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Command in War
 
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Command in War (Paperback)

~ Martin van Creveld (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the finest and most perceptive military historians writing in English today...Van Creveld has marshaled more than enough historical evidence--and with great depth and richness--to support his conclusions.
--Robert L. Goldich (Armed Forces and Society )

One cannot but admire the author's excellent discussion of how modern technology has complicated command and the processes of command; of the interaction of this complication with the political complexities of Vietnam; and of the uses and limitations of systems analysis in general, and in Vietnam in particular.
--Trevor Dupuy (Washington Times )

I can think of few books on military subjects of greater originality and importance than Martin van Creveld's scholarly and fascinating dissertation on command in war...The subject is examined in depth, supported by a wide historical base, with a perceptive, unprejudiced eye, and the result expressed in clear prose of high literary merit.
--Michael Carver (Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies Journal )

[Van Creveld] provides us with a vivid historical narrative of the significant steps in the evolution of command systems from the Greek period to the Vietnam war: the birth of the nation-state regular army, the rise of the science of military strategy, the advent of new communication technologies, the development of means for mobilization, and the emergence of computer and space technologies. (Ethics )


Product Description

Many books have been written about strategy, tactics, and great commanders. This is the first book to deal exclusively with the nature of command itself, and to trace its development over two thousand years from ancient Greece to Vietnam. It treats historically the whole variety of problems involved in commanding armies, including staff organization and administration, communications methods and technologies, weaponry, and logistics. And it analyzes the relationship between these problems and military strategy.

In vivid descriptions of key battles and campaigns--among others, Napoleon at Jena, Moltke's Königgrätz campaign, the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, and the Americans in Vietnam--van Creveld focuses on the means of command and shows how those means worked in practice. He finds that technological advances such as the railroad, breech-loading rifles, the telegraph and later the radio, tanks, and helicopters all brought commanders not only new tactical possibilities but also new limitations.

Although vast changes have occurred in military thinking and technology, the one constant has been an endless search for certainty--certainty about the state and intentions of the enemy's forces; certainty about the manifold factors that together constitute the environment in which war is fought, from the weather and terrain to radioactivity and the presence of chemical warfare agents; and certainty about the state, intentions, and activities of one's own forces. The book concludes that progress in command has usually been achieved less by employing more advanced technologies than by finding ways to transcend the limitations of existing ones.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Harvard University Press (January 1, 1987)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0674144414
  • ISBN-13: 978-0674144415
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #429,735 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Martin L. Van Creveld
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Customer Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Command in War, May 5, 2000
This is the best non-fiction book I have ever read. Van Creveld traces the history of command systems in organized warfare. His conclusion is that successful command systems did not employ breathrough technology but, rather, so organized themselves that they could function with less information flow. They did this by either compressing the organization so less communication was needed (e.g., the phalanx) or decentralizing decision making so that information did not have to flow as far up or down the organization. Added to this informational efficiency was a "directed telescope" that permitted commanders to focus on essential points in the system in detail, which had the secondary purpose of keeping lower level commanders honest through fear of intense scrutiny from on high. Finally, informal channels of communication existed to grease the wheels of the formal system, as well as to permit temporary but essential circumvention of the formal system in emergencies.

Van Creveld's scholarship is broad and impressive; he researched in, and translated from, several languages. His sense of irony and good story telling make for a can't-put-down read.

This book is great for military buffs, and is equally useful for business managers who recognize that the hot new management buzzwords being hawked by the consultant industry cannot compare to thoughtful analysis.

By the way, for those who believe the Internet will easily and immediately change how we do business, check out van Creveld's Technology and War.

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Commanding Read!, January 15, 2003
By A Customer
I first heard about this book during lectures on military leadership. When I finally got around to buying it and started reading it, I could not put this book down. It thoroughly engrossed me in the subject of command under wartime conditions. Although the book uses examples from purely the land warfare aspect, it is easy to see how the concept of command can and ultimately does encompass all three services. The author has researched this subject extremely well (the endnotes are endless)and the bibliography exhaustive. I highly recommend this book to all military enthusiasts as well as the military professional.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and Lucid Book on Command, August 7, 2001
This is the first book by Martin Van Crevold I have read, but it is a fine one. In this wonderful tome, Van Crevold analyzes the problem of military command in detail, looking at the evolution of Command systems, paying close attention to Napoleon, Van Moltke, Israel during 1967 and 1973, and the United States in Vietnam. A must buy for any military history buff.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
This book is on the US Marine Corps Commandant's reading list for officers, I was a Cpl when I ordered this book. I think it should be read by all Corporals that are Infantry. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars A Study of Command by Napoleon, Moltke, and Others
This book is one of my favorites on military command. I especially liked learning about how Napolean inspired his troops and used a "telescoping" type procedure in which he would... Read more
Published 17 months ago by William J. Romanos

4.0 out of 5 stars Van Creveld on Command....
Distinguished military historian Martin Van Creveld's 1985 "Command in War" is a comparative analysis of the challenges of exercising control over armies in conflict. Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. S. Thurlow

5.0 out of 5 stars The future does not work.
The Ideal Command System should monitor close but not choke initiative nor undermine authority. The system should gather information accurately, continuously, comprehensively,... Read more
Published on October 16, 2006 by Golden Lion

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book (I've read) on Command and Control
Much has happened (e.g. Boyd's OODA methodology, etc) since this book was written, but I still think it's the best single book I'ved read on Command and Control. Read more
Published on April 19, 2005 by David Emery

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable, an eye opener.
I never realized the importance of supplies in war until reading this book. It covers a wide range of topics and is invaluable for broadening your understanding of military... Read more
Published on November 17, 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars Read if concerned for the evolution of command systems.
Martin Van Creveld writes a thought provoking work which provides the framework for a critical analysis of command systems. Read more
Published on September 27, 1999 by marktingle@hotmail.com

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