On War

Translated by J.J. Graham, revised by F.N. Maude Abridged and with an Introduction by Louise Willmot.On War is perhaps t... (more)

Translated by J.J. Graham, revised by F.N. Maude Abridged and with an Introduction by Louise Willmot.On War is perhaps the greatest book ever written about war. Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian soldier, had witnessed at first hand the immense destructive power of the French Revolutionary armies which swept across Europe between 1792 and 1815. His response was to write a comprehensive text covering every aspect of warfare. On War is both a philosophical and practical work in which Clausewitz defines the essential nature of war, debates the qualities of the great commander, assesses the relative strengths of defensive and offensive warfare, and - in highly controversial passages - considers the relationship between war and politics. His arguments are illustrated with vivid examples drawn from the campaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. For the student of society as well as the military historian, On War remains a compelling and indispensable source. (less)

On War is the West's premier work on the philosophy of war. Other soldiers before him had written treatises on various m... (more)

On War is the West's premier work on the philosophy of war. Other soldiers before him had written treatises on various military subjects, but none undertook a great philosophical examination of war on the scale of Clausewitz's. 'On War' is considered the first modern book of military strategy. This is due mainly to Clausewitz's integration of political, social, and economic issues as some of the most important factors in deciding the outcomes of a war. It is one of the most important treatises on strategy ever written, and continues to be required reading at many military academies. (less)

Carl von Clausewitz entered the Prussian military at the age of twelve as a Lance-Corporal and would go on to obtain the... (more)

Carl von Clausewitz entered the Prussian military at the age of twelve as a Lance-Corporal and would go on to obtain the rank of Major-General. In On War, Clausewitz draws upon his experiences fighting in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, as well as his military studies at the "Kriegsakademie", or Prussian War Academy, which he would eventually become director of. Clausewitz employs a dialectic approach to military analysis, which leads to frequent modern misinterpretation. On War, a mainstay of modern military colleges, is a monumental work of military analysis and philosophy, which continues to be studied and interpreted to this day. (less)

Carl von Clausewitz was a 19th century military theorist who drew many of his ideas from his own experience as a Prussia... (more)

Carl von Clausewitz was a 19th century military theorist who drew many of his ideas from his own experience as a Prussian soldier. Clausewitz's conception of war is strikingly unique: characterizing it as a Hegelian dialectic of opposing factors which interact and build upon each other, Clausewitz's theories are surprisingly romantic. Nevertheless, the author stresses war as a political action that must be ruthless and uncompromising in its annihilation of the enemy. (less)

The Germans interpret their new national colours - black, red, and white - by the saying, "Durch Nacht und Blut zur lich... (more)

The Germans interpret their new national colours - black, red, and white - by the saying, "Durch Nacht und Blut zur licht." ("Through night and blood to light"), and no work yet written conveys to the thinker a clearer conception of all that the red streak in their flag stands for than this deep and philosophical analysis of "War" by Clausewitz. (less)

A Prussian soldier and writer, Clausewitz is said to have distilled Napoleon into theory. Perhaps best known among his n... (more)

A Prussian soldier and writer, Clausewitz is said to have distilled Napoleon into theory. Perhaps best known among his numerous pronouncements is that war is a continuation of politics by other means. His theories and observations in this work have been heeded by military strategists for nearly 200 years. Many have considered this to be the "Bible" of military strategy and tactics. This abridged version of Clausewitz's magnum opus follows the text of the New and Revised Edition (edited by F.N. Maude in 1908) of Col. J.J. Graham's translation. Of the original three volumes, this version includes all of Volume I (except for the last chapter on night fighting) and six of the nine chapters of Book Eight of Volume III (The Plan of War). The editor's objective in this abridgement was to select those portions of the work which most closely relate to our own time. (less)