Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought

This is a study based on a detailed textual analysis of the classical works on war by Clausewitz and Sun Tzu and to a lesser extent by Jamini and Machiavelli. The author takes a fresh look at what these thinkers actually said - not what they are widely believed to have said. He finds that despite their apparent differences in terms of time, place, cultural background and level of material and technological development, all had much in common. The central conclusion of this book is that the logic of waging war and of strategic thinking is universal. This second, enlarged edition contains a new chapter on the Clausewitzian principles of continuity and the culminating point of victory.