From the #1 bestselling author of The Crusades and the Soldiers of the Cross comes an exciting new book on the greatest minds of military leadership in history. Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a work of art that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society. This book will look at the lives of the ten greatest military commanders in history. Some conquered the fullest expanse of the known world, as did Alexander the Great. Still others were master statesmen and capable of translating military victory into long-term political gains, such as Julius Caesar, whose vanquishing of the Gauls and his political opponents laid the groundwork for several centuries of unmatchable Roman imperial might. It will also look at the tactics they used to bring down stronger armies and befuddle them at every turn; whether it is Napoleon, who nearly conquered Europe through his deadly manoeuvre sur les derrieres and marching unexpectedly away from the enemy's main strength and concentrating on a weak but vital enemy point; or Hannibal's double entrapment maneuver, which has been the envy of military strategists for the last 2,000 years. Whatever their background, these rulers show that the right military commander at the right time in history can destroy an empire, change civilization, and alter the course of world history forever.

From ancient Greece to Desert Storm, Military Commanders presents a chronological history of great battles and the men who won them. Beginning with Leonidas of Sparta, who died at Thermopylae and ending with Colin Powell, this book includes such world famous leaders as Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Grant and Lee, Patton and Rommel. In addition, it includes the military theorist Sun Tzu, who wrote "The Art of War," as well as lesser known but important figures, such as Red Cloud, Shaka Zulu, and General Giap. Military Commanders, containing pertinent quotations, anecdotes, and detailed facts is a highly-readable combination of history and biography.

Armed conflict has produced many of the great leaders in human history. Some fought purely for glory, others waged war out of desperation, and even more were driven by a sense of duty. Every leader has human qualities that transcend time and culture. The lessons taught, tactics used, and losses suffered stand as a testament to their lives and accomplishments. In his book entitled History's Greatest Military Commanders author Barry Linton covers these leaders and great military commanders in fascinating detail, highlighting their distinguishable backgrounds and origins. Many were conquerors, some were innovators, and even others were liberators. One trait shared by all of these leaders is the willingness to adapt and overcome.This book presents the true stories and struggles faced by these Commanders. Detailed battlefield plans are outlined, giving a step by step account of many important battles as well as information describing the context of each battle. The Commanders featured are drawn from all major periods of human history. Their achievements as well as their failures are highlighted, combined with the impact they had on the greater world and history. Follow along as we detail memorable historic greats such as: Sun Tzu, Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus of Epirus, Darius the Third, Scipio Africanus, Hannibal Barca, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, Belisarius, Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, Charlemagne, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Timur, Edward the Black Prince, Suleiman the Magnificent, Oda Nobunaga, Yi Sun-sin, Hernan Cortes, Gustavus Adolphus, Duke of Marlborough, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson, Helmut von Moltke the Elder, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Togo Heihachiro, John Monash, Erwin Rommel, Georgy Zhukov, Bernard Montgomery, George Patto

The book describes the 16 battles in which the 16 most famous generals in modern history made their reputations. How these generals fought and won their greatest victories from both a strategically and tactical point are described.

The military expert and author of Philip II of Macedonia presents 9 profiles of exemplary leadership from the ancient world. Of all the military commanders throughout history, only a few are remembered as great leaders of men in battle. Is there a combination of personal attributes and historical circumstances that produces great commanders? Professor Richard A. Gabriel analyses the biographies of ten great generals, all of whom lived between 1481 BC and AD 632, in order to identify the characteristics of intellect, psychology, personality, and experience that allowed them to tread the path to greatness. Some of the names included in Gabriel’s selection, such as Moses and Muhammad, will surprise many readers—as will the historical figures Gabriel chooses to omit, including Alexander the Great and Atilla the Hun. But Gabriel is not merely interested in famous military exploits. A retired soldier and professor at the Canadian Defence College, he distils the timeless essence of military leadership through the examples of Julius Caesar, Philip II of Macedonia, Thutmose III of Egypt, and others

Here is a narrative account of decisive engagements that succeeded by brilliant strategy more than by direct force. The reader accompanies those who fought, from Roman legionaries and Mongol horsemen to Napoleonic soldiery, and Douglas MacArthur's Inchon invaders. Maps. Illustrations.

The bestselling classic that indelibly captures the life and times of one of the most brilliant and controversial military figures of the twentieth century. "Electric...Tense with the feeling that this is the authentic MacArthur...Splendid reading." -- New York Times Inspiring, outrageous... A thundering paradox of a man. Douglas MacArthur, one of only five men in history to have achieved the rank of General of the United States Army. He served in World Wars I, II, and the Korean War, and is famous for stating that "in war, there is no substitute for victory." American Caesar examines the exemplary army career, the stunning successes (and lapses) on the battlefield, and the turbulent private life of the soldier-hero whose mystery and appeal created a uniquely American legend.

History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive." Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt-all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Nor has the "genius" of the so-called Great Captains - from Alexander the Great to Frederick the Great and Napoleon - play a major role. Wars are decided in other ways. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking," the hope that victory might be swift and wars brief. As he proves persuasively, however, such has almost never been the case. Even the major engagements have mainly contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. Massive conflicts, the so-called "people's wars," beginning with Napoleon and continuing until 1945, have consisted of and been determined by prolonged stalemate and attrition, industrial wars in which the determining factor has been not military but matériel. Nolan's masterful book places battles squarely and mercilessly within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's role in war, replacing popular images of the "battles of annihilation" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war particularly among the Great Powers. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and illuminating, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare.

From Alexander the Great's conquest of the unknown world in the 4th century BCE to the 21st-century generals leading campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, Commanders casts a new light on the leaders who have forged history in naval, field, and aerial warfare. With biographical profiles, photographs, battle plans, and vivid accounts of the action, this is the definitive illustrated guide to the genius of history's greatest military leaders.

The king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, Frederick the Great ranks among eighteenth-century Europe's most enlightened rulers. In addition to abolishing serfdom in his domains and promoting religious tolerance, he was an ardent patron of the arts and an accomplished musician. "Diplomacy without arms," he observed, "is like music without instruments." Frederick's expertise at military matters is reflected in his successful defense of his territory during the Seven Years' War, in which he fought all the great powers of Europe. His brilliant theories on strategy, tactics, and discipline are all explained in this vital text. "War is not an affair of chance," Frederick asserted, adding that "a great deal of knowledge, study, and meditation is necessary to conduct it well." In this book, he presents the fundamentals of warfare, discussing such timeless considerations as leadership qualities, the value of surprise, and ways to conquer an enemy who possesses superior forces. The soundness of his advice was endorsed by Napoleon himself, who once advised, "Read and re-read the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar . . . and Frederick. This is the only way to become a great captain and to master the secrets of the art of war."