Understanding War: History of Theory of Combat

This book, by the author of "Encyclopedia of Military History", propounds a general theory of military combat, one which is designed to be valid across history and potent in its implications for strategies and tactics in military policy. The book combines quantified analysis with detail drawn from actual military history. One of the major conclusions of the book is that most military planners and commanders need to draw upon historical experience in constructing a science of military combat, a science which is more essential than ever in an era of high military technology. The book also gives an account of why so many - mainly American - military ventures have frequently failed; but more important, it points the way toward successfully learning from historical experience.