Clausewitz, a biography [Unbound]

Roger Parkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1971

Carl Phillip Gottleib von Clausewitz (1780-1831), Prussian general and military theorist, is most famous for his book On War, a work that has influenced numerous wartime leaders from Lenin to Henry Kissinger. Parkinson's biography of Clausewitz provides detailed examinations of the Napoleonic battles in which he participated and which shaped his theories of warfare. Parkinson describes Clausewitz's first experiences in combat as a twelve-year-old cadet in battles with France along the Rhine. The biography follows Clausewitz during the years of Napoleon's rise, when, disgusted with the Prussian King's refusal to fight, he joined the Russian army and witnessed Napoleon's defeat following the destruction of Moscow and several harrowing months of battle. The book also includes in-depth descriptions of the battles following Napoleon's return, in which Clausewitz put his theories into practice against Napoleon's marshals.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mr. Parkinson has recounted in extraordinary, lucid detail the politics, the battles, the spectacles, the historical roots of Clausewitz' theories, and the theories themselves. (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt New York Times )

An excellent and much needed biography of the man whose oft-quoted and frequently misunderstood masterpiece, On War, has long been considered the outstanding military text of modern times. (Publishers Weekly )

An excellent and much needed biography of the man whose oft-quoted and frequently misunderstood masterpiece, On War, has long been considered the outstanding military text of modern times. (Publishers Weekly )

A searching critical rendering of Clausewitz' ideas… and a vivid and detailed evocation of the period. (Los Angeles Times )

Military intellectuals and professionals will be delighted. (Military Review )

Scrutinizing Clausewitz's life and ideas in the keenest detail, Clausewitz: A Biography is a classic and highly scholarly study of military theory, as well as a straightforward and very strongly recommended presentation of a great leader's life. (Midwest Book Review )

Scrutinizing Clausewitz's life and ideas in the keenest detail, Clausewitz: A Biography is a classic and highly scholarly study of military theory, as well as a straightforward and very strongly recommended presentation of a great leader's life. (Midwest Book Review ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Roger Parkinson, author of The Peninsular War and Tormented Warrior, lives in England.

Roger Parkinson, author of The Peninsular War and Tormented Warrior, lives in England. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Unbound: 352 pages
• Publisher: Stein and Day; 1st Ed.(U.S.) edition (1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812813693
• ISBN-13: 978-0812813692
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,005,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic and highly scholarly study of military theory, February 13, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clausewitz: A Biography (Paperback)

Clausewitz: A Biography by biographer Roger Parkinson relates the life and work of German officer and military theorist Carl Phillip Gottleib von Clausewitz (1780-1831) who is perhaps best known for his historic contribution to military studies titled "On War." Scrutinizing Clausewitz's life and ideas in the keenest detail, Clausewitz: A Biography is a classic and highly scholarly study of military theory, as well as a straightforward and very strongly recommended presentation of a great leader's life.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of a Military Man, July 17, 2003

By 

John Paul D'India (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clausewitz: A Biography (Paperback)

This book follows the action of the Napoleonic wars, where Clausewitz spent most of his life and his energy. Parkinson motivates Clausewitz's famous, later work, 'On War', by telling us of a man obsessed with fighting for the Fatherland against the French. As the pages turn, the reader empathizes with the Prussian Junker, who has trouble talking to women and even more hardship trying to reform the Prussian army. The final chapter concerns itself with 'On War' and its misinterpretation in the many wars following its publication. Parkison has a fluid writing style which makes the reading fast.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biography on Clausewitz; what a concept!, October 7, 2007

By 

R. W. Levesque (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clausewitz: A Biography (Paperback)

You'd think that a man who's philosophy on war is more read, quoted, and debated than any other would have had a biography done on him years ago, but that's not the case. Although many biographies on Clausewitz were published in German, especially in the late 19th and early 20th century, it's difficult to find anything in English. Hence Roger Parkinson's book truely does fill a gap in the literature, especially since Clausewitz' experience in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars affected the development of his own writings, such as "On War."

One of the reasons for the limited availability of biographies is the limited availability of sources. In his discussion of sources, Parkinson notes that personal information on Clausewitz is limited to the letters he wrote to his wife, and to a lesser extent to his friends and mentors Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. What this means is the much of the information on Clausewitz is inferred or drawn from secondary sources such as books on the Prussian reforms and/or reformists of the period; a movement in which Clausewitz was involved.

This is why my rating is 4 stars; not through any fault of the author's, but because the lack of primary sources does not allow a full exploration of Clausewitz as a person or his role in the Prussian and Russian armies. Unfortunately this means the book often tells Clausewitz' story via a military history of the battles in which Clausewitz is involved; the author adds as much as he can, when the information is available, as to where Clausewitz was, and his role, in a given battle, but in many cases this means one is reading another straight forward history of a given campaign or battle.

Having said that, this does allow a perspective on Clausewitz and his writings. Just knowing about his involvement in specific battles against the French in the Revolutionary Wars, Jena-Auerstadt, Napoleon's Russian Campaign, and the Waterloo Campaign allow some understanding into his thinking.

The bottom line is that this book must be read by someone who is interested in Clausewitz' writings. It adds substance to Clausewitz the man and not just the philosopher on war.