How Great Generals Win

Throughout history great generals have done what their enemies have least expected. Instead of direct predictable attack they have deceived encircled outflanked out-thought and triumphed over often superior armies commanded by conventional thinkers. Collected here are the stories of the most successful commanders of all time among them Hannibal Genghis Khan Napoleon Stonewall Jackson Sherman Rommel Mao Zedong who have demonstrated at their own points in history the strategic and tactical genius essential for victory. Ironically this virtue does not come naturally to military organizations since more often than not the straight-ahead narrow-thinking soldier will be promoted over his more lateral-minded devious counterpart. Yet when the latter gets control the results may be spectacular.