Yes, a new thread for the books and other stuff we recommend to readers.
There are annual threads now for each year since 2007, it should help searching for a review.
What Are You Currently Reading? 2015
Yes, a new thread for the books and other stuff we recommend to readers.
There are annual threads now for each year since 2007, it should help searching for a review.
davidbfpo
do you hear the people sing
Battle Studies by Colonel Ardant Du Picq
The Wars of French Decolonization by Anthony Clayton
"Sing me a song
You're a singer" Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell
Two commanders creating a working web
I am 80% through reading 'Taking Command' the autobiography of General Sir David Richards and will post a review at the end. It is an easy read for an armchair observer, but I would not have compared him to General Stanley McChrystal, as Professor Anthony King does in this WoTR review:http://warontherocks.com/2015/01/mil.../?singlepage=1
Last edited by davidbfpo; 01-24-2015 at 06:01 PM.
davidbfpo
Razib Khan (a blogger really worth reading; mostly blogs about genetics, but a good deal of history and current affairs thrown in) has a piece about "The Fall of Carthage". Some speculations that am sure will be of interest to SWJ readers...see here.
http://www.unz.com/gnxp/institutions...ly-beat-genius
Overall I agree but one has to put the issue in the context of ressources, especially manpower. One city was founded as a far away colony while the other established itself among the large Latin population as center of power. The relative large demographic base, with a strong web of alliances partly with people of similar ethnicity and language was crucial enabled it's institutions to absorb crushing defeats, and the other way around. In other cases, few ressources and good institutions against a genius at war could mean the destruction of a state and end of a people. Waging war in a foreign land with a large proportion of your small manpower ended not so much time ago very badly for another great seapower, Athen. One city-state which was actually quite famous for it's insitutions.
In Churchill days for example the Americans could 'always do the right thing' after they tried everything else because at that stage they had ample ressources in time, capital and manpower to overcome doing the wrong things. Most political entities aren't that lucky.
Last edited by Firn; 01-23-2015 at 07:12 PM.
... "We need officers capable of following systematically the path of logical argument to its conclusion, with disciplined intellect, strong in character and nerve to execute what the intellect dictates"
General Ludwig Beck (1880-1944);
Speech at the Kriegsakademie, 1935
midnight was the barrier, back in 1963
On the German Art of War: Truppenfuhrung: German Army Manual for Unit Command in World War II by Bruce Condell and David T. Zabecki (Editors)
Civilization and Barbarity in 20th CenturyEurope by Gabriel Jackson
"I seek to cure what's deep inside,
frightened of this thing that I've become" Toto, Africa
Last edited by Backwards Observer; 02-07-2015 at 10:10 AM. Reason: umlaut verboten ist
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