‘The best memoir by a senior politician for years.’ Simon Jenkins, Sunday TimesJohn Major’s autobiography is one of the most personal and revealing ever written by a former British Prime Minister. The account of his childhood, rise and fall is candid, scrupulous and unsparing.Major’s early life was extraordinary; his rise through Parliament meteoric. Soon a favourite of Margaret Thatcher, he became Foreign Secretary and then Chancellor of the Exchequer. When Thatcher fell, ...

[Includes 28 illustrations & 15 maps]Engagements with the elusive Vietcong and NVA were unlike the frontlines and complex battles that the United States military had been fighting for over a hundred years; they were often short, brutal affairs. The U.S. soldiers and marines were often thrust into battle outnumbered and in hostile territory, or ambushed in convoy or on patrol; but given a fair fight the Americans would most often come out on top. Three authors, all of whom had seen a...

This paper involves an in-depth study of the art of command at all three levels of warfare. It examines this art through the eyes of one of Napoleon's ablest Marshals, Louis N. Davout. The paper addresses and accomplishes three primary goals. First, it defines the art of command and shows its relevance to modern day warfare. Second, the paper shows that Marshal Davout was the best of Napoleon's generals and had an art of command that rivaled the Emperor himself. Finally, the paper demonstr...

This monograph examines the Soviet experience in Afghanistan (1979-1988) in terms of Soviet Army tactics and organization for combat. Throughout the decade of the 1970's, U.S. perceptions of Soviet ground force tactics stressed a general lack of initiative and flexibility in their military doctrine. In the 1980's a re-evaluation of Soviet thinking occurred which saw greater flexibility at the operational and strategic levels If the experience in Afghanistan has shown that set-piece tactics...

In this volume the story is told of the first entente cordiale and of the circumstances which led to its disruption. The questions which occupied the attention of the French and the British governments at that period have now passed into the domain of history. The resentment evoked by the Egyptian crisis of 1840 and the controversies raised by the Spanish marriages has died away. The attitude towards the Liberal and national movements in Europe, adopted, on the one side, by Louis Philippe ...

"A Sketch of Assam: With Some Account of the Hill Tribes" by Major John Butler is a detailed exploration of the northeastern region of India, particularly Assam. The book provides a vivid account of the geography, culture, and lifestyle of the local tribes, offering readers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of life in this unique area. Butler's observations are not only informative but also reflect his deep appreciation for the natural beauty and diversity of Assam, making it a valuable res...

Major John Bigelow, formerly of Captain of the 9th Mass. Battery, gives an extensive and detailed account of the brutal struggle around the Peach Orchard at the pivotal battle of Gettysburg.Many volumes have been written about the Civil War and particularly the battle of Gettysburg; accounts of the second day of the battle often focus on the Union's successful defense of Little Round Top. However, the brutal fighting at the Peach Orchard deserve greater attention and specifically th...

The War in Burma is all too frequently forgotten as a source of relevant military experience. Admittedly it did not have the strategic importance of other theatres such as the Pacific or North West Europe, but it did witness some of the hardest and most bitter fighting of the War. Because of the nature of the terrain, limited allied resources and the type of dispersed operations conducted by the enemy, Allied forces were forced to adapt a new method of warfighting to counter these difficul...

This monograph offers a new perspective on an old subject. That is why did Napoleon's marshals, so successful in corps command, fail when given an independent army command? It examines in detail the defeats of Marshal Nicolas Charles Oudinot at Gross Beeren, Marshal Etienne MacDonald at Katzbach, and Marshal Michel Ney at Dennewitz.Many authors have speculated why these marshals failed in independent tactical command. They have offered such reasons as lack of talent, lack of guidanc...

The Abbey of Monte Cassino, founded by Saint Benedict in A.D. 529, at the beginning of the Italian campaign was one of only two sites requiring special consideration in the interest of historical preservation. The monastery overlooked the only north-south road from Naples to Rome. The promontory, studied by the Italian War College as an example of a position made impregnable by nature, was the focal point of the German Gustav Line. The German defensive scheme did not include the monastery ...

The belief that airpower is inherently offensive is a recurrent theme throughout airpower theory and doctrine. Before World War I, dogmatic belief in the dominance of the offense in land warfare affected the military decisions which resulted in the disaster of the trenches. Termed the "cult of the offensive" by scholars, faith in offense became so unshakable in pre-1914 Europe that military organizations dismissed as irrelevant the numerous indications of the waning power of the offense as...

This historical study investigates why Union joint operations between army and navy forces on the Mississippi and other western rivers were effective. It examines the development of a joint doctrine at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war.Joint riverine warfare on the western rivers was a new experience for the U.S. military. There was no clear delineation between services of specific missions or responsibilities. Joint operations incorporated numerous battlefield ...