The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo,Books,Free Shipping,0253217075,

	The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo by Russell F. Weigley
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Product Details Binding Paperback Dewey Decimal Number 355.0094 EAN 9780253217073 ISBN 0253217075 Manufacturer Indiana University Press Number Of Items 1 Number Of Pages 608 Publication Date 2004-04 Publisher Indiana University Press Availability Usually ships in 24 hours Product Description Here is narrative history in the grand manner, deeply and passionately informed by a wide understanding of every aspect of the topic: the historical circumstances and political conditions of the contending adversaries, the strategic thinking and the personalities of the military commanders, the tactical manoeuvring on the field of battle, the role of armaments and technology, and the performance of the soldiers. From Gustavus Adolphus's 1631 victory at Breitenfeld in the Thirty Years War to Napoleon's 1815 defeat at Waterloo, the primary instrument of military strategy was the grand-scale battle waged with the goal of winning a political as well as military decision. In this first-class study of the battles of Gustavus, Charles II, Louis XIV, Marlborough, Nelson, Napoleon and Wellington, Weigley ( The American Way of War ) brings into sharp focus the irony that warfare throughout the period was most often a matter of prolonged, indecisive struggle that expressed a bankruptcy of national policy. The book traces the development of the professional officer class during the two-century era and the evolution of command and control techniques in the field. Weigley discusses the limitation of violence in battle through the restraints of international law and custom, and analyzes the surprising fact that military tactics, technology and organization remained essentially the same from Breitenfeld to Waterloo. History Book Club main selection. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Weigley, an authority on the U.S. military experience, has written a superb study of the age of 'decisive battles'--that period between 1631 and 1815 when war's economic, social, and technological circum stances enabled concentrating large forces on a single field, and when political leaders and strategists hoped to secure quick decisions by means of battle. That hope was most often in vain. As Weigley demonstrates, the 'age of battles' was also an age of increasingly indecisive wars. Even Napoleon's great victories resolved issues only in the short run. Exhaustion and attrition, not decision, were the norms of warfare in this period--a pattern sustained and enhanced by the military developments of the 19th and 20th centuries. Weigley's broad scholar ship and lively style make this book indispensable for any collection dealing with the subject or the period. History Book Club main selection. - Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Here is narrative history in the grand manner, deeply and passionately informed by a wide understanding of every aspect of the topic: the historical circumstances and political conditions of the contending adversaries, the strategic thinking and the personalities of the military commanders, the tactical manoeuvring on the field of battle, the role of armaments and technology, and the performance of the soldiers. Customers who bought this item also bought Taken by Storm: The Media, Public Opinion, and U.S. Foreign Policy in the Gulf War (American Politics and Political Economy Series) The Bells of Victory: The Pitt-Newcastle Ministry and Conduct of the Seven Years' War 1757-1762 The War of the Austrian Succession Fire And Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare 1660-1860 On The Napoleonic Wars-Softbound (Napoleonic Library) Customer Reviews for: The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo Rating - After more than a millennium's absence, combined and disciplined arms return to the European battlefield Weigley's The Age of Battles covers the era of European warfare starting with the emergence of Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years War and ending with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The author's main theme is that although this age of battles offered more hope for decisive outcomes as a result of a single battle, with expenditures in lives and resources commensurate with the intended goals, than any other era, the battles of this era nevertheless ... Read More Rating - excellent reference This book is an excellent reference book for people who have an eclectic interest in European as well as military history. If one has a specialized interest in any of the wars Weigley chronicles this book places them in a larger diplomatic and techinal context. Besides the book's practicality it is also engagingly written and cogently argued. One more note, Weigley includes an admirable mission statement for military historians that their ultimate goal should ... Read More Rating - Recalcitrant Indecisiveness This book explores several themes. First, it speaks in generalities to the rise of the Profession of Arms and talks about the development of professional officers. The second major theme is that it dicusses command and control and the execution and management of violence. the thesis is that decision making, technology and professionalism are essential tools that now become part of the overall thought, deliberate strategy planning and development process of the military. ... Read More Rating - A well written, interesting book with a fresh viewpoint. This is an excellent book providing an interesting alternative viewpoint of historical events that have been reviewed extensively. The author writes with an engaging style which maintains the readers interest throughout the text. The only fault in this excellent book is the number of typographical errors in the text in one case leading to a small factual error. The Dauphine Estates General met at the town of Vizille not Virille as shown in the text. But still ... Read More See all books by author Russell F. Weigley

Books : The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo