Clausewitz, Michael Howard
Clausewitz, Michael Howard
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Clausewitz
A Very Short Introduction

Author: Michael Howard

Narrator: Corrie James

Unabridged: 3 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/22/2021

Synopsis

Karl von Clausewitz (1780–1831) is considered by many to have been one of the greatest writers on war. His study On War was described by the American strategic thinker Bernard Brodie as "not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war." It is hard to disagree. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was fifty yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Michael Howard explains Clausewitz's ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual background of his time.

About Michael Howard

Michael Howard (1922-2019) was a British military historian and formerly Chichele Professor of the History of War, Honorary Fellow of All Souls College, and Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University. He was also Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University, and the founder of the Department of War Studies at King's College, London. He cofounded the International Institute for Strategic Studies in 1958. The author of many highly regarded books, Howard was described in the Financial Times as "Britain's greatest living historian," and by the Guardian as "Britain's foremost expert on conflict."

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jonfaith on March 20, 2025

Clausewitz denied indeed that war could have its own logic; it could only, he said, have its own grammar. This was a pleasant enough introduction, which is the point, I suppose. I bought it this morning and was hoping it would catapult me back towards my Eastern Front project but alas there’s a surfe......more

Goodreads review by Cav on October 12, 2021

"Much of On War is therefore of interest only to military historians, dealing as it does with detailed questions of tactics and logistics that were to be out of date within a few decades of Clausewitz’s death. What is remarkable, however, is how much of what Clausewitz had to say did outlast his tim......more

Goodreads review by Maurice on July 31, 2012

This easy read is the first and only book you need to understand Clausewitz. And more. Yes, I mean that. Here is why. What I like about it is that it tells me about the personal life of Clausewitz. That helps me understand his ideas. Secondly, it examines how it was used by generals. You learn a lot......more

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