How wars are won : the 13 rules of war-- from ancient Greece to the war on terror

Both timely and timeless, How Wars Are Won offers a fascinating look at the history of warfare and the thirteen essential rules for achieving victory that have evolved from ancient times to the present day. Acclaimed military historian Bevin Alexander opens with an incisive, historically informed diagnosis of the new threat posed by terrorism. Based on interviews with war planners for the U.S. military, he introduces the battle tactics currently being developed and the ways in which new high-tech weaponry will be deployed. He also explains the ways in which the time-tested rules for waging war will remain relevant, and which of these rules will be most important in the new kind of warfare. Turning to the thirteen essential rules of battle, Alexander devotes a chapter to each, offering riveting accounts of four or five crucial historical battles that were won or lost because of either the brilliant or the disastrously unsuccessful application of that rule. Highlighting the crucial command decisions of the masters—including Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Stonewall Jackson, Erwin Rommel, and Douglas MacArthur—he brings the drama and challenge of military command vividly to life. The rules include: • Feign retreat: Pretend to be defeated, fake a retreat, and then ambush your enemy when you’re being pursued. This rule is especially relevant to guerilla-style warfare and was used to devastating effect by the North Vietnamese against U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. • Strike at enemy weakness: Avoid the enemy’s strength entirely by refusing to fight pitched battles, an alternate method running alongside conventional war from the earliest days of human conflict. It’s the most successful form of war but has been little recognized until recent years. This rule was followed brilliantly by Mao Zedong to defeat the Chinese Nationalists. • Defend, then attack: Gain possession of a superior weapon or tactical system, induce the enemy to launch a fruitless attack, then go on the offensive. This rule was employed repeatedly by the Eastern Roman general Belisarius against the Goths to reclaim vast stretches of the Roman Empire. From Crécy and Waterloo to Gettysburg and Austerlitz, Alexander’s accounts of famous battles offer fresh, surprising insights into the pivotal command decisions that won the day. How Wars Are Won also tells the fascinating story of the ways in which new technologies have consistently created both new oppor- tunities and troubling challenges in warfare, being employed to ingenious effect by some commanders while remaining horribly misunderstood by others. Heading into twenty-first-century warfare, we must use the lessons of history to guide us in shaping the strategies and tactics we need to win. How Wars Are Won is essential reading for all who are keen to understand the challenges of this new kind of war and how the wisdom of the past masters can be applied today

Most of us rally around the glory of the Allies' victory over the Nazis in World War II. The story is often told of how the good fight was won by an astonishing array of manpower and stunning tactics. However, what is often overlooked is how the intersection between Adolf Hitler's influential personality and his military strategy was critical in causing Germany to lose the war.

With an acute eye for detail and his use of clear prose, acclaimed military historian Bevin Alexander goes beyond counterfactual "What if?" history and explores for the first time just how close the Allies were to losing the war. Using beautifully detailed, newly designed maps, How Hitler Could Have Won World War II   exquisitely illustrates the  important battles and how certain key movements and mistakes by Germany were crucial in determining the war's outcome. Alexander's harrowing study shows how only minor tactical changes in Hitler's military approach could have changed the world we live in today.

How Hitler Could Have Won World War II untangles some of the war's most confounding strategic questions, such as:
Why didn't the Nazis concentrate their enormous military power on the only three beaches upon which the Allies could launch their attack into Europe?
Why did the terrifying German panzers, on the brink of driving the British army into the sea in May 1940, halt their advance and allow the British to regroup and evacuate at Dunkirk?
With the chance to cut off the Soviet lifeline of oil, and therefore any hope of Allied victory from the east, why did Hitler insist on dividing and weakening his army, which ultimately led to the horrible battle of Stalingrad?

Ultimately, Alexander probes deeply into the crucial intersection between Hitler's psyche and military strategy and how his paranoia fatally overwhelmed his acute political shrewdness to answer the most terrifying question: Just how close were the Nazis to victory?

Why did Hitler insist on terror bombing London in the late summer of 1940, when the German air force was on the verge of destroying all of the RAF sector stations, England's last defense?

With the opportunity to drive the British out of Egypt and the Suez Canal and occupy all of the Middle East, therefore opening a Nazi door to the vast oil resources of the region, why did Hitler fail to move in just a few panzer divisions to handle such an easy but crucial maneuver?

On the verge of a last monumental effort and concentration of German power to seize Moscow and end Stalin's grip over the Eastern front, why did the Nazis divert their strength to bring about the far less important surrender of Kiev, thereby destroying any chance of ever conquering the Soviets?

Even as we head into twenty-first-century warfare, thirteen time-tested rules for waging war remain relevant. Both timely and timeless, How Wars Are Won illuminates the thirteen essential rules for success on the battlefield that have evolved from ancient times until the present day. Acclaimed military historian Bevin Alexander’s incisive and vivid analyses of famous battles throughout the ages show how the greatest commanders—from Alexander the Great to Douglas MacArthur—have applied these rules. For example: • Feign retreat: Pretend defeat, fake a retreat, then ambush the enemy while being pursued. Used to devastating effect by the North Vietnamese against U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. • Strike at enemy weakness: Avoid the enemy’s strength entirely by refusing to fight pitched battles, a method that has run alongside conventional war from the earliest days of human conflict. Brilliantly applied by Mao Zedong to defeat the Chinese Nationalists. • Defend, then attack: Gain possession of a superior weapon or tactical system, induce the enemy to launch a fruitless attack, then go on the offensive. Employed repeatedly against the Goths by the Eastern Roman general Belisarius to reclaim vast stretches of the Roman Empire. The lessons of history revealed in these pages can be used to shape the strategies needed to win the conflicts of today. From an acclaimed military historian, a fascinating account of just how close the Allies were to losing World War II.Most of us rally around the glory of the Allies'victory over the Nazis in World War II. The story is often told of how the good fight was won by an astonishing array of manpower and stunning tactics. However, what is often overlooked is how the intersection between Adolf Hitler's influential personality and his military strategy was critical in causing Germany to lose the war.With an acute eye for detail and his use of clear prose, Bevin Alexander goes beyond counterfactual'What if?'history and explores for the first time just how close the Allies were to losing the war. Using beautifully detailed, newly designed maps, How Hitler Could Have Won World War II exquisitely illustrates the important battles and how certain key movements and mistakes by Germany were crucial in determining the war's outcome. Alexander's harrowing study shows how only minor tactical changes in Hitler's military approach could have changed the world we live in today. Alexander probes deeply into the crucial intersection between Hitler's psyche and military strategy and how his paranoia fatally overwhelmed his acute political shrewdness to answer the most terrifying question: Just how close were the Nazis to victory? From an acclaimed military historian, a fascinating account of just how close the Allies were to losing World War II. Most of us rally around the glory of the Allies' victory over the Nazis in World War II. The story is often told of how the good fight was won by an astonishing array of manpower and stunning tactics. However, what is often overlooked is how the intersection between Adolf Hitler's influential personality and his military strategy was critical in causing Germany to lose the war. With an acute eye for detail and his use of clear prose,Bevin Alexander goes beyond counterfactual "What if?" history and explores for the first time just how close the Allies were to losing the war. Using beautifully detailed, newly designed maps, How Hitler Could Have Won World War II exquisitely illustrates theimportant battles and how certain key movements and mistakes by Germany were crucial in determining the war's outcome. Alexander's harrowing study shows how only minor tactical changes in Hitler's military approach could have changed the world we live in today. Alexander probes deeply into the crucial intersection between Hitler's psyche and military strategy and how his paranoia fatally overwhelmed his acute political shrewdness to answer the most terrifying Just how close were the Nazis to victory? "How Hitler Could Have Won World War II illustrates the important battles and how certain key movements and mistakes by Germany were crucial in determining the war's outcome. Alexander's harrowing study shows how only minor tactical changes in Hitler's military approach could have changed the world we live in today.". "How Hitler Could Have Won World War II untangles some of the war's most confounding strategic questions, such as: Why didn't the Nazis concentrate their enormous military power on the only three beaches upon which the Allies could launch their attack into Europe? Why did the terrifying German panzers, on the brink of driving the British army into the sea in May 1940, halt their advance and allow the British to regroup and evacuate at Dunkirk? With the chance to cut off the Soviet lifeline of oil, and therefore any hope of Allied victory from the east, why did Hitler insist on dividing and weakening his army, which ultimately led to the horrible battle of Stalingrad?"--BOOK JACKET. Both Timely And Timeless, How Wars Are Won Is A Fascinating Look At The History Of Warfare And The Essential Principles For Achieving Victory--factors As Relevant To The Antiterrorist Challenge As They Have Been To Wars For Thousands Of Years. List Of Maps -- Introduction: The New Kind Of War -- The Revolution In Warfare -- Striking At Enemy Weakness -- Defend, Then Attack -- Holding One Place, Striking Another -- Feigned Retreat -- The Central Position -- Employing A Superior Weapon -- Driving A Stake In The Enemy's Heart -- Blocking The Enemy's Retreat -- Landing An Overwhelming Blow -- Stroke At A Weak Spot -- Caldron Battles -- Uproar East, Attack West -- Maneuvers On The Rear. Bevin Alexander. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 379-384) And Index. Having already drawn both praise & controversy, this main selection for the Military Book Club continues to generate discussion among scholars & readers. Though histories of World War II are abundant, few of them examine the critical errors in Hitler's approach to the war that finally led to German defeat. Joining the ranks of "counterfactual" histories like the bestseller What If?, How Hitler Could Have Won World War II clearly shows what the consequences would have been for Hitler, the Axis, & the world if he had chosen differently A military historian deconstructs Hitler's role in World War II, offering a deep analysis of his failures as a military leader and exposing the most deadly cracks in the Nazi armor. Reprint. 15,000 first printing. A military historian deconstructs Hitler's role in World War II, offering an analysis of his failures as a military leader and exposing the most deadly cracks in the Nazi armor EARLY ON THE MORNING OF MAY 10, 1940, THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF armor in the history of warfare burst across the eastern frontiers of Belgium and Luxembourg.