Great Commanders

"This volume is not a study of the 'greatest' commanders; rather, it is an examination of commanders who should be considered great. The seven leaders examined, in various domains of ground, sea, and air, each in their own way successfully addressed the challenges of military endeavor in their time and changed the world in which they lived"--Foreword.

What qualities made Attila the Hun a strategist of genius? How did Henry V of England achieve victory at Agincourt for the loss of a few hundred of his men, when the mounted French knights suffered casualties in the thousands? Why was Hernán Cortés able to lead a ragged band of men to bring down the extraordinary power of the Aztec empire? The answers to these and a myriad other fascinating questions can be found in Great Commanders of the Medieval World, a sumptuous chronological survey of the 25 greatest commanders of the medieval world. Compiled by an distinguished team of historians (including such names as Jonathan Sumption, Felipe Fernández-Armesto and John Julius Norwich) working under the general editorship of Andrew Roberts, Great Commanders of the Medieval World is an authoritative and beautifully illustrated account of the lives and careers of the 25 greatest military commanders of the period, from William the Conqueror to Genghis Khan, from the Black Prince to Tamerlaine, and from Joan of Arc to Süleyman the Magnificent. Every commander is profiled in a concise and informative 3000-word article which not only brings its subject vividly to life via a lively, fact-driven narrative, but also analyses and assesses his tactical and strategic gifts. As accessible and informative as it is rigorous and scholarly, Great Commanders of the Medieval World is the perfect introduction to its subject for the layperson - but also a stimulating and thought-provoking read for those with greater knowledge of military history. With its companion volumes, focusing on the great commanders of the ancient, early modern and modern eras, it forms an indispensable guide to the greatest generals the world has seen.

These invaluable references employ remarkable computer technology that generates stunning graphics to bring to life memorable battles.

Here is a narrative account of decisive engagements that succeeded by brilliant strategy more than by direct force. The reader accompanies those who fought, from Roman legionaries and Mongol horsemen to Napoleonic soldiery, and Douglas MacArthur's Inchon invaders. Maps. Illustrations.

This new, original translation of Cornelius Nepos's "Lives of the Great Commanders" is the first to appear in many generations. It is also the first completely illustrated and annotated translation of this ageless classic. It contains the following special features that are specifically designed for the general reader or student: 1. Over forty illustrations, including original portrait art and historical illustrations. 2. Over four hundred and forty descriptive footnotes that explain every name, location, and literary point of interest in the text. 3. A fresh, modern English translation that is faithful to the original Latin text. 4. A detailed foreword, descriptive introduction, map, and index for ease of reference. The Roman writer Cornelius Nepos (c. 110 B.C.--c. 25 B.C.) was one of the first biographers in the Western tradition. His "Lives of the Great Commanders" presents memorable and entertaining sketches of some of the most famous military and political leaders of antiquity. Written with a strong moral purpose, his book was taught and studied in schools for many centuries. Through him we learn what character traits made his subjects great, and what shortcomings produced their downfalls. Nepos's instructional biographies have never been more needed or relevant today. His themes--character, moral development, political freedom, and the consequences of corruption--are timeless and universal in their interest. A self-contained unit, this new translation is ideal both for those with no prior background in the subject matter, and also for the serious student.

Drawing on oral histories, diaries, correspondence, postwar testimony from both American and Japanese participants, and interviews with survivors, Thomas provides this riveting account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, the culminating battle of the war in the Pacific. Photos.

"The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Modern World is an authoritative account of the lives and careers of the greatest military commanders of the period, from Cromwell to Konev, from Marlborough to Moltke, and from Petain to Patton. Every commander is profiled in a concise and informative 3000-word article which not only brings its subject vividly to life via a lively, fact-driven narrative, but also analyses and assesses his tactical and strategic gifts. Each biography is accompanied by a 'battle feature' or 'campaign feature' - embellished by a full-colour battle plan or campaign map - focusing on the commander's greatest battlefield achievement."--Publishers' description.

Includes Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant, and Georgi Zhukov.

Includes 3 maps and 7 illustrations The command of military forces in combat is unlike any other field of human endeavor. If war is the ultimate form of human competition, then the commander is the ultimate competitor. The commander operates in an environment of chance, uncertainty, and chaos, in which the stakes are, quite literally, life and death. He or she contends against an adversary who is using every means, fair or foul, to foil his plans and bring about his defeat. The commander is ultimately responsible for every variable that factors into military success or failure-training, logistics, morale, equipment, planning, and execution. The commander reaps the lion’s share of plaudits in victory, but also must accept the blame in defeat, warranted or not. Very often the line that separates fame and ignominy is slender indeed. It is not difficult to identify “great” commanders, though the overwhelming majority of generals who win battles are never considered “great.” Something more than a favorable ratio of wins to losses is needed to establish greatness...The truly great commander is generally considered to be one who attains the unexpected or the unprecedented; one who stands above his contemporaries through his skill on the battlefield, or through the sheer magnitude of his accomplishments. ...The commanders selected were masters of warfare in their particular time and environment. Each capitalized upon the social, political, economic, and technological conditions of his day to forge successful military forces and win significant and noteworthy victories that profoundly altered the world in which he lived.-Dr Christopher R. Gabel. The Great Commanders covered by this volume are Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, John J. Pershing, Erwin Rommel and Curtis E. LeMay

Moving portraits of five commanders whose dynamic leadership styles changed the course of warfare and history trace the stories of Themistocles, Belisarius, William Tecumseh Sherman, Matthew Ridgway and David Petraeus, evaluating their pivotal military roles and the controversies that marked their careers.