The goal of war is to defeat the enemy's will to fight. But how
this can be accomplished is a thorny issue. "Nothing Less than
Victory" provocatively shows that aggressive, strategic military
offenses can win wars and establish lasting peace, while defensive
maneuvers have often led to prolonged carnage, indecision, and
stalemate. Taking an ambitious and sweeping look at six major wars,
from antiquity to World War II, John David Lewis shows how
victorious military commanders have achieved long-term peace by
identifying the core of the enemy's ideological, political, and
social support for a war, fiercely striking at this objective, and
demanding that the enemy acknowledges its defeat.
Lewis examines the Greco-Persian and Theban wars, the Second
Punic War, Aurelian's wars to reunify Rome, the American Civil War,
and the Second World War. He considers successful examples of
overwhelming force, such as the Greek mutilation of Xerxes' army
and navy, the Theban-led invasion of the Spartan homeland, and
Hannibal's attack against Italy--as well as failed tactics of
defense, including Fabius's policy of delay, McClellan's retreat
from Richmond, and Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. Lewis shows
that a war's endurance rests in each side's reasoning, moral
purpose, and commitment to fight, and why an effectively aimed,
well-planned, and quickly executed offense can end a conflict and
create the conditions needed for long-term peace.
Recognizing the human motivations behind military conflicts,
"Nothing Less than Victory" makes a powerful case for offensive
actions in pursuit of peace.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!