On 6 June 1944, as the allied forces began the invasion of Normandy,
General George S. Patton, Jr., wrote to his son, then a cadet at the
United States Military Academy, that "to be a successful soldier, you
must know history." The number of similar pronouncements from noted
military figures, including Napoleon, is almost endless and the basic
refrain is the same -- to understand the present and to prepare for
the future -- the study of history is vital. This applies most
particularly to those who lead men in battle. As Marshall Foch wrote,
"no study is possible on the battlefield, one does simply what one
can in order to apply what one knows." Despite vast changes in
technology since World War II, the combat leader may still learn much
from the study of past battles and campaigns. Weather, terrain, and
intelligence of friendly and enemy dispositions, for instance, are as
important today as in the days of Alexander, Frederick the Great, and
Napoleon; human reactions in combat remain relatively constant. Quite
beyond vicarious experience of the battlefield, the study of military
history affords and understanding of the interplay of forces that
have shaped the present and provides the means of viewing current
problems against the long perspective of how men have handled similar
problems in the past. The immediate utility of knowledge of history
is likely to vary with the situation in which the individual soldier
finds himself. Certainly force planners could profit from a study of
the varying approaches of General Pershing and General Marshall in
the two world wars toward the size and composition of the Army,
officers in charge of training from a reminder that the American
soldier's traditional outlook was not conducive to fighting a
counterinsurgency war in Vietnam, and military leaders and policy
makers alike from an appreciation of the long American tradition
against drafting men for combat service in anything short of an
all-out national war effort. Knowledge of military history cannot
produce solutions to all problems, nor can it guarantee success in a
military career. But it can provide a foundation for both problem
solving and career achievement. This Guide to the Study and Use of
Military History is designed to foster an appreciation of the value
of military history and explain its uses and the resources available
for its study. It is not a work to be read lightly tossed aside, but
one the career soldier should read again or use as a reference at
those times during his career when necessity or leisure turns him to
the contemplation of the military past. The Guild consists of four
parts. Part One is general in nature and deals with the nature of
history s a discipline, military history as a branch of that
discipline, the uses of military history, and suggested methods of
reading and study. Part Two is a guide to the areas of study and the
materials available for study in each. It consists of seven
bibliographical essays - one on the great military historians and
philosophers with whom all students of military history should have
some acquaintance, two on world military history, three specifically
on American military history, and a final essay on the merging of
American and world military history since the end of World War II.
Each of the period essays weaves its bibliographical information into
the framework of a discussion of the main military developments of
the era covered, introducing, where pertinent, varying historical
interpretations of events and issues. Each contains at the end an
alphabetical listing of all works mentioned. Part Three deals with
U.S. Army historical programs and activities and how the Army uses or
has used military history. This part informs the reader of the
resources available within the Army for study and research in
military history and some of the practical uses of history in staff
work. Part Four similarly deals, albeit more briefly, with military
history outside the Army - in other elements of the Department of
Defense, in foreign military establishments, and in the academic
world. Finally two appendices provide annotated listings of reference
works and historical periodicals of greatest interest and utility to
the student of military history. The longest part of the Guide, Part
Two, contains the bibliographical essays, generally modeled on the
bibliographical pamphlets published by the American Historical
Association Center for Teachers. Like them, each individual essay,
written by a specialist in the field, adopts a somewhat different
approach. All of them, however, must list many works within a
relatively short space to give the reader some understanding of the
vast variety of historical literature available. Bibliographic essays
seldom make light bedtime reading, and those in the Guide are no
exception. But the editors do believe these essays can be read
initially with interest and profit for a general appreciation of the
whole field of military history, and then used later as a more
detailed reference when the student develops an interest in a
particular period or subject. Except in the essay on the great
military historians, and philosophers, only works written in English
or translated into English have been included. And there is
relatively heavy emphasis on American military history as opposed to
the broader field of world military history. The reason is simply the
belief that books in the national language and on the national
experience will be of greatest interest and utility to the American
officer.
Click on a subject to see other books listed with the same
subject or to drill down into components of the subject -- such as
geographical locations, dates and so on.
We query many merchants so that you can instantly
compare prices and
availability. You can even check historic prices and subscribe
for notifications. For a manual check, clicking on a link will open a
new window with a search for this book on the merchant's site of your
choice.
