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When Sun-tzu Met Clausewitz: The OODA Loop and the Invasion of Iraq Kindle Edition

by Daniel Ford (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 31 ratings
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John Boyd was a fighter pilot in the Korean War, an instructor at the US Air Force Fighter Weapons School, and arguably America's greatest military thinker of the 20th Century. His concept of the OODA Loop helped guide the US military during two wars against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. This 4000-word 'long essay' was originally prepared for the War in the Modern World program at King's College London by Daniel Ford, an American journalist and historian. Revised December 2014 to incorporate a chapter from his larger study of John Boyd's thinking, published as A Vision So Noble.
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  1. Print length
    34 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 16, 2010
  5. File size
    537 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I wrote this 'long essay' in my second year in the War in the Modern World program at King's College London. It set me on a course to make a deeper study of the OODA Loop and John Boyd's application of it to challenges far removed from aerial combat, and including what he called 'counter-guerrilla' operations such as the US and NATO face today in Afghanistan. In the end, I wrote my dissertation on that topic. It's available in print and digital editions under the title A Vision So Noble, and you might want to turn to that instead of this earlier, shorter work.

About the Author

Daniel Ford has spent a lifetime reading and writing about the wars of the past hundred years, from the Irish rebellion of 1916 to the counter-guerrilla operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is best known for his history of the American Volunteer Group--the 'Flying Tigers' of the Second World War--and his Vietnam novel that was filmed as Go Tell the Spartans, starring Burt Lancaster. Most recently, he has turned to the invasion of Poland in 1939 by Germany and Soviet Russia. Most of his books and many shorter pieces are available for Amazon's Kindle ebook reader. He lives and works in New Hampshire.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001RCTCCC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Warbird Books; 2017th edition (January 16, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 16, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 537 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 34 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

About the author

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Daniel Ford

Daniel Ford

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Daniel Ford has spent a lifetime studying and writing about the wars of the past hundred years, from Ireland's war of liberation to America's invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. A U.S. Army veteran and a reporter in Vietnam, he wrote the novel that was filmed as 'Go Tell the Spartans', starring Burt Lancaster. As a historian, he is best known for his prize-winning study of the American Volunteer Group--the gallant 'Flying Tigers' of the Second World War. Most recently, he has written a memoir of his life so far: "Looking Back From Ninety: The Depression, the War, and the Good Life that Followed." Visit www.DanFordBooks.com and sign up for a monthly newsletter about war, flying, and less important subjects.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
31 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kishon
5.0 out of 5 stars OODA In a pinch
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
I had recently moved and came across an online article highlighting OODA and the F-15 Eagle's extraordinary record of 104 wins vs. 0 losses after 50 years of service based on the OODA Loop. Making a long story short I wanted to revisit some books I had on the OODA Loop by various authors, but came to realize their location was in storage... so In my journeys I've come across this gem. For the price, knowledge and online resources of this small book, I haven't seen anything else that will get you up to a knowledgeable speed, and just in time learning if you need it fast, you have arrived at the right destination. I also agree that the synergy of Sun-tzu - Clausewitz - Boyd is a very innovate idea by the Author, nice job - Kudos.
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Rick Cook
4.0 out of 5 stars John Boyd's theories in action
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2013
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Despite being one of the most seminal military thinkers of the 20th Century, or maybe because of it, John Boyd never rose above colonel in the US Air Force. But his ideas profoundly influenced military science and military action in the 20th and 21st centuries. One of his key concepts was the OODA (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action) loop and how it could be used to completely unhinge the opposition. It was used with great success by the Americans and the allies in both Gulf Wars.

This is an expanded essay by a military historian and expert on Boyd which explains the basis of Boyd's theories and how they have been applied.
5 people found this helpful
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Glen R. Carpenter
5.0 out of 5 stars Vision Indeed...
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2016
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I've read Boyd, Von Clausewitz and even Sun Tzu, Michael Porter and D'Aveni... I thought I was alone in embracing and merging their philosophies... Especially the element of mastering tempo in engagement. This essay makes it very clear that my grasp was firm and the ideas are quite sound... Thank you for this...
One person found this helpful
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John M. Cooper
4.0 out of 5 stars War and Agile
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
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Loved reading about this little-known contributor to both the theory of war and Agile. Boyd is fascinating.
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Alexander
4.0 out of 5 stars Orientation to John Boyd's Theory
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2017
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A quick guide to how John Boyd created the OODA Loop and how it has become conventional wisdom for Military strategist today.
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A Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015
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Excellent
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Top reviews from other countries

AK
3.0 out of 5 stars A short research paper on the OODA - not as good as the author's other work
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2014
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The research paper (modified version of an MSc term paper from the author's Kings College course) is a short homage to John Boyd and his OODA Loop. While the author attempts a surface conection to some other historical military thinkers, this aspect comes rather short - it really only is about the OODA loop.

What you get is an abridged introduction into the OODA - observe, orient, decide, and act - loop and how this was applied to the invasion of Iraq (primarily focused on the 1991 one). The paper is hardly a balanced account of the theory, nor is it a comparison against other copeting schools of military thought.

While an OK short introduction to the subject, you will learn similar amount on the OODA loop from public sources online, or alternatively from a more focused book on the subject.

Sadly this is one of the author's weaker attempts but at the same time do not judge his other books based on this - his  Incident at Muc Wa (Go Tell the Spartans) A Story of the Vietnam War  is still one of the best accounts of the early US involvement in Vietnam and he has written several others on various military subjects, which are quite interesting, too.
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