Great Captains Unveiled [Paperback]

B. H. Liddell Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1996

Great Captains Unveiled incisively examines the brilliant military careers and intriguing personalities of six masters of the battlefield: Jenghiz Khan (1167?–1227) and Sabutai (1172?–1245), who led their Mongol cavalry into the heart of medieval Europe and shook the fabric of its civilization; the French Marechal de Saxe (1696-1750), one of the greatest generals of his age, a military prophet of rare foresight, and author of Reveries, a classic on the art of war; Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632), the Swedish king during the Thirty Years War and the founder of the modern army, who emphasized officer education, national recruitment, and the combination of firepower and mobility; Wallenstein (1583–1634), champion of the Holy Roman Empire and Adolphus's formidable opponent, who proved to be a genius of maneuver and psychological warfare; and James Wolfe (1727–1759), whose flawless execution of one of the most daring amphibious operations in history virtually gave Canada to the British. Liddell Hart's penetrating, decisive studies of these great captains reveal not only their genius and impact, but offer relevant lessons that 20th-century military commanders have yet to fully reap.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Great Captains Unveiled incisively examines the brilliant military careers and intriguing personalities of six masters of the battlefield, all of whom antedate the French Revolution. Jenghis Kahn (1167-1127) and Sabutai (1172-1245) led their Mongol cavalries into the heart of medieval Europe and shook the fabric of its civilization. The French Marchel de Saxe (1696-1750) was one of the greatest generals of his age, a military prophet of rare foresight and author of Reveries, a classic on the art of war. Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632), the Swedish king during the Thirty Years War and the founder of the modern army emphasized officer education, national recruitment, and the combination of firepower and mobility. Wallenstein (1583-1634) was champion of the Holy Roman Empire and Adolphus' formidable opponent who proved to be a genius of maneuver and psychological warfare. James Wolfe (1727-1759) whose flawless execution of one of the most daring amphibious operations in history virtually gave Canada to the British. Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1895-1970) was himself a renowned military theorist. His Great Captains Unveiled is a seminal work and highly recommended for all military science reading lists. -- Midwest Book Review

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8 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 22, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030680686X
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806865
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,333,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Look at Little Known Leaders, February 10, 2001

By 

T. Parry "Stonewall63" (Mont Alto, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Great Captains Unveiled (Paperback)

In this fairly slim volume B.H. Liddell Hart covers the lives of five generals that most people have never heard of, even though these men shaped the course of history. Jenghiz Kahn, Marshal de Saxe, Gutavus Aldolphus, Wallenstein, and General Wolfe have never received the acclaim of Alexander, Caesar, or Washington, yet, the impact they had on their time was equally world-altering as those great captains.

Hart does not go into great depth with any of these commanders, but he gives enough background to understand the times in which they formed their methods. This provides a base from which the reader can see how different these captains were from the mold. With each, Hart describes briefly their campaigns, but the majority of his writing is devoted to showing what each captain added to the art of war. Instead of extracting maxim's that provide and "formula" for winning, Hart indentifies one or two principles that each commander brought to warfare. He then shows how these principles were a departure for their times, and are still viable in the modern era, often referring to WW I.

From a writing standpoint, the book can be slow at times, and difficult to follow. Also, Hart is writing for an audience he assumes has some knowledge of military history, as he often makes references to other wars and battles. This is not a book for a beginner. I suggest reading a general European or military history prior to delving into this fascinating yet complicated book.

This is not a life story of great unknown warriors, nor a recipe book on how to win a war. Instead, Hart illuminates several dark corners of history, and demonstrates that these "forgotten" generals were true masters of war, and and modern student would be wise to learn their lessons well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as "Strategy," But Worthwhile In Its Own Right, February 17, 2002

By 

J. E. Friedman (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Great Captains Unveiled (Paperback)

Perhaps I was spoiled a bit by reading Liddell Hart's book "Strategy" before I read the "Great Captains Unveiled." "Strategy" is the work of a mature military polemicist and a master stylist. In "Great Captains," Liddell Hart hasn't reached the peak of his skill yet, but it is certainly an enjoyable and informative read nonetheless. In demonstrating the applicability of historical lessons to the modern art of war, Liddell Hart lays the groundwork for his theory of the indirect approach; i.e. never attack your opponent, or do anything in war, along the the line of natural expectation. This theory, so clear and explicit in "Strategy," in buried here. But one can see the kernels of the theory in the author's choices of generals to profile and battles to highlight.

While certainly weak in the use of primary sources and complete perspective, as recognized in the foreword to the most recent edition, "Great Captains" is effective as an essay rather than straight history.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A great disappointment from a military genius, October 5, 2003

By 

Jaundiced Eye "jaundicedeye" (Hollywood, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Captains Unveiled (Paperback)

Liddell Hart ranks as a minor military prophet in his own right. Although he was considered one of Britain's leading tank experts during and after the Great War, the British military rejected his thought on the importance of mobility, but the German General Staff followed his work closely. The result was the Blitzkrieg, which destroyed the armies of Poland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Britain in less than a year.

Here, however, in a collection of biographical essays written for popular journal readers, Liddell Hart shows himself as not being above gushing hack writing more typical of a teenager's fan magazine than a military history. As another reviewer has pointed out, "Great Captains Unveiled" jumps about in its biographies. It offers facts which might be interesting in the context of a major biographical work, but which are all but pointless in the brief biographies presented -- acceptable perhaps for a general readership, but unacceptable for those expecting information which explains WHY these particular individuals were chosen to be considered "Great Captains."

The worst biography is probably that of Wolfe, victor at Quebec. What difference does it make if he was delayed on this date or that date because he or someone else was sick? The Battle of Quebec and his tactics were completely unaffected by his health (unlike, for example, General Rommel's psychosomatic illnesses, which seriously affected the course of the North African campaign and led to his disillusionment with Hitler and his own forced suicide, a series of events which unfolded after the publishing of this book, which Rommel might well have read, although he himself throve too late to be included). The gushing tone is most obvious in the actual description of the "Battle" of Quebec, which seems to have boiled down to a sneak attack, one effective volley at close range which caused the French to panic, and a foolish French salley which cost both Wolfe and defender Montcalme their lives. A perceptive reader might well get the impression that death was Wolfe's greatest ally: had he lived he might well have shown himself to be as mediocre as most of his contemporaries -- one lucky volley does not a "Great Captain" make.

The acccount of the Mongol conquest of the Khwarezm Shah's empire, however, is very good indeed. Although the casus belli is often repeated in histories of the Mongol conquests, few histories relate the unfolding of the events which led to the Mongol victory, nor so succinctly explain EXACTLY why this victory was more significant than any other Mongol victory in Central Asia. The other Mongol victories get short shrift, but this book's account of the Central Asian campaign is outstanding.

The life of Wallenstein is covered in far greater detail in Friedrich Shiller's history of the Thirty Years War (available free online through Project Gutenberg and other web sites) than it is in "Great Captains Unveiled," while the life of De Saxe is over-rated and inflated to highlight the importance of his "Reveries." I can't even remember who else was covered in this book, so trivialized are the biographies.

This is one book by Liddell Hart which bears missing. The interested reader should merely note the names of those whose biographies he includes and look up their lives elsewhere, although, as stated, the account of the defeat of the Khwarezm Shah is outstanding.