Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) [Paperback]

M. Evan Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Series: Most Wanted(TM) | Publication Date: May 2002

In 1944 U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Leslie J. McNair was accidentally killed by USAAF bombers that dropped their bombs short of the target, thus becoming the highest-ranking American casualty of World War II. Union Gen. Daniel Sickels was the first person to be successfully acquitted of murder by pleading temporary insanity after he shot and killed the son of “Star-Spangled Banner” composer Francis Scott Key in cold blood. Ten years before Custer’s infamous last stand, U.S. cavalry Capt. William J. Fetterman disobeyed orders and led his eighty-man detachment in pursuit of a band of Sioux Indians. Neither he nor his men returned. In the United States, Benedict Arnold’s name is synonymous with treason, but in Russia Andrei Vlasov holds that dubious distinction. After being captured by the Germans during World War II, he led an army of former Soviet POWs against the Red Army. Famous men of the arts and letters, such as Maurice Chevalier and Jean-Paul Sartre, openly collaborated with the Axis during World War II yet managed to escape punishment after the war. Entertainer Martha Raye was so beloved by the troops that she earned an honorary commission as “Colonel Maggie” and was allowed to be buried in Fort Bragg’s military cemetery. James Bond creator Ian Fleming graduated from Sandhurst and was a naval intelligence officer in World War II. During the Thirty Years’ War, Count Tilly lost control of his troops after capturing Magdeburg. After three days of looting, they had killed 25,000 of the city’s 30,000 inhabitants.

Military History's Most Wanted™ chronicles 700 of the most outlandish commanders, battles, and accomplishments in military history. Its seventy lists include warfare's top ten winners, losers, traitors, entertainers, war novels, and movies. Military historians, buffs, and enthusiasts will enjoy this often irreverent and controversial look at the profession of arms.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British Revolutionary War general William Howe was so obviously distracted from the campaign by the charms of his mistress that American Tories wrote a song about it. More gravely, as the Red Army invaded and triumphed over Finland in WWII, Finland ended up losing 25,000 soldiers; the Russians lost 250,000. These and other facts are showcased in Military History's Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities. Written by M. Evan Brooks, who served in the U.S. Army and National Guard for more than 30 years, the book gathers 10 brief, encyclopedia-style entries apiece on such topics as Mercenaries, Literary Soldiers, Amphibious Operations and Decisive Battles.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

M. Evan Brooks is an avid wargamer who recently retired with more than thirty years of service in the U.S. Army and National Guard. He is a contributor to numerous war-game and professional military publications. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157488509X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574885095
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,277,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Challenging, and Witty History, June 25, 2002

By 

Karl (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) (Paperback)

Normally I find top ten military lists like those on MILHST-L fun to read, but not very informative. This book is superb because it combines insightful commentary and fun lists.

What Brooks has done is assemble 70+ top ten lists, but each entry has one or more paragraphs of explanation. And it is clear that he has thought very carefully and researched his choices on his lists.

More specifically, why is this such a good book?

First, the author is well-read and informed. You may not agree with his opinions, I know I have more than a few disagreements, but they are based on a solid understanding of military history and the literature. (BTW, the author is a decorated veteran of the Gulf War, so he has first-hand knowledge of war.)

Second, he has created great categories, not just the obvious ones, like the Great Captains of History, Overrated Commanders, Underrated Commanders, and Decisive Battles. Here are some of the 70+ ones that I found quite facinating: Military Myths, Chaplains, Murder (and Death) Most Foul, Retrograde Operations, Mutinies, Entertainers, Cavalry Charges, POW Camps, Courts-Martial, Military Web Sites, Lopsided Victories (more than 30,000 casualties), Lopsided Victories (less than 30,000 casualties), and Last Stands. I love his four War Movie categories: Operational, Nonoperational, Testosterone, and Estrogen. Also, his suggestions on the ten books with which to begin building a military library are quite sound, especially when combined with his four other military book categories. Finally, Brooks has a great category that will challenge the serious historian -- he canvasses several thousand years of history to create the greatest Command Staff in History.

Third, Brooks has a good sense of wit. The book is fun to read! Again, the seriousness of the book is not compromised by his witty and at times, sarcastic, comments, rather it is enhanced. This book does challenge the serious historian to think about his own opinions.

Fourth, the book is a useful reference. He has some top ten lists that are straight reference, e.g., air aces, sub aces, Marshal-Generals of France. And for each person in the book, he has their dates of birth and death (when known). There is a twelve-page bibliography and an index.

Informative and fun, and a great way to get a conversation amongst historians going -- what more can you ask for in a book?

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove of Trivia [And Much More], December 13, 2002

By 

M. T. Sharp (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) (Paperback)

This book easily earns five stars, because it's accurate, well-written, and witty. Don't let the format fool you. The author is well-read and has done an impressive amount of research, so much so that I believe high school and undergraduate students in history or military science could use it as a reference. It's a fun read.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Improbable Fun, June 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) (Paperback)

Never thought reading about the military could be fun - or funny - until I read this little gem. The chapters are short, concise and interesting. You can skip chapters or read it straight through. Believe me, you'll never loose a history question in Trivial Pursuit again once you've finished with this book! Learn, laugh and educate yourself about the military with this great little book!