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Great Military Blunders
The other side of the coin from military genius and bravery is military incompetence - a largely preventable, tragically expensive aspect of human behaviour. This collection charts a series of debacles from the Middle Ages to the Gulf War.
190 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
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134 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Regan
43 books3 followersGeoffrey Regan is an English military historian, former senior school teacher and broadcaster.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 3, 2022
Wonders about Blunders
The paperback version of this book (published in 2000) was excellent. However, it’s definitely different from the Amazon Kindle version with its “Look inside.” For those curious, here’re the contents of the print version:
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: UNFIT TO LEAD (Twilight of the ‘God of Battles,’ Goering’s Flight of Fancy, Not Making Waves, Pristina – Starting World War Three)
CHAPTER TWO: PLANNING (Operation Fuller and the Channel Dash, Schlieffen Plan, Operation Eagle Claw)
CHAPTER THREE: UNDERESTIMATING THE ENEMY (Isandhlwana 1879, Balangiga Massacre 1901, Fall of Fortress Singapore 1942, Battle for Dien Bien Phu 1954)
CHAPTER FOUR: HUBRIS AND NEMESIS (Townshend of Kut, Montgomery of Arnhem, MacArthur of the Yalu)
CHAPTER FIVE: POLITICS (Military neurosis in Grenada, Fall of the Roman Empire, Fall Guy at the Battle of Hattin, Churchill and the Writing of Greek Tragedy)
CHAPTER SIX; TECHNOLOGY (Patriot Missile, Kosovo, British Artillery on the Somme 1 July 1916, Bomber Dream and Butt Report, Agent Orange)
REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX, PICTURE CREDITS
Essentially, the print version has six chapters and 23 battles; the kindle version has eight chapters and 32 battles. I did note that there may be some similarity in both versions in how they cover MacArthur.
The print version comes with numerous color photos which help dramatize the topics covered. The chapters start out with large print but quickly turn to much smaller print (and even smaller print for reference material), something maybe a little tough on the eyes but appreciated as it gives one more material to evaluate. Often, the author provides assessment and quotes from just one or two sources. Perhaps this is because the sources are the only ones charging those leaders with blunders? Unfortunately, the references are sketchy and often not even included in the reference section.
Overall I liked the book, as it touched on material I was not aware of, frequently going into detail about strategies and plans gone awry. But remember, the title is Great Military Blunders, not Greatest Military Blunders, so the author perhaps can be forgiven for some of his curious inclusions: the Grenada invasion, Kosovo, etc. Nevertheless, everything made for an enjoyable and informative read.
Of potential interest: Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation
The paperback version of this book (published in 2000) was excellent. However, it’s definitely different from the Amazon Kindle version with its “Look inside.” For those curious, here’re the contents of the print version:
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: UNFIT TO LEAD (Twilight of the ‘God of Battles,’ Goering’s Flight of Fancy, Not Making Waves, Pristina – Starting World War Three)
CHAPTER TWO: PLANNING (Operation Fuller and the Channel Dash, Schlieffen Plan, Operation Eagle Claw)
CHAPTER THREE: UNDERESTIMATING THE ENEMY (Isandhlwana 1879, Balangiga Massacre 1901, Fall of Fortress Singapore 1942, Battle for Dien Bien Phu 1954)
CHAPTER FOUR: HUBRIS AND NEMESIS (Townshend of Kut, Montgomery of Arnhem, MacArthur of the Yalu)
CHAPTER FIVE: POLITICS (Military neurosis in Grenada, Fall of the Roman Empire, Fall Guy at the Battle of Hattin, Churchill and the Writing of Greek Tragedy)
CHAPTER SIX; TECHNOLOGY (Patriot Missile, Kosovo, British Artillery on the Somme 1 July 1916, Bomber Dream and Butt Report, Agent Orange)
REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX, PICTURE CREDITS
Essentially, the print version has six chapters and 23 battles; the kindle version has eight chapters and 32 battles. I did note that there may be some similarity in both versions in how they cover MacArthur.
The print version comes with numerous color photos which help dramatize the topics covered. The chapters start out with large print but quickly turn to much smaller print (and even smaller print for reference material), something maybe a little tough on the eyes but appreciated as it gives one more material to evaluate. Often, the author provides assessment and quotes from just one or two sources. Perhaps this is because the sources are the only ones charging those leaders with blunders? Unfortunately, the references are sketchy and often not even included in the reference section.
Overall I liked the book, as it touched on material I was not aware of, frequently going into detail about strategies and plans gone awry. But remember, the title is Great Military Blunders, not Greatest Military Blunders, so the author perhaps can be forgiven for some of his curious inclusions: the Grenada invasion, Kosovo, etc. Nevertheless, everything made for an enjoyable and informative read.
Of potential interest: Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation
November 26, 2013
Got this as a freebie for buying loads of other books from a military book club, and jolly good it was too. Covering military events throughout time under varying themes, thereby sadly illustrating how we sometimes don't learn from history, this is great pub fodder for all of the armchair generals out there.
March 31, 2024
Can’t remember where, or when, I picked up this slim hardcover, but just using the term “blunder” for dozens, hundreds, or thousands of typically young, poor men being slaughtered en mass by the decisions made by one, or a handful, of leaders most likely far from the frontlines, is a profound disservice those who took up (or were forced to take up) military service. (Regan is British, so this could be simply old-school British euphemisms.) It is an interesting and entertaining book, despite most events being encapsulated within four to ten pages each, and no citations listed anywhere within. Definitely not in-depth, but a good-enough staring point for those who wish to dig deeper.
As a six-year Army veteran and an Iraq vet, and the son of a Vietnam vet, I am anti-war in every way, but I know humanity is forever doomed if we cannot end war-waging, warmongering, and war-profiteering.
As a six-year Army veteran and an Iraq vet, and the son of a Vietnam vet, I am anti-war in every way, but I know humanity is forever doomed if we cannot end war-waging, warmongering, and war-profiteering.
August 3, 2019
This is an outstandingly reliable and controversial book at the same time. Reliable with its impartiality of showing the blunders or errors of both sides in war and controversial with its open to debate decisiveness of the results of wars whether that mistake could've been avoided or whether it is inevitable and so on with such thought-provoking and brainstorming notions.
The author starts in each chapter with a headline declaring the blunder and giving a brief overview then backs it up with supporting points and then give examples through the battles where the errors have been involved in. All in all, this non-fiction is an interesting combination of instructions, historical narratives and empirical experiences. Definitely, I'm going to read it again.
The author starts in each chapter with a headline declaring the blunder and giving a brief overview then backs it up with supporting points and then give examples through the battles where the errors have been involved in. All in all, this non-fiction is an interesting combination of instructions, historical narratives and empirical experiences. Definitely, I'm going to read it again.
June 8, 2022
Regan has a great knack of making complex military manoeuvres and battle strategies easy to understand and visualise for the reader. This certainly helps with the enjoyment of this little page-flicker.
Some of the blunders he describes are laughable, and I did have a sneaky snigger once or twice. However, the deplorable loss of life (not always strongly enough emphasised) more often left me shaking my head in despair.
I think more could be done with the arrangement of this book, more clearly linking campaigns and chronology, rather than having it organised by thematic titles seemingly chosen more for the opportunity to pun.
Some of the blunders he describes are laughable, and I did have a sneaky snigger once or twice. However, the deplorable loss of life (not always strongly enough emphasised) more often left me shaking my head in despair.
I think more could be done with the arrangement of this book, more clearly linking campaigns and chronology, rather than having it organised by thematic titles seemingly chosen more for the opportunity to pun.
May 4, 2020
This book was basically a laundry list of "stupid general tricks", each but a page or two long. With nothing to tie the stories together than the stories in each chapter feature roughly the same failing (eg, the first chapter was about unfit generals), there was nothing to pull the reader from one section to the next. I gave up before finishing the first chapter.
October 6, 2024
Interesting read and relatively easy to get through. Would have likely been 4 stars but spelling and layout mistakes let it down, including spelling of Hitler as "Hider" and whole sentences with no spaces. Also references throughout the book were not accurate, e.g. "see page 134" and it wasn't correct.
September 29, 2023
Good selections and the author is talented in pointing out exactly and clearly the blunder, but the organization and structure of the book is a terrible mish-mash. So, just like many of his "characters", Regan is a great Major but terrible General...
September 19, 2022
Really disappointed by this book. I expected a bit of depth. However, this is just one ramble of short stories with zero insights.
July 24, 2023
Interesting but sometimes the themes get confused; and often the layout doesn't help.
Might have been more helpful to have sub-themes of the generals/commanders.
Might have been more helpful to have sub-themes of the generals/commanders.
March 1, 2017
A very entertaining book which goes into great military blunders through history. While lack of judgement may be forgiveable but the sheer ineptitude shown by military commanders at times boggles the imagination. The Author introduces each chapter logically by giving examples and then delves into the analysis of blunders in battle. At times one wonders how some commanders reached such positions that allowed them to sacrifice the lives of thousands of men blundering through battles through either lack of knowledge, lack of judgement, arrogance or plain stupidity. The Indian Battle of Namka Chu finds pride of place and rightly so
December 5, 2009
This is an intriguing volume, one that promises much and does not quite deliver. The focus is, as the title would have it, "Great Military Blunders." And this volume includes a number of these. However, the selection is open to some question, and the detail is not quite what it might be to make the case. Nonetheless, a good read and a fascinating subject.
Chapter 1 looks at those "Unfit to lead." Historically, there is a long list of those who were incompetent as leaders. This chapter only includes four vignettes, and one could argue that it does not include some real incompetents. However, it does make its case that leaders who are incapable create great problems for their countries. Herman Goering is one example, and there is no question that his ineptitude cost Germany dearly in World War II (to all our benefit).
Another chapter (2) explores poor planning. One case study is the Schlieffen Plan at the outset of World War I. It is not altogether clear that one could blame Schliefen himself, since he created it years before the war; one could argue that von Moltke too slavishly stuck to it, but that is like 20-20 historical hindsight.
Chapter 3 looks at instances of underestimating the enemy. Here, classic examples include the French underestimating the Vietnamese and their subsequent disaster at Dien Bien Phu and the English contempt for the Japanese precipitating the fall of Singapore.
Other categories of blunder: Hubris and nemesis; Politics, and Technology.
All in all, this volume does provide some brief case studies of military blunders. However, the case studies are too brief and the examples seem chosen in somewhat of an arbitrary fashion. Other works treat the subject in a more magisterial fashion, such as Tuchman's "The March of Folly."
Chapter 1 looks at those "Unfit to lead." Historically, there is a long list of those who were incompetent as leaders. This chapter only includes four vignettes, and one could argue that it does not include some real incompetents. However, it does make its case that leaders who are incapable create great problems for their countries. Herman Goering is one example, and there is no question that his ineptitude cost Germany dearly in World War II (to all our benefit).
Another chapter (2) explores poor planning. One case study is the Schlieffen Plan at the outset of World War I. It is not altogether clear that one could blame Schliefen himself, since he created it years before the war; one could argue that von Moltke too slavishly stuck to it, but that is like 20-20 historical hindsight.
Chapter 3 looks at instances of underestimating the enemy. Here, classic examples include the French underestimating the Vietnamese and their subsequent disaster at Dien Bien Phu and the English contempt for the Japanese precipitating the fall of Singapore.
Other categories of blunder: Hubris and nemesis; Politics, and Technology.
All in all, this volume does provide some brief case studies of military blunders. However, the case studies are too brief and the examples seem chosen in somewhat of an arbitrary fashion. Other works treat the subject in a more magisterial fashion, such as Tuchman's "The March of Folly."
August 5, 2017
It could have been written a bit better. It could have been printed better. Some pages had sentences just pushed togetherlikethiswhichwasannoying.
The information also could have been spread out better as it goes from one person to the next without mentioning it well.
Either way, despite all this. The information was still interesting and omg how did we survive anything? Old generals man. Old generals.
The information also could have been spread out better as it goes from one person to the next without mentioning it well.
Either way, despite all this. The information was still interesting and omg how did we survive anything? Old generals man. Old generals.
December 30, 2007
A good read. O few hours of excape that I would sum up in that old oxymoron, "military intelligence."
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews