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On war / Carl von Clausewitz ; edited with an introduction by Anatol Rapoport; [translated by J.J. Graham].

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextLanguage: English Original language: German Series: Penguin classicsPublisher: Harmondsworth, Eng. ; New York, N.Y. : Penguin Books, 1982Copyright date: ©1968Description: 460 pages ; 18 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0140444270
  • 9780140444278
Uniform titles:
  • Vom Kriege. English
Subject(s):
Contents:
Book 1: On the nature of war. What is war? ; End and means in war ; The genius for war ; Of danger in war ; Of bodily exertion in war ; Information in war ; Friction in war ; Concluding remarks -- Book 2: On the theory of war. Branches of the art of war ; On the theory of war ; Art or science of war ; Methodicism ; Criticism ; On examples -- Book 3: Of strategy in general. Strategy ; Elements of strategy ; Moral forces ; The chief moral powers ; Military virtue of an army ; Boldness ; Perseverance ; Superiority of numbers ; The surprise ; Stratagem ; Assembly of forces in space ; Assembly of forces in time ; Strategic reserve ; Economy of forces ; Geometrical element ; On the suspension of the act in war ; On the character of modern war ; Tension and rest -- Book 4: The combat. Introductory ; Character of the modern battle ; The combat in general ; On the signification of the combat ; Duration of the combat ; Decision of the combat ; Mutual understanding as to a battle ; The battle ; Effects of victory ; The use of the battle ; Strategic means of utilizing victory ; Retreat after a lost battle -- Sketches for Book 8: Plan of war. Introduction ; Absolute and real war ; (a) Interdependence of the parts in war ; (b) Of the magnitude of the object of the war, and the efforts to be made ; Ends in war more precisely defined : overthrow of the enemy ; Ends in war more precisely defined (continued) : limited object ; (a) Influence of the political object on the military object ; (b) War as an instrument of policy.
Summary: 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. - Publisher.Summary: Extracts selected from the English translation by J.J. Graham of Vom Kriege published in London in 1908. Includes index. Bibliography: p. 433-[437]. * glr 20090211.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 355.02 C616 Available 33111011264468
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Writing at the time of Napoleon's greatest campaigns, Prussian soldier and writer Carl von Clausewitz created this landmark treatise on the art of warfare, which presented war as part of a coherent system of political thought.

In line with Napoleon's own military actions, he illustrated the need to annihilate the enemy and make a strong display of one's power in an 'absolute war' without compromise. But he was also careful to distinguish between war and politics, arguing that war could only be justified when debate was no longer adequate, and that if undertaken, its aim should ultimately be to improve the wellbeing of the nation.

Translated from the German by J.J. Graham.

Extracts selected from the English translation by J.J. Graham of Vom Kriege published in London in 1908.

Translation originally published by Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1908; published in Pelican Classics, 1968; re-issued in Penguin Classics, 1982.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 433-437) and index.

Book 1: On the nature of war. What is war? ; End and means in war ; The genius for war ; Of danger in war ; Of bodily exertion in war ; Information in war ; Friction in war ; Concluding remarks -- Book 2: On the theory of war. Branches of the art of war ; On the theory of war ; Art or science of war ; Methodicism ; Criticism ; On examples -- Book 3: Of strategy in general. Strategy ; Elements of strategy ; Moral forces ; The chief moral powers ; Military virtue of an army ; Boldness ; Perseverance ; Superiority of numbers ; The surprise ; Stratagem ; Assembly of forces in space ; Assembly of forces in time ; Strategic reserve ; Economy of forces ; Geometrical element ; On the suspension of the act in war ; On the character of modern war ; Tension and rest -- Book 4: The combat. Introductory ; Character of the modern battle ; The combat in general ; On the signification of the combat ; Duration of the combat ; Decision of the combat ; Mutual understanding as to a battle ; The battle ; Effects of victory ; The use of the battle ; Strategic means of utilizing victory ; Retreat after a lost battle -- Sketches for Book 8: Plan of war. Introduction ; Absolute and real war ; (a) Interdependence of the parts in war ; (b) Of the magnitude of the object of the war, and the efforts to be made ; Ends in war more precisely defined : overthrow of the enemy ; Ends in war more precisely defined (continued) : limited object ; (a) Influence of the political object on the military object ; (b) War as an instrument of policy.

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. - Publisher.

Extracts selected from the English translation by J.J. Graham of Vom Kriege published in London in 1908. Includes index. Bibliography: p. 433-[437]. * glr 20090211.

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