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The Art of War: A Classic Military Strategy Treatise by Baron de Jomini
A landmark work of military theory, The Art of War by Baron de Jomini is one of the classic nineteenth-century studies of strategy, command, logistics, and the principles of successful warfare.
Drawing on the campaigns of Napoleon and the great European armies of his age, Jomini examines the structure and conduct of war with a practical eye. He discusses strategic lines, bases of operation, decisive points, marches, supply, terrain, offensive and defensive action, and the relationship between political objectives and military execution. His purpose is not merely to describe battles, but to identify the principles that allow commanders to move armies effectively and bring force to bear at the critical moment.
First published in its mature form in the nineteenth century, The Art of War became one of the most influential military texts of the modern era. Jomini’s ideas shaped military education in Europe and the United States and were studied by generations of officers seeking a systematic understanding of strategy. For readers interested in military history, Napoleonic warfare, command theory, and the development of modern strategic thought, this book remains an essential companion to the works of Clausewitz and other great theorists of war.
About the Author
Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini (1779–1869) was a Swiss-born military officer, historian, and theorist whose writings had a major influence on nineteenth-century military thought. He served in the armies of both France and Russia and observed many of the great campaigns of the Napoleonic era. His experience as a staff officer, combined with his analytical temperament, led him to write works that attempted to reduce the conduct of war to clear principles and practical rules.
Jomini’s best-known works include Traité des grandes opérations militaires and Précis de l’Art de la Guerre, commonly known in English as The Art of War. Unlike Clausewitz, whose writing often emphasized the uncertainty, politics, and moral forces of war, Jomini focused on geometry, movement, lines of operation, decisive points, and the practical management of armies in the field. His clarity and apparent system made him especially influential in military academies.
During the nineteenth century, Jomini became one of the most widely read military theorists in the world. His ideas helped shape officer education before and during the American Civil War and remained important in discussions of strategy, logistics, and operational art. Though later generations revised or challenged many of his conclusions, his work remains central to the history of military theory and the study of how modern armies learned to think about war.
Drawing on the campaigns of Napoleon and the great European armies of his age, Jomini examines the structure and conduct of war with a practical eye. He discusses strategic lines, bases of operation, decisive points, marches, supply, terrain, offensive and defensive action, and the relationship between political objectives and military execution. His purpose is not merely to describe battles, but to identify the principles that allow commanders to move armies effectively and bring force to bear at the critical moment.
First published in its mature form in the nineteenth century, The Art of War became one of the most influential military texts of the modern era. Jomini’s ideas shaped military education in Europe and the United States and were studied by generations of officers seeking a systematic understanding of strategy. For readers interested in military history, Napoleonic warfare, command theory, and the development of modern strategic thought, this book remains an essential companion to the works of Clausewitz and other great theorists of war.
About the Author
Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini (1779–1869) was a Swiss-born military officer, historian, and theorist whose writings had a major influence on nineteenth-century military thought. He served in the armies of both France and Russia and observed many of the great campaigns of the Napoleonic era. His experience as a staff officer, combined with his analytical temperament, led him to write works that attempted to reduce the conduct of war to clear principles and practical rules.
Jomini’s best-known works include Traité des grandes opérations militaires and Précis de l’Art de la Guerre, commonly known in English as The Art of War. Unlike Clausewitz, whose writing often emphasized the uncertainty, politics, and moral forces of war, Jomini focused on geometry, movement, lines of operation, decisive points, and the practical management of armies in the field. His clarity and apparent system made him especially influential in military academies.
During the nineteenth century, Jomini became one of the most widely read military theorists in the world. His ideas helped shape officer education before and during the American Civil War and remained important in discussions of strategy, logistics, and operational art. Though later generations revised or challenged many of his conclusions, his work remains central to the history of military theory and the study of how modern armies learned to think about war.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1838
About the author
Antoine-Henri de Jomini
360 books24 followersAntoine-Henri de Jomini était un militaire, théoricien de la stratégie militaire et historien.
Il était membre de l'état-major du maréchal Ney dans l'armée de Napoléon, position qu'il quitte (après que le maréchal Berthier lui a refusé une nomination de général) pour devenir général de division dans l'armée russe du tsar Alexandre Ier. Plus tard il devient aide de camp de l'Empereur.
Après la mort d'Alexandre il restait dans le service de tsar Nicolas Ier et était nommé Général en Chef. Il était aussi chargé du formation militaire du tsarévitch Alexandre, le futur tsar Alexandre II.
En 1859, il servait comme adviseur de Napoléon III pour la campagne d'Italie.
de Jomini nous a laissé une œuvre d'historien et de critique militaire d'une très grande valeur.
Antoine-Henri Jomini was a military theorist and an historian of military strategy.
He was a member of the military staff of Marshal Ney in Napoleon's army, a position he left (after Marshal Berthier refused to appoint him General) to become a general in the Russian army of Tsar Alexander I. Later he became aide-de-camp to this Emperor.
After Alexander's death he remained in the service of Tsar Nicolas I and was appointed Chief General. He was also responsible for the military training of Tsarevich Alexander, the future Tsar Alexander II.
In 1859, he served Napoleon III as adviser for the Italian campaign.
de Jomini left us an important body of work of critical military strategy and history.
Il était membre de l'état-major du maréchal Ney dans l'armée de Napoléon, position qu'il quitte (après que le maréchal Berthier lui a refusé une nomination de général) pour devenir général de division dans l'armée russe du tsar Alexandre Ier. Plus tard il devient aide de camp de l'Empereur.
Après la mort d'Alexandre il restait dans le service de tsar Nicolas Ier et était nommé Général en Chef. Il était aussi chargé du formation militaire du tsarévitch Alexandre, le futur tsar Alexandre II.
En 1859, il servait comme adviseur de Napoléon III pour la campagne d'Italie.
de Jomini nous a laissé une œuvre d'historien et de critique militaire d'une très grande valeur.
Antoine-Henri Jomini was a military theorist and an historian of military strategy.
He was a member of the military staff of Marshal Ney in Napoleon's army, a position he left (after Marshal Berthier refused to appoint him General) to become a general in the Russian army of Tsar Alexander I. Later he became aide-de-camp to this Emperor.
After Alexander's death he remained in the service of Tsar Nicolas I and was appointed Chief General. He was also responsible for the military training of Tsarevich Alexander, the future Tsar Alexander II.
In 1859, he served Napoleon III as adviser for the Italian campaign.
de Jomini left us an important body of work of critical military strategy and history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 27, 2009
The Baron Antoine Henri de Jomini's "The Art of War" is an early classic on military strategy and tactics. With von Clausewitz, he was one of the more widely read scholars on the subject in the 19th century. His book tends to have an abstract, scholarly air to it that suggests that he was more of an "arm chair" theorist than a man whom he learned much from--Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon may have had general perspectives on warfare, but he was also someone who was able to be improvisational on the battlefield, and Jomini cannot quite capture that in this work. Nonetheless, a classic.
Jomini argued that: "Strategy decodes where to act; logistics brings the troops to this point; grand tactics determines the manner of execution and the employment of the troops." As Jomini's actual work begins, he identifies the six key components of the art of war:
"1. Statesmanship in its relation to war.
2. Strategy, or the art of properly directing masses upon the theater of war, either for defense or for invasion.
3. Grant tactics.
4. Logistics, or the art of moving armies.
5. Engineering--the attack and defense of fortifications.
6. Minor tactics."
The book itself, then, considers these elements of the art of war. No need to go into great detail. But some general points are in order. At one point, he emphasizes the importance of "lines"--interior lines, where one side has a more compact line and can move troops from one point to another with greater facility than the enemy; exterior lines, which are longer. If a smaller force, interior lines are critical; if a larger force, exterior lines may prove no impediment to success.
One facet of this book is his diagrams depicting various orders of attack (pages 188 and following). This tends, as noted earlier, to be pretty abstract. One hesitates to think that officers in the heat of combat will intellectually assess the various orders of attack and rationally choose one over another. Among these are straight linear orders (where the two forces approach one another in straight lines) to "en echelon" attacks, where the lines are arrayed in depth.
He notes in his conclusion that: "War in its ensemble in not a science, but an art."
So, if one might be interested in an analysis of military strategy and tactics from the early part of the 19th century, this is not a bad starting point. It is a classic on the subject, and, even if too abstract and academic, can be a useful book to understand the military in that era.
Jomini argued that: "Strategy decodes where to act; logistics brings the troops to this point; grand tactics determines the manner of execution and the employment of the troops." As Jomini's actual work begins, he identifies the six key components of the art of war:
"1. Statesmanship in its relation to war.
2. Strategy, or the art of properly directing masses upon the theater of war, either for defense or for invasion.
3. Grant tactics.
4. Logistics, or the art of moving armies.
5. Engineering--the attack and defense of fortifications.
6. Minor tactics."
The book itself, then, considers these elements of the art of war. No need to go into great detail. But some general points are in order. At one point, he emphasizes the importance of "lines"--interior lines, where one side has a more compact line and can move troops from one point to another with greater facility than the enemy; exterior lines, which are longer. If a smaller force, interior lines are critical; if a larger force, exterior lines may prove no impediment to success.
One facet of this book is his diagrams depicting various orders of attack (pages 188 and following). This tends, as noted earlier, to be pretty abstract. One hesitates to think that officers in the heat of combat will intellectually assess the various orders of attack and rationally choose one over another. Among these are straight linear orders (where the two forces approach one another in straight lines) to "en echelon" attacks, where the lines are arrayed in depth.
He notes in his conclusion that: "War in its ensemble in not a science, but an art."
So, if one might be interested in an analysis of military strategy and tactics from the early part of the 19th century, this is not a bad starting point. It is a classic on the subject, and, even if too abstract and academic, can be a useful book to understand the military in that era.
April 13, 2020
Jomini’s Art of War, written in the 19th Century after observing and serving in the many Napoleonic Wars, has undoubtably had the most influential impact on current US military doctrine. It’s fascinating how much of what Jomini wrote in this book echoes the 21st Century tactical and operational considerations that I’ve experienced first-hand in my career.
I also found Jomini very easy to read and extremely practical, unlike the philosophical and contradictory ramblings of Clausewitz. I love his subtle spear to the Clausewitz camp when he concludes: “Shall I be understood as saying that there are no such things as tactical rules, and that no theory of tactics can be useful? What military man of intelligence would be guilty of such an absurdity? ... Shall a theory be pronounced absurd because it has only three-fourths of the whole number of chances in its favor?”
It has been said with good reason that “many Civil War General went into battle with a sword in one hand and Jomini’s Summary of the Art of War in the other.” I would argue that the 21st Century General, whether he realizes it’s in his hand or not, still goes into battle on the coattails of this book.
I also found Jomini very easy to read and extremely practical, unlike the philosophical and contradictory ramblings of Clausewitz. I love his subtle spear to the Clausewitz camp when he concludes: “Shall I be understood as saying that there are no such things as tactical rules, and that no theory of tactics can be useful? What military man of intelligence would be guilty of such an absurdity? ... Shall a theory be pronounced absurd because it has only three-fourths of the whole number of chances in its favor?”
It has been said with good reason that “many Civil War General went into battle with a sword in one hand and Jomini’s Summary of the Art of War in the other.” I would argue that the 21st Century General, whether he realizes it’s in his hand or not, still goes into battle on the coattails of this book.
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January 27, 2024The Art Of Love would be better! Though highly touted in modern days as a guidebook for businesspeople, politicians, etc, the vast majority of this ancient text is specifically about warfare: types of fire attacks, different types of earth soldiers may fight on, etc. Sure, one can find metaphors in much of this work to apply to their own practices, but one can find metaphors in a lot of things. The best advice within the book is that planning is the key to success. That, indeed is a great lesson. Now that I’ve told it to you, you can read a more interesting book! (If historical documents are your pleasure, you can disregard my review.)
November 3, 2021
En extremt läsbar genomgång av tidigmodern fälttågsteori. Det som var särskilt intressant för mig, var fortifikationsteorierna, och hur dessa hos Jomini beskriver planeringen av fältplaneringszoner (? "zones of operation"). Jomini är övertydlig, vilket behövs för mig som civilist som läser; jag uppskattade den därför.
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July 25, 2011As with Mahan's "Influence of Sea Power," I won't try to review Jomini's actual work (nor am I really fit to do so), beyond noting that Jomini's influence on the American way of war has been vastly underestimated. This particular translation, in fact, was made at West Point in 1862, as America was in the second year of the Civil War, and other renditions of Jomini had been studied by West Pointers before that time.
A curious mixture of dated material and what are likely timeless truths (much like Mahan). As Jomini himself notes, technology and tactics change; people, politics, and strategy tend not to.
Being an 1862 translation, the language is perhaps a little more florid than a modern translator would make it; but this is very much the kind of translation that had a direct effect on American military thought.
A curious mixture of dated material and what are likely timeless truths (much like Mahan). As Jomini himself notes, technology and tactics change; people, politics, and strategy tend not to.
Being an 1862 translation, the language is perhaps a little more florid than a modern translator would make it; but this is very much the kind of translation that had a direct effect on American military thought.
June 4, 2013
Read the "Art of War" for class. The author, a Swiss national, served in Napoleon's Grande Armee. The "Art of War" is essentially Jomini's take on what made Napoleon so successful. Previously, during the Age of Reason, European armies were essentially the discrete playthings of kings, like Louis XIV and Frederick the Great. The French Revolution changed all that; armies became national. Revolutionary France became a "nation in arms" to defend their Revolution against the kings of Europe. Jomini's "Art of War" was taught to several generations of West Point cadets, including many of our Civil War leaders.
July 17, 2014
There's a reason this book has been re-imagined for business, love, life, pet-ownership, etc. etc. If you have half-a-brain, you can draw these conclusions yourself from the translated sources material. Half poetry, half military tactical manual. So relevant today, it's hard to believe it was written 2000+ years ago.
August 18, 2017
Not a good writer...too many words, tends to jump from thought to though. Def-ly valuable information for war strategists but you will break your head because of poor writing.
April 30, 2020
War it never change.
September 23, 2026
If you are a serious student of military history, Baron de Jomini’s book completes your essential trilogy alongside works by Sun Tzu and Clausewitz.
Each book offers a distinct perspective on the art of war and military strategy. Many modern readers extract superficial points or phrases from each author without delving into the essential lessons the three offer.
Baron de Jomini’s central focus is that successful strategy involves moving the main body of your forces against decisive points without dispersing your army. He cautions that while it is easy to talk about decisive points, putting this principle into practice is harder than many believe.
I appreciate his emphasis on the critical role logistics plays in successful military strategy. Many writers and thinkers glorify the person on the battlefield and forget that you cannot fight a war without proper weapons, medical support, food, clothing, transportation, etc.
While reading the book, I noticed how many diagrams the author included to illustrate battle formations. In these days of modern, hi-tech warfare and aerial carpet-bombing campaigns, it is easy to forget one timeless truism: we still fight battles in trenches, as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine illustrates.
Clausewitz focused extensively on the political and psychological aspects of war (for instance, breaking the will of your enemy), whereas Baron de Jomini focused more on the operational and tactical. You cannot have one without the other. It is a testament to Baron de Jomini that, despite changes in the technology of war, the fundamentals remain constant, making his work relevant even now.
Therefore, if you are a serious student of military strategy, you must have all three texts for reference. Together, the three books by Baron de Jomini, Sun Tzu, and Clausewitz constitute an essential collection.
Jomini teaches that successful strategy depends on moving the main body of an army against decisive points while avoiding unnecessary dispersion. The book distinguishes among statesmanship, military policy, strategy, grand tactics, logistics, engineering, and minor tactics. Its central concern is how political purposes are translated into military operations through lines of operation, bases, communications, terrain, and the timely concentration of superior force.
Each book offers a distinct perspective on the art of war and military strategy. Many modern readers extract superficial points or phrases from each author without delving into the essential lessons the three offer.
Baron de Jomini’s central focus is that successful strategy involves moving the main body of your forces against decisive points without dispersing your army. He cautions that while it is easy to talk about decisive points, putting this principle into practice is harder than many believe.
I appreciate his emphasis on the critical role logistics plays in successful military strategy. Many writers and thinkers glorify the person on the battlefield and forget that you cannot fight a war without proper weapons, medical support, food, clothing, transportation, etc.
While reading the book, I noticed how many diagrams the author included to illustrate battle formations. In these days of modern, hi-tech warfare and aerial carpet-bombing campaigns, it is easy to forget one timeless truism: we still fight battles in trenches, as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine illustrates.
Clausewitz focused extensively on the political and psychological aspects of war (for instance, breaking the will of your enemy), whereas Baron de Jomini focused more on the operational and tactical. You cannot have one without the other. It is a testament to Baron de Jomini that, despite changes in the technology of war, the fundamentals remain constant, making his work relevant even now.
Therefore, if you are a serious student of military strategy, you must have all three texts for reference. Together, the three books by Baron de Jomini, Sun Tzu, and Clausewitz constitute an essential collection.
Jomini teaches that successful strategy depends on moving the main body of an army against decisive points while avoiding unnecessary dispersion. The book distinguishes among statesmanship, military policy, strategy, grand tactics, logistics, engineering, and minor tactics. Its central concern is how political purposes are translated into military operations through lines of operation, bases, communications, terrain, and the timely concentration of superior force.
April 7, 2019
The Art of War is a fantastic read, not only is it interesting to see Sun Tzu's work, but that of a later general who wrote about the tactics. At times the transition from Sun Tzu to the writer's voice was a bit jarring. Overall however, the book was a challenge to read due to what seemed to be an older writer style. But that only makes the book more appealing to myself, it is fascinating to learn what phrases used to have equal meaning to simpler terms we use today. I suggest anyone who has not read this book to do so.
January 31, 2022
Not the best work on war - Sun Tzu and Clausewitz are clearly better in their own way. However Jomini is worth reading if only to understand the origins of certain ideas, especially 'lines of communication' and 'envelopment.'
The Naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan was clearly influenced by Jomini, and if you're interested in understanding the debate between Mahan and Corbett, this is worth looking at.
The Naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan was clearly influenced by Jomini, and if you're interested in understanding the debate between Mahan and Corbett, this is worth looking at.
October 9, 2025
A timeless masterpiece of military thought, Jomini’s The Art of War distills the chaos of the battlefield into a clear system of principles and geometry. Drawing on his experience in the Napoleonic campaigns, Jomini transforms warfare into a science of decisive points, lines of operation, and concentration of force. His lucid, methodical style contrasts with Clausewitz’s philosophical depth but remains equally influential, offering practical wisdom for soldiers and strategists alike.
January 18, 2021
It's good as an "art of war" book. You learn a lot about what is important to a general and what sorts of considerations one has to make when conducting a campaign. I only wish that he explained the references he gives for battles that are evidence that 'prove' his points. But I guess that would make the book a lot longer. Even though it is an old book it is readable.
October 17, 2021
A classic
This is of course a classic in the study of war. Not as famous as Jomini’s contemporary Clausewitz, but still not without interest. Some of what Jomini said is obviously dated (and was dated when he wrote it). However some of his more general observations are as true today as when he wrote them
This is of course a classic in the study of war. Not as famous as Jomini’s contemporary Clausewitz, but still not without interest. Some of what Jomini said is obviously dated (and was dated when he wrote it). However some of his more general observations are as true today as when he wrote them
January 7, 2018
Jomini is a good thinker and analyst and really there is no undue anti Napoleon bias as some would suggest. Not everything he has to say might be agreed with but the thoughts are definitely worth engaging with nonetheless
September 5, 2018
I PERSONALLY found Clausewitz to be all around better. Yet, there are a few things in which the swissman shines, mainly for what concerns the tactical and operational level of war. A must-read for historical and military buffs
November 19, 2019
Read during "armed intellectual" phase. Thought it was too non-specific and hand-wavy, unlike Clausewitz. My opinion and knowledge base have grown since then, so I've come to appreciate both Jomini and Sun Tzu somewhat more.
April 17, 2022
Not to question the genuis of Baron Jomini, but the strategy he speaks of as unwavering rules to the Art of War are a bit outdated. You also need a PhD. In military history to understand all the 18th and early 19th century battles he uses as anecdotal evidence for his claims.
October 22, 2023
It begins out strong with strategic insights but spends a great deal on the tactical level of war, which needs to be updated and more relevant due to the significant change in tactics based on technology.
November 24, 2023
The most brilliant piece of art of and for all the times and practices of life…! To live is to fight, and to fight one needs an art that structures the conflicts…! As a business strategist, Sun Tzu is a genius who created an ever-living jewel…!
November 29, 2022
No picture so I have to use a lot of imaginations.
September 4, 2025
a classic in the study of military strategy.
December 31, 2014
This is a 'modern' Greenwood Press reprinting of The Art of War by Baron de Jomini originally translated by Captain G H Mendell and Lieutenant W P Craighill of the US Military Academy at West Point and published in 1862. I confess that it took my five attempts to read this - after I had read Clausewitz at the Naval War College in the 1980s - and it only took after I embarked upon my experiences as a reenactor portraying a Union Army soldier. Perhaps it didn't make sense compared to my favorite Prussian philosopher, but at least now I could follow Jomini's points and arguments through to the end of the book. Having read it does help to explain some of what generals thought they were doing during the Civil War and it's another way station in the evolution war and warfare the changing philosophy behind them.
September 12, 2015
It's said that every aspiring general in the Civil War had a copy of Jomini in his backpack. He does seem to write from a basis of good sense and much experience on the state of the operational and grand-tactical levels of war in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. However, it will help you reading this book if you are intimately familiar will all European campaigns and battles in the period 1700-1815, for that is where Jomini gets all the examples he mentions. He gives careful consideration to some topics no longer of much interest, such as whether cavalry should be armed with sabers or lances, what kind of breastplate they should wear, and how they should form up to charge.
March 2, 2015
The version I read had commentary on what was meant by the writings according to various Chinese generals and such as well as examples that ranged from the ancient to Hannibal, Stonewall Jackson and such. Still, this was not a very engaging read considering its classic status. My secondary purpose was to collect quotable phrases, and that I did.
(Bob Sutton's rendition of Lionel Giles' translation along with the the Samuel B. Griffith text with "voluminous notes along with numerous footnotes." Formulated for the casual reader rather than Chinese scholar or even speaker.)
(Bob Sutton's rendition of Lionel Giles' translation along with the the Samuel B. Griffith text with "voluminous notes along with numerous footnotes." Formulated for the casual reader rather than Chinese scholar or even speaker.)
January 20, 2016
Considering this book is a classic, I found it to be a bit slow and boring. The book is quite short and straightforward, but some parts can definitely be condensed. Then again, the text is translated, so editing it too much would not be true to the original. I read it because many say the strategies are applicable to business management. I can see some of the points working, which others may need some stories/comparisons for me to get the picture.
I personally did not enjoy the book, so it seems unfair to give it 1 star.
I personally did not enjoy the book, so it seems unfair to give it 1 star.
August 6, 2016
This is a hard but riveting read. This is THE book that encapsulates the lessons of the Napoleonic wars. The Author was a staff officer under Napoleon, and on Regimental service throughout the period as well. This is the book that every Civil War General had probably read in the French original, but it includes several later other amendments. Lots to digest -but it is MUST-READ for any fan of the period, Military Strategy and Tactics, and especially Wargamers. Not a quick read- but well worth it...
August 17, 2012
There's a lot of Clausewitz running through Jomini's thoughts. Spends most of Chapter 3 talking about operational level strategy - lines of operation and strategic movement. Valuable, but in the general sense. Lines of operation and the movement of large armies will most likely never be my forte. That said, the definition of various terms such as lines of operation, strategic lines and the function and interplay of bases of operation are a key contribution.
August 13, 2010
Only edition of this classic I've read, so I can't compare it to others. The book itself contain much of historical and philosophical interest. I have a feeling I'll be rereading various parts as time goes by.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews