How Great Generals Win

Name: How Great Generals Win
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)
Author: Bevin Alexander
ISBN: 9781481577144

Author: Bevin Alexander

Narrator: James Slattery

Unabridged: 9 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 06/30/2010

Categories: Nonfiction, Military History

Synopsis

Throughout history, great generals have done what their enemies have least expected. Instead of direct, predictable attack, they have deceived, encircled, outflanked, out-thought, and overcome often superior armies commanded by conventional thinkers.Collected here are the stories of the most successful commanders of all time, among them Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stonewall Jackson, Sherman, Rommel, and Mao Zedong. Each demonstrated the strategic and tactical genius essential for victory—a virtue that, ironically, does not come naturally to military organizations. More often than not, the straight-ahead, narrow-thinking soldier will be promoted over his more lateral-minded, devious counterpart. Yet when the latter gains control, the results may be spectacular.

About Bevin Alexander

Bevin Alexander is the author of seven books of military history, including How Hitler Could Have Won World War II and Lost Victories, which was named by the Civil War Book Review as one of the seventeen books that have most transformed Civil War scholarship. He was an advisor to the Rand Corporation for a study on future warfare and was a participant in a war-game simulation run by the Training and Doctrine Command of the US Army. His battle studies of the Korean War, written during his decorated service as a combat historian, are stored in the National Archives in Washington, DC. He lives in Bremo Bluff, Virginia.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Gilbert on October 30, 2021

This one is obviously for lovers of military history and strategy. I don’t think this was one of the best Great Courses books, but that may be because I’ve enjoyed so many on similar topics that nothing here felt fresh. Obviously, that could be quite different if I had started with this one. Overall......more

Goodreads review by Donald on August 12, 2012

I will NEVER again mention to my southerner wife that Mr.Alexander thought Robert E. Lee was not a good tactical leader. Her reply? "Shut your mourh you damn Yankee."......more

Goodreads review by Michael on February 21, 2015

"How Great Generals Win," is a study of tactics, the rules of war and how they were put in to practice by great generals. The major rules covered are: operating on the line of least expectation and least resistance, maneuvering onto the rear of the enemy, occupying the central position, following a......more

Goodreads review by Chris on January 06, 2019

One of the cleanest synthesis of historically successful field tactics I've read thus far. Alexander focuses his study by identifying a select few tactical gambits that have shown themselves efficacious repeatedly throughout history in diverse scenarios, cultures, and geographies. These cases includ......more

Goodreads review by Les on June 12, 2016

Bevin Alexander is an interesting fellow. He's a skillful and engaging writer of history. This book is filled with history's most proficient, intelligent and capable military leaders from Hannibal Barca to Douglas MacArthur. There are maps, descriptions of weapons, terrain, tactics and battle plans.......more

Quotes

“This study is essential reading for students of military strategy and tactics.” Publishers Weekly

“For lifelong armchair warriors.” Booklist

“An astute military historian’s mildly contrarian appraisal of what separates the sheep from the wolves in the great game of war…Informed opinions on the martial arts that draw provocative distinctions between victors and winners.” Kirkus Reviews