On War (Oxford World's Classics) | 
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Product Description
On War is one of the most important books ever written on the subject of war. Clausewitz, a Prussian officer who fought against the French during the Napoleonic Wars, sought to understand and analyze the phenomenon of war so that future leaders could conduct and win conflicts more effectively. He studied the human and social factors that affect outcomes, as well as the tactical and technological ones. He understood that war was a weapon of government, and that political purpose, chance, and enmity combine to shape its dynamics. On War continues to be read by military strategists, politicians, and others for its timeless insights. This abridged edition by Beatrice Heuser, using the acclaimed translation by Michael Howard and Peter Paret, selects the central books in which Clausewitz's views on the nature and theory of war are developed. Heuser's introduction explains the originality of Clausewitz's ideas, his education and background, and summarizes his key theories, while explanatory notes provide further information on the historical examples Clausewitz cites.
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• On Life 02 December, 2008
Carl von Clausewitz's ON WAR is one of the most important books ever written, but it would be a great mistake to dismiss it merely as simply a treatise military philosophy. In this long-winded but brilliant work, Clausewitz (perhaps without meaning it) lays down the fundamental principles by which success is achieved in any field in life.
Clausewitz was a Prussian staff officer who saw his first combat at the age of twelve, fighting against Napoleon - a task which was to occupy much of his life. ON WAR was an attempt to codify the basic principles of warfare as he saw them, using the campaigns of Frederick the Great as well as the lessons of the Napoleonic Wars as his inspiration. Some of his basic assertions were:
- War is just politics pursed by violent means.
- Politics and warfare are therefore two sides of the same coin; if the underlying political purpose of a war is flawed, the war will be unsuccessful.
- However, once war is engaged, political consideration are subordinate to military aims. Don't let politicians try to dictate how you fight!
- Strategy is the overall plan you are following in a war; tactics are how you fight the battles. If your strategy is flawed, no amount of tactical brilliance will save you. You can win lots of battles and still lose the war.
- Everything you do once war is engaged must serve a single, clearly understood objective. Every action taken should be a step in that direction.
- Only a nut-job starts a war without having a concrete idea of how to finish it; don't bite off more than you can chew, and always have a "Plan B."
- In war, everything is very simple, but there is a huge difference between "simple" and "easy."
- Iron will power can overcome any obstacle, but it often wears out the vehicle in which it travels - be it a man or an army. You can win a battle by sheer force of will, but you may very well destroy your army doing it...and no battle is worth that.
- The proper way to win battles is to identify the weak point in the enemy's line and concentrate all your forces there. That's it, period final. Concentrate and win.
- The way to win wars is to destroy the enemy's army, full stop. That is, to destroy his means of resisting you, not to waste time capturing territory, cities, supply dumps, etc. Cut the head off, not the fingers and the toes. Then stomp the head.
- In war, the mistakes that come from kindness are the very worst. The most compassionate war is the one that ends quickly, and the best way of ending it quickly is by employing such overwhelming violence that the enemy is horrified into surrender.
Had military leaders from Wilhelm II to Adolf Hitler to Lyndon Banes Johnson to George W. Bush consistently applied these principles to their military policy, they would have avoided a lot of grief. But it is as metaphor that I think Clausewitz's book is most useful. Rewritten to apply to business, sports, relationships, and life generally, Clausewitz's maxims would make a great self-help book. Consider the value of 1) Always understanding what you are getting into before you start it and why you are getting into it, as well as what you want out of it. 2) Understanding that all human interaction is political, i.e., you can't ignore politics so you must learn how to use them to serve your ends. 3) That your motives can be as important as your objectives. 4) That you should the most of your energy by concentrating it. 5) Making sure all your individual movements lead you toward your goal, not away from it or sideways. Follow these principles and almost guarantee you'll soon forget how to fail.
So, while it won't hurt to skim some of the more outdated or tedious passages if you're not interested in the mechanics of 19th century warfare, ON WAR remains a first-class primer, not merely on the art of war, but on the art of living.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2E9TRM8096BXU
• This One Is Much Better 26 November, 2008
I have the On War published by IAP, in November 2008 and it costs just US$9.99. I like it. I don't know why it is not listed when we search it.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3FQF4BE81DLIC
• Looking For A Theory Of War. 30 December, 2008
It is an extensive work, since it fits with the epoch, in which writing little was a sign of inconsistency, little importance and scanty reflection. The books or parts that compose it were finished in variable degree by the author, whose premature death did not allow its conclusion. I am interested in the first chapters on the theory and the philosophy of the war.
Other books treat on the tactics of a period in which the enemy deployment was staying at the sights of the enemy command and his HHQQ and auxiliary, placed in a nearby height. He praises Liddell Hart's opposite: a decisive battle using the maximum own concentration and power on the enemy army.
In an age of masses armies, inaugurated by Napoleon, soon was clear that it was not possible to win a war between full armed nations, in an alone great battle. It was necessary a campaign with successive victorious operations, looking for the achievement of the military goals of the campaign (theatre of operations, Europe, Pacific Ocean, Africa) or the strategy. In addition, already there did not exist a genius advanced to his epoch as Napoleon.
Be careful ordering an abridge edition of this work. Becuase some of the books could be missing.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1EEL8J61ZL6HC
• The Definitive Von Clausewitz 19 June, 2008
I purchased the Everyman's Library edition of Von Clausewitz's On War for my husband, who is a military officer. He was deeply dissatisfied with the Penguin edition, which is awful in every respect, and so I went in search of an unabridged publication. The Everyman's library version is affordable at around twenty dollars, and expertly translated by the Princeton scholars Howard and Paret (who have a much more expensive but otherwise identical Princeton press edition published). It includes the entire unfinished work, including the books that focus on specifics of military tactics left out of the Penguin edition.
My only complaint about this excellent edition, which incidentally features a very helpful "how to read this book" section, is that it is somewhat cheaply bound and may not hold up to prolonged and intense study over the years. It would be nice to have an attractively bound copy for display in a library or office, as well. I fear we may begin to lose pages if we are not careful, but at twenty dollars, the book is replaceable. Steer clear of penguin, and go straight to Howard and Paret. You won't be sorry.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1N6MSNX2VZ0HD
• Slog 30 August, 2008
On War is a great book and had Civil War Generals followed its advice, the war would have probably been over much sooner and not have lasted so long.
If you like military history, this is a must read.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3JZLUVSN4KAMC
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