The Art of War: Strategy & Tactics from the Age of Horse & Musket

War as analysed by one of Napoleon's generalsThe definitive works on the real politic and the art of warfare are famous and enduring. The list of authors names whose writings on the subject are considered definitive, which includes those of Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Clausewitz and a few notable others, would be incomplete without that of the author of this book Antoine-Henri Jomini. Widely regarded as being one of the founding fathers of modern strategy, Jomini's work necessarily views the art of war principally-though not exclusively-from the perspective of the age of musket, cavalry and cannon as it applied in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His analysis of strategy and tactics is often supported by examples of the theory in practice and, perhaps predictably, these are often illustrated by the actions of the military genius of the author's master, the Emperor Napoleon himself and the battles of the French armies of the Revolution, Consulate and First Empire. Jomini was far from a mere theorist. He joined the French army and served with distinction throughout the Napoleonic era experiencing conflict at first hand at Ulm, Jena, Eylau and other fields of conflict. Jomini's book is of course, essential reading for students of strategy and tactics generally and it is of especial interest to those who seek to understand the way warfare was waged by its foremost exponents-and by those who suffered its worst defeats-during the Napoleonic era. It is a vital handbook for military personnel, historians both academic and amateur, re-enactors and war gamers alike. Recommended. Available in hardcover with dust jacket and softcover.