Books
by John Keegan
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Intelligence in War - Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda |
'Military Intelligence' is an oxymoron, according to the old joke, but here a range of campaigns is dissected in order to assess the value, real or perceived, of knowledge of the enemy. From Nelson's desperate lack of scouting frigates in the Mediterranean via the American Civil war to more modern conflict, it is soon apparent that knowledge isn't everything and even sometimes knowing what the enemy is going to do won't prevent them doing it.
(Clive Yelf - bwl 32 November 2005) |
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Warpaths: Travels of a Military Historian in North America |
Keegan weaves history and geography to shed new light on the conflicts in North America in this brilliant examination of battles fought over three centuries between, variously, the British, the French, loyalists, revolutionaries, native Americans, Unionists and Confederates. Above all though, this is an informal, personal and highly readable account from one of our greatest military historians. Despite his self-confessed 'love' of America, he is not uncritical of some well-known historical players.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 67 Winter 2013) |
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