Midwest Book Review
Great Captains Unveiled incisively examines the brilliant military careers and intriguing personalities of six masters of the battlefield, all of whom antedate the French Revolution. Jenghis Kahn (1167-1127) and Sabutai (1172-1245) led their Mongol cavalries into the heart of medieval Europe and shook the fabric of its civilization. The French Marchel de Saxe (1696-1750) was one of the greatest generals of his age, a military prophet of rare foresight and author of Reveries, a classic on the art of war. Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632), the Swedish king during the Thirty Years War and the founder of the modern army emphasized officer education, national recruitment, and the combination of firepower and mobility. Wallenstein (1583-1634) was champion of the Holy Roman Empire and Adolphus' formidable opponent who proved to be a genius of maneuver and psychological warfare. James Wolfe (1727-1759) whose flawless execution of one of the most daring amphibious operations in history virtually gave Canada to the British. Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1895-1970) was himself a renowned military theorist. His Great Captains Unveiled is a seminal work and highly recommended for all military science reading lists.
Book Description
GREAT CAPTAINS UNVEILED analyzes the careers of six of the greatest military leaders in history. These include Jenghiz Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, and Subutai, his chief general--who between them nearly conquered the whole medieval world; Marshall Saxe, 18th century French military prophet; Gustavus Adolphus, founder of modern war; Wallenstein, the German enigma; and General Wolfe, whom Hart terms "grandsire of the United States."
After he was gassed in WW I, Liddell Hart became chief historian and strategist for the English army. He developed the concept of blitzkrieg. Rejected in his own country, it was adopted by the Germans. He survived this irony and turned increasingly to writing as a means of publicizing his views.
