How can you off-balance your enemy? When is the best moment to deliver a counter-attack? What is the effect of shock action or defence in depth? Certain tactical concepts have stood the test of time. This ground-breaking book examines, in a series of case studies, 25 of the key tactics that have achieved victory through the ages. Drawing on examples of battles from around the globe, on land, at sea and in the air, and across history, the authors reveal the enduring value of each tactic in clear and compelling descriptions and analysis. General Robert E. Lee, although heavily outnumbered achieved a remarkable victory through an audacious flanking manoeuvre at Chancellorsville in 1863; the same bold move had been used over 600 years before by the king of France at Bouvines. For the Parthian general Surenas at Carrhae in 53 BC and again for Kitchener at Omdurman in 1989, an overwhelming concentration of firepower ensured a decisive outcome, while drawing the enemy led to victory both for Saladin at Hattin in 1187 and for the Russians against Napoleon in 1812. The book examines how Allied armies seized and retained the initiative through the airborne landings in Normandy in 1944, and how Soviet General Zhukov pierced enemy lines and penetrated in depth using Blitzkriegtactics in Mongolia in 1939. Evocative photographs, illustrations and paintings, and a series of specially commissioned battle plans complete this detailed study of the most successful tactics of all time. Written by leading experts, How to Win on the Battlefield will prove indispensable reading for historians, military enthusiasts and business leaders.
Les mer
An indispensable guide to the twenty-five key tactics that have achieved victory down the ages.
Introduction • 1. The Attack at the Centre of Gravity • 2. Counter-Attack • 3. Surprise Attack and Ambush • 4. Envelopment and Double-Envelopment • 5. Flanking • 6. Dominating the Terrain and Using the Environment • 7. Echelon Attack • 8. Committing the Reserve • 9. Blitzkrieg • 10. Concentration of Firepower • 11. Shock Action • 12. Co-ordination of Fire and Movement • 13. Concentration and Culmination of Force • 14. Seizing and Retaining the Initiative • 15. Off-Balancing and Pinning • 16. Mass • 17. Defence in Depth • 18. Strategic Offence and Tactical Defence • 19. Drawing the Enemy • 20. Deception and Feints • 21. Terror and Psychological Warfare • 22. Attrition and Annihilation • 23. Intelligence and Reconnaissance • 24. Insurgency and Guerrilla Warfare • 25. Counter-Insurgency
Les mer
'A riveting study of tactics ancient and modern' - Richard Holmes
An indispensable guide to the twenty-five key tactics that have achieved victory down the ages

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780500295892
Publisert
2020-07-02
Utgiver
Vendor
Thames & Hudson Ltd
Vekt
230 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
240

Biographical note

Rob Johnson is Deputy Director of the Changing Character of War Programme, Oxford University and Lecturer in the History of War. Michael Whitby is is pro-vice-chancellor and head of the College of Arts and Law at the University of Birmingham. John France is Professor Emeritus, University of Swansea and Director of the Callaghan Centre for the Study of Conflict.