughout history, from Kublai Khan's attempted invasions of Japan to Rommel's desert warfare, military operations have succeeded or failed on the ability of commanders to incorporate environmental conditions into their tactics. In Battling the Elements , geographer Harold A. Winters and former U.S. Army officers Gerald E. Galloway Jr., William J. Reynolds, and David W. Rhyne, examine the connections between major battles in world history and their geographic components, revealing what role factors such as weather, climate, terrain, soil, and vegetation have played in combat. Each chapter offers a detailed and engaging explanation of a specific environmental factor and then looks at several battles that highlight its effects on military operations. As this cogent analysis of geography and war makes clear, those who know more about the shape, nature, and variability of battleground conditions will always have a better understanding of the nature of combat and at least one significant advantage over a less knowledgeable enemy.

Genres: Military History, Geography, Military Fiction, History

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 1998

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a series of essays on how geography and weather affected battle. The lesson of geography is that 'it depends.' This tome also offers clear evidence that terrain has a significant impact on operational art. A good read for those accustomed to the U. S.'s recent wars in South Asia where the impact of terrain was mostly a tactical problem. Provides much detail on actual geological and weather processes. Overall, worth your time but expect no revelations.

[Alec Bullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly good book about the impact of geography in warfare.

The book is organized around specific kinds of geography, with chapters dedicated to things like islands, peninsulas, woods, rivers, etc. In each chapter, the authors go into the hard science of how the geographic feature is formed, and then they illustrate with usually two examples of battles or campaigns that were impacted by those geographic features. It can get very technical in the "hard science" sections, but the payoff in understanding how it impacts a later battle is worthwhile.

I never considered the significance of the river delta environment on Operation Market Garden, or why it's so extremely difficult to land at Inchon in Korea, or how air cavalry clashed with NVA forces at Ia Drang in Vietnam because of a jungle's features.

An excellent tour de force in why good commanders and strategists pay attention to geographic features, even in the era of GPS and jet aircraft.

[Laur · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have insomnia, this is the book for you! I had to read it for grad school. On the positive side, if you are interested in geographic strategy and military history that goes into excruciating detail about tides, tundras, and why starting a landwar in the Western part of Russian during winter, then proceed...with copious amounts of coffee.

[Bryan Batson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A study of the effects of weather and terrain on military operations, this book is useful for the historian, professional military member, planner, or interested layman. It is clear and concise using explicite historical examples to show how natural factors enfluence the outcome of battle in both routine and exstrodinary ways.

[Anna Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry at times - but a good look at how terrain and weather affect tactical movements and the decisions behind them.