Synopses & Reviews
Napoleon. The passage of time has not dimmed the power of his name. A century and a half after his death, Napoleon remains the greatest military genius of the modern world. Yet unlike Machiavelli, Clausewitz, or Sun Tzu, his name has not crowned any single literary work. The subject of thousands of biographies and treatises on warfare, he is the author of none. Until now.
The great general and conqueror of Europe may not have written any books, but he was a prolific writer. Thousands of his missives to subordinates survive, and these documents reflect the broad range of a fearless and incisive mind. From them, military historian Jay Luvaas has wrought a seamless whole. Luvaas has spent decades culling, editing, and arranging Napoleon's thoughts into coherent essays and arguments. In the remarkable result. Napoleon speaks without interruption in a work that will forever change the way we view him.
Luvaas covers every subject Napoleon wrote about, from the need for preparation -- "Simply gathering men together does not produce real soldiers; drill, instruction, and skill is what makes real soldiers." -- to the essence of victory -- "To win is not enough: It is necessary to profit from success." On education, leadership, strategy and history, Napoleon speaks with an authority unique to those who have ruled a continent. In these pages lies the wisdom of a giant who knew life's greatest achievements and its lowest lows: triumph and conquest, exile and disgrace.
Whether you are a student of military strategy or a business professional eager to learn from the greatest manager of personnel that the world has ever known, "Napoleon on the Art of War" has something for you. From the specifies of Napoleon's use of cavalry and unique reliance upon artillery to an all-encompassing vision of life from a man of supreme confidence and success, you'll find it here. This is the "only" straightforward explanation of Napoleon's campaigns and philosophy by the man himself.
Review
Foreign Affairs A good sense of Napoleon's military genius emerges from this well-edited collection....the spirit of a great commander in a judicious selection of his own words.
Review
Michael D. Hull ARMY Magazine This unprecedented volume is assured of study in every military school and by all serious readers of military history....Everyone with an interest in military history and the profession of arms will be indebted to Jay Luvaas for his superb work.
Synopsis
In the capstone work of his career, distinguished military historian Jay Luvaas brings together in one volume the military genius of Napoleon.
Unlike Sun Tzu or Carl von Clausewitz, Napoleon never wrote a unified essay on his military philosophy. Yet, as one of the world's great strategists and tacticians, he sprinkled wisdom throughout his many and varied writings. Jay Luvaas spent over three decades poring through the thirty-two volumes of Napoleon's correspondence, carefully translating and editing all of his writings on the art of war, and arranging them into seamless essays. The resulting book captures the brilliant commander's thoughts on everything from the preparation of his forces to the organization, planning, and execution of his battles -- all buttressing Napoleon's view that "in war there is but one favorable moment; the great art is to seize it." Napoleon on the Art of War will be essential reading for military buffs, students of history, and any business leader looking for timeless insights on strategy.
About the Author
Jay Luvaas was one of the country's leading military historians and editor and translator of Frederick the Great on the Art of War.
Table of Contents
ContentsIntroduction
I Creating the Fighting Force
II Preparations for War
III A Military Education
IV The Combat Arms
V Generalship and the Art of Command
VI Army Organization
VII Strategy
VIII Fortification
IX The Army in the Field
X The Operational Art
Appendix
Critical Analysis: The Wars of Frederick the Great
Notes
Bibliography
Index