Book The Allure of Battle : How Wars Are Won and Lost in MOBI
9780195383782 English 0195383788 As Cathal J. Nolan notes in this provocative book, we have tended to think of war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements. Gettysburg, Trafalgar, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - these all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as decisive. But while it might seem obvious, what actually signifies a "decisive" battle has never been definitively agreed upon, and tends to evolve over time. Nolan argues that while battles may seem to define success or failure in warfare, the outcomes of wars themselves are determined by other factors. The Allure of Battle systematically examines a series of great battles, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred and shows how these battles actually fit into the histories of those wars and military history more generally. In each case, as Nolan reveals, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defenses. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate created from an uneven military balance, broken only over time and by a series of smaller engagements. Nolan does not propose to have discovered linear or universal laws about modern military history, nor does he attempt at a "theory of war." His aim, rather, is to examine battles within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place, and to help correct a distorted view of battle's place in war-replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war. Accessible, provocative, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle sparks fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., As Cathal J. Nolan notes, we have tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements, the so-called "battles of annihilation." Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Fredericksburg, Waterloo, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as either tide-turning or decisive. But what actually signifies a "decisive" battle has never been agreed upon, any more than the "genius" of the Great Captains - from Alexander the Great to Frederick the Great and beyond - with which they are associated. While battles may seem to define success or failure in warfare, the outcomes of wars themselves are determined by other factors. The Allure of Battle systematically examines a series of great battles, beginning in antiquity and continuing into the 20th century, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred. In each case, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate, broken only over time and by a series of smaller engagements. Battles may be dramatic; wars are won or lost by attrition. Rather than claim to have discovered linear or universal laws about warfare, or some overarching "theory of war," Nolan's book places battles squarely and mercilessly within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's place in war-replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result seemed so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive." Agincourt, Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway-all resonate in the literature of war and in the popular imagination as tide-turning. But these famous battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Nor has the "genius" of the so-called Great Captains--from Alexander to Gustavus to Frederick and even Napoleon- play a major role. Wars among the major powers have more often been decided in other ways than grand decisive battles won by generals of tactical genius. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles within the larger context of the major wars of which they were a part. He traces what he calls "short-war thinking" among aggressive powers, the hope that victory might be swift and wars brief. As he argues persuasively, even the major engagements have mainly contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences and will. Massive conflicts, the so-called "people's wars," beginning with Napoleon and continuing until 1945, have been marked and determined far more by prolonged stalemate and attrition, industrial wars in which the determining factor has been not military dexterity or command superiority but matériel. Nolan's masterful book places battles squarely within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's role in war, replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" and "battles of annihilation" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war, particularly among the Great Powers. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and illuminating, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., We tend to measure war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements. Gettysburg, Trafalgar, Midway, Waterloo, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as either tide-turning or decisive. But what actually signifies a "decisive" battle? The Allure of Battle by Cathal J. Nolan systematically examines a series of great battles, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred and shows how and where these battles fit into the histories of those wars, and into military history as a whole. In eachcase, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate created from an uneven military balance, broken only over time and by a series ofsmaller engagements.Rather than claim to have discovered linear or universal laws about warfare, or some overarching "theory of war," this book places battles within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's place in war - replacing popularimages of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made in war. Accessible, provocative, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle will sparks fresh debate about the history, strategy, and conduct of warfare.
9780195383782 English 0195383788 As Cathal J. Nolan notes in this provocative book, we have tended to think of war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements. Gettysburg, Trafalgar, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - these all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as decisive. But while it might seem obvious, what actually signifies a "decisive" battle has never been definitively agreed upon, and tends to evolve over time. Nolan argues that while battles may seem to define success or failure in warfare, the outcomes of wars themselves are determined by other factors. The Allure of Battle systematically examines a series of great battles, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred and shows how these battles actually fit into the histories of those wars and military history more generally. In each case, as Nolan reveals, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defenses. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate created from an uneven military balance, broken only over time and by a series of smaller engagements. Nolan does not propose to have discovered linear or universal laws about modern military history, nor does he attempt at a "theory of war." His aim, rather, is to examine battles within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place, and to help correct a distorted view of battle's place in war-replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war. Accessible, provocative, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle sparks fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., As Cathal J. Nolan notes, we have tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements, the so-called "battles of annihilation." Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Fredericksburg, Waterloo, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as either tide-turning or decisive. But what actually signifies a "decisive" battle has never been agreed upon, any more than the "genius" of the Great Captains - from Alexander the Great to Frederick the Great and beyond - with which they are associated. While battles may seem to define success or failure in warfare, the outcomes of wars themselves are determined by other factors. The Allure of Battle systematically examines a series of great battles, beginning in antiquity and continuing into the 20th century, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred. In each case, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate, broken only over time and by a series of smaller engagements. Battles may be dramatic; wars are won or lost by attrition. Rather than claim to have discovered linear or universal laws about warfare, or some overarching "theory of war," Nolan's book places battles squarely and mercilessly within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's place in war-replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result seemed so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive." Agincourt, Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway-all resonate in the literature of war and in the popular imagination as tide-turning. But these famous battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Nor has the "genius" of the so-called Great Captains--from Alexander to Gustavus to Frederick and even Napoleon- play a major role. Wars among the major powers have more often been decided in other ways than grand decisive battles won by generals of tactical genius. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles within the larger context of the major wars of which they were a part. He traces what he calls "short-war thinking" among aggressive powers, the hope that victory might be swift and wars brief. As he argues persuasively, even the major engagements have mainly contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences and will. Massive conflicts, the so-called "people's wars," beginning with Napoleon and continuing until 1945, have been marked and determined far more by prolonged stalemate and attrition, industrial wars in which the determining factor has been not military dexterity or command superiority but matériel. Nolan's masterful book places battles squarely within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's role in war, replacing popular images of the "decisive battle" and "battles of annihilation" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war, particularly among the Great Powers. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and illuminating, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare., We tend to measure war's winners and losers in terms of major engagements. Gettysburg, Trafalgar, Midway, Waterloo, Agincourt, Dien Bien Phu - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as either tide-turning or decisive. But what actually signifies a "decisive" battle? The Allure of Battle by Cathal J. Nolan systematically examines a series of great battles, each traditionally perceived as the "turning point" of the war in which they occurred and shows how and where these battles fit into the histories of those wars, and into military history as a whole. In eachcase, even large and important battles have only contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. In massive conflicts, a shared characteristic emerges: prolonged stalemate created from an uneven military balance, broken only over time and by a series ofsmaller engagements.Rather than claim to have discovered linear or universal laws about warfare, or some overarching "theory of war," this book places battles within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's place in war - replacing popularimages of the "decisive battle" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made in war. Accessible, provocative, and entertaining, The Allure of Battle will sparks fresh debate about the history, strategy, and conduct of warfare.