Cet auteur se plonge profondément dans l'histoire, en particulier l'histoire militaire, en examinant les thèmes complexes de la guerre et de la société. Son travail se caractérise par une recherche méticuleuse et une approche analytique pointue, offrant aux lecteurs une riche compréhension des événements historiques. Il explore non seulement les conflits eux-mêmes, mais aussi leurs implications sociales, politiques et culturelles plus larges. Son style est à la fois informatif et captivant, faisant de lui un précieux conteur du passé.
"On War" by Carl von Clausewitz was first published in Germany after the Napoleonic Wars. Its description of 'absolute war' and its insistence on the centrality of battle to war have been blamed for the level of destruction involved in both the First and Second World Wars. This book challenges the popular misconceptions that surround "On War".
Ever since its outbreak in 1914, the causes of the First World War have been one of the major debates in world history. For some it was a war engineered by Germany, and a pointer towards Hitler. For others it was the product of miscalculation, leading to a crisis which, more than any other, shaped the twentieth century. The Outbreak of War approaches the issues from the perspectives of those who grapple with conflicting priorities and vital national interests.
The complexities of military strategy are explored through Carl von Clausewitz's "On War," a foundational yet contradictory text that has shaped military thought for generations. Despite its challenging language and posthumous publication, its impact on modern warfare is undeniable. Hew Strachan, a leading military historian, provides clarity by unpacking Clausewitz's intentions and the book's relevance today. This insightful analysis serves as an essential guide for readers seeking to understand the enduring significance of Clausewitz's work in military history.
Exploring such theatres as the Balkans, Africa and the Ottoman Empire, this works assesses Britain's participation in the light of what became a struggle for the defence of liberalism and shows how the war shaped the "short" 20th century that followed it
A comprehensive, illustrated history of World War I, its causes, impact on global politics and economy, military and political strategies, and the legacy it left behind.
Focusing on the often-overlooked African theater of the First World War, this work provides a comprehensive account that includes perspectives from all nations involved. It highlights the global nature of the conflict, extending beyond the western front to encompass battles across Africa. Key sections are available as individual paperbacks, each featuring a new introduction by Hew Strachan, offering readers an in-depth understanding of this pivotal yet underrepresented aspect of the Great War.
Focusing on the perspectives of prominent theorists, this work delves into the evolution of land warfare in Europe from 1700 onwards. It explores key issues related to modern warfare, analyzing both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. The examination provides insights into how military strategies and concepts have developed over the centuries, highlighting the interplay between theory and real-world conflicts.
The wars since 9/11, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, have generated frustration and an increasing sense of failure in the West. Much of the blame has been attributed to poor strategy. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, public enquiries and defence think tanks have detected a lack of consistent direction, of effective communication, and of governmental coordination. In this important book, Sir Hew Strachan, one of the world's leading military historians, reveals how these failures resulted from a fundamental misreading and misapplication of strategy itself. He argues that the wars since 2001 have not in reality been as 'new' as has been widely assumed and that we need to adopt a more historical approach to contemporary strategy in order to identify what is really changing in how we wage war. If war is to fulfil the aims of policy, then we need first to understand war.
Clausewitz's On War has, at least until very recently, been regarded as the most important work of theory on its subject. But since the end of the Cold War in 1990, and even more since the 9/11 attacks on the United states in 2001, an increasing number of commentators have argued that On War has lost its analytical edge as a tool for understanding war. They have argued that Clausewitz was concerned solely with inter-state war and with properly defined armies, and that the sorts of conflicts which he discussed are therefore part of a historical pattern which dominated Europe between 1648, the end of the Thirty Years War, and 1990 itself. Some have gone further, and suggested that Clausewitz's best known aphorism, that war is a continuation of policy by other means, is not only irrelevant today but also inapplicable historically. Clausewitz in the Twenty-First Century reconsiders the principal themes in Clausewitz's writings from a contemporary perspective, and finds in themmuch more inspiration and insight than these generalisations allow. Embracing the perspectives of history, philosophy and political science, the book reconsiders both the text and its current implications. Traditional interpretations of On War are put into fresh light; neglected passages are re-examined; and new insights are derived from the conjunction between Clausewitz's text and today's challenges.
