Synopses & Reviews
Another volume in Praeger's The Military Profession series, this revised edition of the 1984 Praeger classic tells the story of infantry in the 20th century and its impact on the major conflicts of our time. Its purpose is to provide the reader--whether infantryman or not--with hitherto unavailable insights on the role that infantry plays in the larger battle and how that has helped shape the world that we live in today. Unique aspects of the book include the treatment of technical issues in non-technical language, the extensive use of German and French sources generally unavailable to the English-speaking reader, and the shattering of some long-cherished myths. Combat motivation and combat refusal, the role played by small units (such as the squad and fire team), the role of infantry in the Blitzkrieg, and many other issues often papered over in the literature of infantry are discussed and analyzed in detail in this revised edition.
Review
...this substantially revised book conveys to a lay audience the fundamental trends and problems in the development of this vital component of military power....an indispensable introduction.Foreign Affairs
Synopsis
Praise for the first edition: "...The book should be considered a basic text in understanding maneuver warfare." Marine Corps Gazette
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [181]-192) and index.
About the Author
BRUCE I. GUDMUNDSSON, who lives in Quantico, Virginia, is the editor of Tactical Notebook and cohost of the weekly television program Modern War. His other books include Stormtroop Tactics (Praeger, 1989) and On Artillery (Praeger, 1993). He is the editor of the Praeger series, The Military Profession.