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Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda First Edition Edition

by John Keegan (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 76 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0375400537
ISBN-10: 0375400532
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 387 pages
  • Publisher: Knopf; First Edition edition (October 28, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375400532
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375400537
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsPoint of the book
By Treetown on November 24, 2003
Format: Hardcover
John Keegan is a well known military historian, and the defence editor for a major UK newspaper. In this particular book, he tackles the broad topic of intelligence and war. He uses case studies to help illustrate his points. (These include the 1942 Midway campaign, Nelson's pursuit of the French fleet leading to the Battle of the Nile, and Jackson's Shenandoah valley campaign). As some of the other reviewers have noted, these examples are not new, and some of the points he makes may be quite familiar. But I think in fairness, it should be remembered that while his work may be used to comment upon current policy, the roots of the work is as a history. It is not meant to be a polemic about how defence budgets may be better spent or the ultimate folly of war. While he does offer insights - and perhaps the best observation is that even if one has a great intelligence advantage, that advantage to be decisive must still be converted in some concrete way. The US knowing that the target was Midway was a great intelligence coup, but it still needed a big break when the Enterprise and Hornet's dive bombers managed to find the Japanese carriers while they were in the midst of re-arming. Of note in the later battles, the Japanese were able to determine US intentions (Phillipine Sea, Leyte Invasion) but the disparity in carriers and battle fleets was so great that the insight was almost irrelevant. Intelligence because it often has a short 'shelf life' unless it is acted upon or can be converted into some other tangible advantage can be transient and illusory. A very interesting work, and worth a read - more aimed at history buffs and not for ultra serious academics (who want more details) nor for policy pundits and mavens who are looking for historical 'evidence' to support their particular political and policy positions.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWell reasoned explanation
By Jerry Saperstein HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on July 5, 2004
Format: Hardcover
This history is well timed in the sense that it appeared at a time when certain people were attempting to spread a myth that the United States should have been able to avoid the tragedy of 9/11. Keegan, a military historian of the first tier, examines the full scope of military intelligence and its ramifications.
He convincingly demonstrates that accurate intelligence has almost always been unavailable - and even in the few instances it was available, its impact has not been the decisive element.
Keegan examine Lord Nelson's 73 day quest for the French fleet, relying upon merchants, captured sailors, ambassadors and just about everyone else for information. In the end, it was Nelson's experience and intuition that brought his fleet to battle with the French.
Perhaps his most telling example concerns the Battle of Midway. The Americans had exceptional intelligence and yet, as Keegan shows, the American victory resolved itself to four minutes of good fortune. So it goes in war.
Yes, some governments spend millions and billions on gathering intelligence. No, it is very rare for that intelligence gathering process to produce sucessful results as a norm. War is a business where secrets are not given up easily and are difficult to ferret out.
Keegan maintains that in the end, intelligence isn't a handmaiden to victory in battle, but perhaps a cousin once removed.
Jerry
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5.0 out of 5 starsForemost Military Historian Critiques Role of Intelligence
By Q. Publius VINE VOICE on December 28, 2003
Format: Hardcover
Sir John Keegan, the world's foremost living military historian, has written a book which thoroughly examines the role of intelligence in warfare, reaching a conclusion that is sure to tick off the intelligence community: even the best military intelligence on an enemy's forces and plans is secondary to having adequate military forces and planning with which to defeat the enemy. Keegan gives a number of case studies, including the World War II submarine Battle of the Atlantic, Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah Valley campaign, Admiral Nelson's hunt for the French fleet in the Mediterranean, and the battle of Crete, to show the effect of various degrees of knowledge of the enemy's forces and plans on the outcome of battle. The battle of Crete contributes most to Keegan's conclusion on the usefulness of military intelligence: the commander had a high degree of knowledge of German forces and plans for the batttle, so much so that when the first German paratroopers began to land while he was eating breakfast, he looked up and said: "they're on time." Yet the British lost this battle despite this high degree of foreknowledge of the German invasion plans. Keegan would not deny the importance of military intelligence in future military operations. With the satellite intelligence and codebreaking available today, much can be learned about enemy forces. However despite this foreknowledge, the intention of the potential enemy's command structure can still be unknown: witness the beginning of the first Iraq War, when Iraqi forces were massing on the Kuwait border, yet U.S. intelligence did not believe Saddam would cross the border and invade Kuwait. Technological intelligence capabilities have been overemphasized by the U.S.Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 starsNot Quite to al Qaida
By Jeffrey L Baker on November 17, 2003
Format: Hardcover
I found John Keegan's book well written, although the title is somewhat misleading. In my opinion, this work focuses mostly where Mr. Keegan seems to be most comfortable, in World War II. Even though some of the concepts he describes span across time, I found few take-aways for the current war on terrorism. Additionally, there appears to be more written about the military operations themselves, rather than about the intellgence influence in those ops. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Keegan defends the intelligence community, as all too often intelligence is simply a scape goat for leadership to blame when they make bad decisions. I would recommend this book to any history oriented readers interested in wars during the first half of the 20th Century.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

It's Keegan. You cannot go wrong.

Published 23 days ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent..

Excellent . . . it really gives you the nitty-gritty of intelligence when used in modern warfare; it really held my interest

Published 11 months ago by Geoffrey Hall
5.0 out of 5 starsTerrific

One of the best informative reads.

Published 11 months ago by Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsFails to make any important points except author's dislike for...

Fails to make any important points except author's dislike for "intelligence" and its practioners. Some chapters useless and don't belong. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsRead the conclusion, whatever it takes.

I urge (strongest word I can think of) all those concerned about the future of the war against terrorism in general, ISIS in particular, to read the conclusion, even if it means... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Charles A. Krohn
4.0 out of 5 stars5 for Scholarship, 3 for Missing the Point, 4 on Balance

I feel so strongly about the misdirection of this book, its eminent author not-withstanding, that I actually did a press release responding to the early publicity. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Robert David STEELE Vivas
2.0 out of 5 starsGood informative book but not really outstanding in the genre.

This is a very diffuse book taking far too much verbiage to make the authors point. The admiral nelson Mediterranean debacle made a point but it should have been made in a few... Read more

Published 15 months ago by G. Robinson
5.0 out of 5 starsIntelligence and WMD in WW2

Adolph Hitler unquestionably possessed advanced weapons of destruction, revenge Weapons, with which he hoped to turn the tide of the war. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Christopher Kelly
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great Item.

Published 18 months ago by JosephJacobs
5.0 out of 5 starsThe most important aspect of warfare is to know what ...

The most important aspect of warfare is to know what the enemy is doing and thinking and most importantly what they're planning

Published 18 months ago by Charles J. Ingerson

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