Masters and Commanders

Author: Andrew Roberts
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061874493
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 722

Book Description
“Masterly. . . . Roberts’s portrait of the relationship between the four men who made Allied strategy through the war years is a triumph of vivid description, telling anecdotes, and informed analysis." —Max Hastings, The New York Review of Books An epic joint biography, Masters and Commanders explores the degree to which the course of the Second World War turned on the relationships and temperaments of four of the strongest personalities of the twentieth century: political masters Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt and the commanders of their armed forces, General Sir Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall. Each was exceptionally tough-willed and strong-minded, and each was certain that only he knew best how to win the war. Andrew Roberts, "Britain's finest contemporary military historian" (The Economist), traces the mutual suspicion and admiration, the rebuffs and the charm, the often-explosive disagreements and wary reconciliations, and he helps us to appreciate the motives and imperatives of these key leaders as they worked tirelessly in the monumental struggle to destroy Nazism.

Master and Commander

Author: Patrick O'Brian
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007255837
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 433

Book Description
Set sail for the read of your life! Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. Now these evocative stories are being re-issued in paperback by Harper Perennial with stunning new jackets.

Masters of Command

Author: Barry Strauss
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439164495
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
Analyzes the leadership and strategies of three forefront military leaders from the ancient world, offers insight into the purposes behind their conflicts, and shows what today's leaders can glean from their successes and failures.

Masters and Commanders

Author: Andrew Roberts
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141937858
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 665

Book Description
Masters and Commanders describes how four titanic figures shaped the grand strategy of the West during the Second World War. Each was exceptionally tough-willed and strong minded, and each was certain that he knew best how to win the war. Yet each knew that he had to win at least two of the others over in order to get his strategy adopted. The book traces the mutual suspicion and admiration, the rebuffs and the charm, the often explosive disagreements and wary reconciliations which resulted.

Masters and Commanders

Author: Andrew Roberts
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780713999693
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
How far did personality affect the grand strategy of the Second World War? Award-winning historian Andrew Roberts lays bare the four political masters and military commanders of the Western Allies - Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, General George C. Marshall and Lord Alanbrooke - between Pearl Harbour and VE-Day, coming to a number of startling conclusions. Employing verbatim accounts of Churchill's War Cabinet meetings never before reporduced in book form, as well as using the private papers of sixty-seven contemporaries of the four men, the inside story is told of the great war wartime conferences, explaining why and how the Allies attacked when and where they did. The two masters (Churchill and Roosevelt) and two commanders (Marshall and Alanbrooke) were strong-willed and tough-minded and each was certain that he knew best how to win the war. Yet in order to get their strategies adopted, each needed to persuade at least two of the other three, and certainly not be so outmanouvered that he ever found himself in a minority of one. Roberts reveals the dynamic behind the collective decisions upon which the lives of millions ultimately depended.

H. M. S. Surprise (Vol. Book 3) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels)

Author: Patrick O'Brian
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393088464
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 416

Book Description
"Few, very few books have made my heart thud with excitement. H.M.S. Surprise managed it." —Helen Lucy Burke, Irish Press In H.M.S. Surprise, British naval officer Jack Aubrey and surgeon Stephen Maturin face near-death and tumultuous romance in the distant waters ploughed by the ships of the East India Company. Tasked with ferrying a British ambassador to the Sultan of Kampong, they find themselves on a prolonged voyage aboard a Royal Navy frigate en route to the Malay Peninsula. In this new sphere, Aubrey is on the defensive, pitting wits and seamanship against an enemy who enjoys overwhelming local superiority. But somewhere in the Indian Ocean lies the prize that could secure him a marriage to his beloved Sophie and make him rich beyond his wildest dreams: the ships sent by Napoleon to attack the China Fleet.

The Fortune of War

Author: Patrick O'Brian
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393037067
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
Aubrey and Maturin are caught in the outbreak of the War of 1812.

The Far Side of the World (Vol. Book 10) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels)

Author: Patrick O'Brian
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393063828
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 348

Book Description
The tenth installment in the beloved, epic Aubrey/Maturin series and inspiration for the major motion picture starring Russell Crowe. The War of 1812 continues, and Captain Jack Aubrey sets course for Cape Horn on a mission after his own heart: intercepting a powerful American frigate outward bound to wreak havoc with the British whaling trade. Meanwhile, Stephen Maturin has a mission of his own in the world of secret intelligence and comes face to face with the harsh realities for women of the age. Disaster in various guises awaits them in the Great South Sea and in the far reaches of the Pacific—typhoons, castaways, shipwrecks, an ill-fated affair, murder, and criminal insanity—as well as a bold rescue by a crew of seafaring female warriors.

On War and Leadership

Author: Michael Owen Connelly
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400825164
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357

Book Description
What can we learn about leadership and the experience of war from the best combat leaders the world has ever known? This book takes us behind the scenes and to the front lines of the major wars of the past 250 years through the words of twenty combat commanders. What they have to say--which is remarkably similar across generational, national, and ideological divides--is a fascinating take on military history by those who lived it. It is also worthwhile reading for anyone, from any walk of life, who makes executive decisions. The leaders showcased here range from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf. They include such diverse figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, commanders on both sides of the Civil War (William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson), German and American World War II generals (Rommel and Patton), a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars (Moshe Dayan), and leaders from both sides of the Vietnam War (Vo Nguyen Giap and Harold Moore). What they have had in common is an unrivaled understanding of the art of command and a willingness to lead from the front. All earned the respect and loyalty of those they led--and moved them to risk death. The practices of these commanders apply to any leadership situation, whether military, business, political, athletic, or other. Their words reveal techniques for anticipating the competition, leading through example, taking care of the "troops," staying informed, turning bad luck to advantage, improvising, and making bold decisions. Leader after leader emphasizes the importance of up-front "muddy boots" leadership and reveals what it takes to persevere and win. Identifying a pattern of proven leadership, this book will benefit anyone who aspires to lead a country, a squadron, a company, or a basketball team. It is a unique distillation of two and a half centuries of military wisdom.

Masters of the Battlefield

Author: Phillip Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780233005676
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Featuring 28 detailed maps, this illuminating volume offers expert analysis of some of history's most important battles, uncovering the individual genius of each commander. Written by one of Britain's most successful living battlefield commanders, Masters of the Battlefield examines the lives and tactics of 28 of the world's greatest military leaders, from Julius Caesar to Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf. Each general receives a double-page spread containing a biography, a list of important dates and battles, and a map showing all his campaigns--plus a specially commissioned step-by-step full-color battle map that illustrates and discusses his most famous victory in detail. Major General Thompson's expert analysis helps readers grasp the individual genius of every commander, from Alexander the Great to Hannibal, Rommel to MacArthur.