The Book of Military Quotations [Paperback]

Peter G. Tsouras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2005

Four thousand years of military history come to life through the words of more than 800 soldiers, commanders, military theorists, and commentators on war. Diverse personalities are represented—Napoleon, Machiavelli, Ataturk, Che Guevara, Rommel, Julius Caesar, Wellington, Xenophon, Crazy Horse, Wallenstein, T. E. Lawrence, Saladin, Zhukov, Eisenhower, and many more. Their memorable sayings present every facet of the experience of war and incorporate the distilled wisdom of soldiers and leaders across the ages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Editor Peter G. Tsouras, is a senior analyst at the U.S. Army National Ground Intelligence Center. His other books include Disaster at D-Day, Gettysburg: An Alternate History, and The Great Patriotic War. He lives near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press (October 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760323402
• ISBN-13: 978-0760323403
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both a Great Reference and Fun to Read, April 12, 2008

By 

Military Historian/Analyst "Karl" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Military Quotations (Paperback)

Peter Tsouras is a well-known military historian, who also has the ability to write alternative history. The breadth of his knowledge is impressive -- he can write authoritatively on topics ranging from ancient to modern. As such, he appreciates the wisdom, and folly, of the great and not so great individuals who have spoken and written pithy lines over the centuries.

This book reflects his love of military history. It ranges widely, with more than 3,500 quotations from 800-plus individuals on more than 400 topics. It also has two helpful features -- a useful index, and Tsouras tells the reader the source of the quote. I can not stress enough how helpful the latter aid is. When I write military history, I need to know where someone wrote or spoke something. So many quote books do not include this information, Tsouras and his publisher are to be commended for providing such.

Tsouras also must be commended for the topics he selects. There are those topics one would expect -- Battle, Command, Courage, Fear, Mutiny, Strategy, Victory, etc. However, with over 400 topics, the reader finds some nice, clever surprises, e.g., The Bayonet, Camp Followers, Chaplains, Contractors, Destiny, Divine Favor, Looting, Military Music, Old Soldiers, Quagmire, Sang Froid, Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, War on Terrorism, Whitehall, and Wives. I also applaud Tsouras for breaking down topics into more useful subtopics, e.g., Battle is broken down into four groups, i.e., The Cost of Battle, The Dynamics of Battle, The Human Factor, and The Purpose of Battle. Another example is Discipline, which is broken into The Effects of Discipline, Instilling Discipline, The Lack of Discipline, and The Nature of Discipline. Army, The Enemy, History, Initiative, Training (seven subtopics), Victory (eight subtopics), and War (eleven subtopics!) are some of the other categories that have convenient divisions.

If you love military history, and/or great quotations, this book is a fun read. If you write or speak on military matters, or history in general, this book is a necessary resource to always have handy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PUBLIC SPEAKER SOURCEBOOK, March 12, 2011

By 

Johnny V (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Military Quotations (Paperback)

As a minister, [...] , I can never spend enough time looking for just the right illustration or anecdote to insert into a sermon. What makes this such a valuable book for me is the way it has the topics arranged in alphabetical order. It also has an index in the back of the book listing all the speakers who are quoted and the page number of each of their quotes. People think you are really well-read when you start pulling quotes from Napoleon, Homer or Philip of Macedon. It is important to note that the quotes are highly usable. There are none that I have found to be meaningless in any way.

This is a steal of a deal if you are looking for a good book of illustrations to use in teaching, speaking or preaching. It has quotes that cover several thousands of years. It is very handy and I could not recommend it any more enthusiastically! With the great price, I have sent several copies to my preacher friends.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life advice through military quotations, February 16, 2011

By 

Josh J. Stewart "Attorney Josh J. Stewart, Es... (New Port Richey, Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book of Military Quotations (Paperback)

Some of the quotes are humorous, others historical. Many address accountability and integrity. The characteristics of a leader and what conduct motivates and inspires others is also reflected through the selections. Basically, if you enjoy reading quotes, you'll like this book. I read quotes for the wisdom often found within. I found the layout to be easy to follow. I appreciate the attention to detail in terms of referencing the quote. It's a good book to have and pick up for a quick review anytime. - Josh Stewart; [e-mail]