A biography of the Prussian king and military legend from " America's leading historian" (Jeremy Black, author of Imperial Legacies).Famed for his military successes and domestic reforms, Frederick the Great was a remarkable leader whose campaigns were a watershed in the history of Europe, securing Prussia's place as a continental power and inaugurating a new pattern of total war that was to endure until 1916. However, mu...

For tactical and strategic ingenuity, for daring and ruthless determination and the capacity to inspire troops, Frederick the Great was without equal. In this detailed life of ‘Old Fritz’, Christopher Duffy, who has written widely on the army of Frederick and on the armies of his adversaries, Austria and Russia, has produced a definitive account of his military genius.

The king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, Frederick the Great ranks among eighteenth-century Europe's most enlightened rulers. In addition to abolishing serfdom in his domains and promoting religious tolerance, he was an ardent patron of the arts and an accomplished musician. "Diplomacy without arms," he observed, "is like music without instruments." Frederick's expertise at military matters is reflected in his successful defense of his territory during the Seven Years' War, in which he fough...

Frederick the Great is one of history's most important leaders. Famed for his military successes and domestic reforms, his campaigns were a watershed in the history of Europe, securing Prussia's place as a continental power and inaugurating a new pattern of total war that was to endure until 1916. However, much myth surrounds this enigmatic man's personality and his role as politician, warrior, and king.Dennis Showalter's cleverly written book provides a refreshing, multidimensiona...

Frederick the Great's military prowess and the detailed structure of the Prussian Army, including uniforms and equipment, are vividly explored. Frederick the Great was an acknowledged master of war. Admired and studied by Napoleon, he commanded the Prussian army at sixteen major battles and numerous sieges and other actions, often leading from the front. Under Frederick the Prussian Army became arguably the most feared and efficient in Europe, often defeating numerically superior forces. G...

The Seven Years War (1756-1763) marked the first truly world-wide conflict following the expansion of European colonies, sparking engagements across India to Canada.As with so many of the European wars, the causes were a question of land and legitimacy. The ever-present simmering tensions between England and France, alongside the newly emergent Prussia and Austria, led to a conflict that dragged many other nations into the strife.An excellent account of the operations of Fred...

The Seven Years War (1756-1763) marked the first truly world-wide conflict following the expansion of European colonies, sparking engagements across India to Canada.As with so many of the European wars, the causes were a question of land and legitimacy. The ever-present simmering tensions between England and France, alongside the newly emergent Prussia and Austria, led to a conflict that dragged many other nations into the strife.An excellent account of the operations of Fred...

The later seventeenth and eighteenth centuries have been acclaimed as the classic period of artillery fortification. This was an era when fortresses and fortress systems shaped the calculations of strategists and statesmen, and often dictated the course of campaigns. The age was one of almost constant conflict and this book, originally published in 1985, explores the influence of the fortress in the dynastic wars of Bourbon, Habsburg and Hohenzollern, the contest for influence in the Balti...

What if you could cultivate an unbreakable mindset, combining strategic acumen with emotional resilience and philosophical depth?This powerhouse anthology assembles texts from celebrated military tacticians, Stoic philosophers, and existential thinkers. Adapted for modern readers, it offers a unique fusion of external strategy and internal mastery. From Sun Tzu’s battlefield tactics to Nietzsche’s call for self-overcoming, each work fortifies your mental arsenal for life’s toughest...

What if you could cultivate an unbreakable mindset, combining strategic acumen with emotional resilience and philosophical depth?What You’ll Discover in This Newly Translated Essential Anthology:The Art of War – Sun Tzu’s strategic guide to warfare, leadership, and success.The Book of Five Rings – Miyamoto Musashi’s teachings on combat, discipline, and mastery.Meditations...

Operational art emerged from the campaigns of Frederick the Great to the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It was the result of three dynamic interrelationships: between military and non-military factors such as social, economic and political developments; between military theory and practice; and between developments in military theory and practice in France and Prussia. In the period 1740-1815 a major change in the complexity of warfare took place. This was reflected by an increase in the comp...