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The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day
Victor David Hanson, author of the highly regarded classic The Western Way of War, presents an audacious and controversial theory of what contributes to the success of military campaigns.
Examining in riveting detail the campaigns of three brilliant generals who led largely untrained forces to victory over tyrannical enemies, Hanson shows how the moral confidence with which...more
Examining in riveting detail the campaigns of three brilliant generals who led largely untrained forces to victory over tyrannical enemies, Hanson shows how the moral confidence with which...more
Paperback, 496 pages
Published
April 17th 2001
by Anchor
(first published 1999)
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Three generals – Epaminondas of Thebes, William T Sherman of the Union in the American Civil War and George Patton in World War 2.
The common factor linking them? The fact that they led and inspired armies composed of citizen soldiers against supposedly powerful foes, respectively, the Spartans, the Confederacy and the Nazis and defeated them comprehensively.
Epaminondas shattered the Spartan spirit to the extent that the heretofore invincible Spartans did not dare to take...more
The common factor linking them? The fact that they led and inspired armies composed of citizen soldiers against supposedly powerful foes, respectively, the Spartans, the Confederacy and the Nazis and defeated them comprehensively.
Epaminondas shattered the Spartan spirit to the extent that the heretofore invincible Spartans did not dare to take...more
I must admit that I read in fits and starts, often out of order, depending on my whims. This book permits such a read, however, because every point made about each "liberator" (Epaminondas, Sherman, Patton) is interwoven with the others in spite of the disparity in time and place. I have a renewed interest in these three warriors because the author has presented sides of them that go radically against the conventional -- and often wrong -- current conceptions. (Especially interesting i...more
I have read this book at least two times since 2003. I am currently reading the book again. A portion of the subtitle of this book encapsulates, obviously, the thesis of the book: "How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny." The book is a compilation of vignettes on three great war generals who led predominantly non-professional, citizen-soldier armies in crushing tyranical forces. The military leaders treated in this opus are Epaminondas, William Tecumseh Sherman and George S....more
Erik Graff
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
warfare fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
history
Victor Davis Hanson has made a bit of a career as an historian of classical warfare, relating it and classical Greek culture to modern affairs. His orientation is quite obviously conservative, very conservative, as regards the contemporary world--a fact which, interestingly, would not be so evident if he were to confine himself to antiquity. But Hanson is politically engaged, having written books in favor of the US "war on terrorism" and against the Obama administration.
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I used to read a lot more history books like these than I do now. Not because I like them any less. Maybe it is because books like this take a bit more time than I have. Who know? Anyhow, this was a great book I read back in 2000. I have to make time to read more liked these. It was interesting and accessible. Here is what I wrote in my journal back then:
>>. . .about three generals and how they lead citizen armies to vanquish tyranny. In common, Epaminondas, Sherman, and Patton ...more
>>. . .about three generals and how they lead citizen armies to vanquish tyranny. In common, Epaminondas, Sherman, and Patton ...more
Best work I've read on Epaminondas, an overlooked figure in the history of ancient Greek democracy. He's more generally known for his military skills and innovations to the phalanx as well finally defeating the Spartans in open battle, but his exploits in tearing down the tyranical ediface of the Spartan state and freeing the Messians from slavery were as important as any struggle for freedom in the ancient world.
Victor Davis Hanson argues that armies from democratic states fighting for freedom make the most effective warriors. He uses the examples of the ancient Greek Epaminodas, General Patton and General Sherman to make his case. It's certainly a compelling argument, although it's not too difficult to think of equally effective counter-examples (the Nazi's and Mongols spring to mind).
Great military history study, especially for the first two ... Patton, not so much. Epaminondas and Sherman were the first and only generals, so far as I know, to defeat their enemies by freeing their slaves in order to disrupt their supply lines. That strutting popinjay Patton does not, so far as I know, deserve to stand in their company.
Hanson can be a difficult read and this was. I admire his thinking, detailed research and convincing work. Probably the one thing I'll remember is his posit that if the non-combative citizens of any country at war ever knew what war was really like (e.g. as Sherman taught the Confederacy in the Civil War and the Allies taught the Germans in WWII) conflicts might be resolved in other ways. I don't believe that alternatives can always be found however. A theme in other Hanson books, and in thi...more
This is an amazing book. It depicts three generals who led and motivated armies of citizen soldiers and describes how they utterly defeated slave societies with a hereditary military caste. Epaminondas, Sherman and Patton waged innovative campaigns, avoiding bloody frontal assaults and set-piece battles but were able to completely paralyze their opponents and destroy the basis of their slave societies. All three were disliked and hampered by the less imaginative powers-that-be but adored by thei...more
Fantastic book about some incredible generals. If you do not know who Epaminondas was, or what he accomplished, this book will be very interesting. Plus, you get the real story behind General Sherman, and why the South hated him so much.
A passionately written comparison of three democratic philosopher-generals: Epaminondas of Thebes, William Tecumseh Sherman, and George S. Patton.
Urey Patrick
added it
Perceptive and evealing - men in battle across hundreds of years of history, and their continuing similarities.
I especially loved his chapter on Sherman, which helped me see him in a new light. Confederate romantics beware. . .
Doug J.
added it
Awesome reading! The last section on Patton was really enlightening.
Excellent, uplifting book about how Democracy has historically triumphed over tyranny. Great accounts of the Spartans, Confederates and Nazis getting their asses kicked. While Hanson provides some interesting arguments about the inherent strengths of Democracies, he conveniently forgets about the Spartans triumphing over the Athenians, the British triumphing over Napoleonic France, the Vietnamese triumphing over the Americans , etc. Still, a very enjoyable read and good history of the struggl...more
Marty
marked it as to-read
AVL
One of the best history books I've ever read. I knew nothing about Epaminondas going in, and now I admire him greatly. I thought I knew about Sherman & Patton but still learned a lot. The central thesis is clearly defined and impeccably defended. Highly recommended.
Pretty much anything by Victor Davis Hanson is worth reading.
I'm Hanson's biggest fan ... well one of the most chubby anyway.
Anthony
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Rodney Ulyate
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Ian
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John
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Victor Davis Hnason's Soul of battle | 1 | 4 | Jan 14, 2010 01:36pm |
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Hanson was educated at the University of California, Santa Cruz (BA, Classics, 1975), the American School of Classical Studies (1978-79) and received his Ph.D. in Classics from Stanford University in 1980. He lives and works with his family on their forty-acre tree and vine farm near Selma, California, where he was born in 1953.
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