The Evolution of Strategy: Thinking War from Antiquity to the Present Illustrated Edition

by Beatrice Heuser (Author)

37 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0521155243

ISBN-10: 052115524X

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Is there a ‘Western way of war' which pursues battles of annihilation and single-minded military victory? Is warfare on a path to ever greater destructive force? This magisterial new account answers these questions by tracing the history of Western thinking about strategy – the employment of military force as a political instrument – from antiquity to the present day. Assessing sources from Vegetius to contemporary America, and with a particular focus on strategy since the Napoleonic Wars, Beatrice Heuser explores the evolution of strategic thought, the social institutions, norms and patterns of behaviour within which it operates, the policies that guide it and the cultures that influence it. Ranging across technology and warfare, total warfare and small wars as well as land, sea, air and nuclear warfare, she demonstrates that warfare and strategic thinking have fluctuated wildly in their aims, intensity, limitations and excesses over the past two millennia.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Heuser’s history of strategic theory and practice demonstrates extraordinary range, erudition, intelligence, and insight. She appears to have read everything, in many languages, about attempts to apply armed force effectively. The Evolution of Strategy will be the first port of call for those wanting to check up on the development of land strategy in the eighteenth century, maritime strategy in the nineteenth century, nuclear strategy in the twentieth century, or counterinsurgency strategy in the twenty-first century.”
Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs

“This is a real masterpiece. As a history of strategic thinking, ancient and modern, it is comprehensive, learned and authoritative. Its discussion of contemporary issues is shrewd and illuminating. It is lucid, wise, often witty, and above all, deeply humane. It should be essential reading for all students and practitioners of strategy: indeed I doubt whether they will need any other for a long time to come.”
– Sir Michael Howard, former Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford

“Beatrice Heuser has produced a book of immense and unique scholarship. The study provides the most detailed and comprehensive survey yet written on strategic thinking across the ages from Roman times to the contemporary debates about the future of warfare in the twenty-first century. It is essential reading for any serious university or military student of strategic studies or international security.”
– John Baylis, Emeritus Professor and formerly Pro Vice Chancellor, Swansea University

“With this work Beatrice Heuser has made a major contribution. This is much more than just a survey of strategy through the ages, but a deep, intellectual examination of the complex relationships between strategy and war through the course of history.”
– Williamson Murray, Professor Emeritus of History, Ohio State University

"Beatrice Heuser… has written one of the most important books on strategy and war to appear in recent years." -Survival, H.R. MacMaster

"There can be no dispute that this is a major work by a recognised authority. Heuser set out to provide a survey of the literature discussing this subject over much of European history and there can be little doubt that she has achieved her aim." -Australian Defence Force Journal

“Heuser’s The Evolution of Strategy is a towering achievement…Any future treatment of the subject must build on this book’s foundational work. This makes it not only a book that provokes the reader to think but one that is indispensable for those seeking to gain context and perspective on the role of war in world politics.” –Patrick Porter, The Journal of Modern History

“Beatrice Heuser has crafted a book that should stand as the first place of reference for serious scholars of strategic studies, international politics, and political/intellectual history for many years to come. Students across these disciplines should be very grateful to the author for producing such thoughtful analysis (not to mention such an impressive bibliography) that is guaranteed to enrich their future studies.” Gwyn Davies, Florida International University, Journal of World History

Book Description

A comprehensive survey of the development of strategic thought over two millennia, ranging across land, sea, air and nuclear warfare.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; Illustrated edition (November 30, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 594 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 052115524X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521155243
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.81 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.99 x 1.34 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #487,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #317 in International Relations (Books)
- #325 in Military History (Books)
- #1,203 in Military Strategy History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
37 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		77%
4 star		9%
3 star		6%
2 star		8%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Alexander T. Gafford

review and reflection worth reading

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2013

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When I first began to read this book, I thought how lazy is this author? She is just quoting old dead men over and over with scarcely an original thought of her own. What an incredible misunderstanding! I now realize looking back at the whole work that this elaborately structured book (the table of contents in Look Inside is quite revealing) is designed to illustrate how Western military strategic thought has over the centuries alternated between many points of view about the war enterprise as a whole and what we think of as normative based on recent memory can be seen reflected and refuted many times in the past. More or less simple questions like what is the role of naval fleets in war with other countries with such fleets are seen by the method of Ms Heuser to be argued back and forth without any true resolution but with different viewpoints appearing dominant from time to time based on circumstance and content as well as personality and persuasion.

In Ms Hueser's book this struggle of alternate points of view is seen to presist over time and it is just fascinating to read through what people thought and said. We are of course dependent on the integrity of the author to accurately represent such view point from just a few quotations and brief description but that is the burden and the task of the historian of any kind. Over the course of the book, Ms Hueser does not truly disguise her preference for those who see war as being inherently something to be limited and controlled and for those who believe war is not something for which a formula for sure success can be found.

I would be remiss not to mention the truly comprehensive and amazing bibliography almost worth the price of the book in itself.

Reading the above comments I don't think I am fully justifying the five star rating which I don't often give. What I may not have communicated is the real intellectual joy it is to hear all these voices in dialouge across time and space. Try a dip into any chapter and I hope you will see what I mean. However, I suppose we should remember R.E. Lee's thought "It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow to love it" and remind ourselves that war, no matter how skillfuly strategized and waged, ultimately means killing people like you or me.

18 people found this helpful

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Sue M.

Heavy Reading

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016

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I am a lay-person with a long standing interest in strategy & tactics. But in reading this book, I realized that there is much more to this topic than I had realized. While I recognized much of the 20th century terminology the much broader explanations & debates were eye opening to me. I admit to forcing myself to plow throughout some segments & much of the detail & names are already lost to me. Nevertheless it gave me a much greater perspective. My husband attended the Naval War College in the mid 70s & I typed his papers. I recognized names & some of his required reading. My father had also had been a career military man. His career began in the Army Air Corp in 1939 & later the Air Force. This may explain my interest.

My 5 star rating is not based on my expertise of the subject. I can neither defend or argue against much of it. the book was more than I expected & held my attention & interest to the end. Therefore my rating is, again, based on lay perspective.

5 people found this helpful

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Tornike

Maybe good for professionals but definitely not for amateurs - even ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017

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Too long, the same topics discussed without any hope of finishing... Maybe good for professionals but definitely not for amateurs - even for those who study history

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Russell Smith

Beautiful piece strategic work

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2022

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Of the many books I read on strategy this is one of the best

One person found this helpful

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Terry Tucker

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2014

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This is a highly readable history that is packed with detail. I bought the Kindle edition of this book and am pleased with the format. This book has twenty chapters and and starts with defining the art and science of strategy. It moves into what the author calls the "Long-term Constants" and then covers some of the key developmental periods of history - Napoleonic, Naval and Maritime strategy, Air Power and Nuclear strategy, "Small Wars" and then lastly, "The Quest for new paradigms after WW II."

7 people found this helpful

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R K Coker

Book review

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2012

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I have always enjoyed historical stories more than fiction. This "Evolution of Strategy" is extremely interesting take on the historical pressures on political and military strategy.

8 people found this helpful

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Casper

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014

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I don't review books past the star rating system

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WilliamSM

Feb, 2011 - Review

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2011

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The book is an outstanding source of knowledge for students, scholars and researchers. It provides a comprehensive survey and a creative point of view about the origin and the evolution of Strategy and the strategic thinking. This is certainly is a major contribution to the understanding of strategic theory.

23 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Great

Reviewed in Canada on June 26, 2019

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Great

M. V.

Thorough overview of the evolution of Western military strategy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2012

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In this book, Beatrice Heuser gives a very thorough overview of evolution of (Western) military strategy throughout the ages. The book consists of seven parts in which strategy on land warfare, naval (and maritime) strategy, air power and nuclear strategy, small wars and the evolution of strategy since the world wars are discussed. All major, and many minor, thinkers are discussed within the strategic debate of their age. Well worth the effort.

4 people found this helpful

acelawyer

Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2015

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Good book for those who want something more than the usual UK version of events

Working Class Hero

Really good - if you have an assignment to write about ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2016

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Really good - if you have an assignment to write about strategy (land, sea or air) then you are going to want to read this first;

Birger H

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2015

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The Evolution of Strategy: Thinking War from Antiquity to the Present Illustrated Edition

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