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The Past as Prologue
The Importance of History to the Military Profession

£22.99

Williamson Murray, Richard Hart Sinnreich, Sir Michael Howard, John Kiszely, Paul Van Riper, Paul Rahe, Colin Gray, John Gooch, Andrew Gordon, Jonathan Bailey, Paul Harris, Christopher Harmon, Frank Hoffman
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  • Date Published: June 2006
  • availability: Available
  • format: Paperback
  • isbn: 9780521619639

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  • In today's military of rapid technological and strategic change, obtaining a complete understanding of the present, let alone the past, is a formidable challenge. Yet the very high rate of change today makes study of the past more important than ever before. The Past as Prologue, first published in 2006, explores the usefulness of the study of history for contemporary military strategists. It illustrates the great importance of military history while simultaneously revealing the challenges of applying the past to the present. Essays from authors of diverse backgrounds - British and American, civilian and military - come together to present an overwhelming argument for the necessity of the study of the past by today's military leaders in spite of these challenges. The essays of Part I examine the relationship between history and the military profession. Those in Part II explore specific historical cases that show the repetitiveness of certain military problems.

    • Contains essays from authors of diverse backgrounds including British and American, civilian and military
    • Explores the usefulness of history for contemporary military strategists and their students
    • Examines specific historical cases that show the repetitiveness of certain military problems
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    Product details

    • Date Published: June 2006
    • format: Paperback
    • isbn: 9780521619639
    • length: 298 pages
    • dimensions: 227 x 153 x 19 mm
    • weight: 0.41kg
    • availability: Available
  • Table of Contents

    1. Introduction Williamson Murray and Richard Hart Sinnreich
    2. Military history and the history of war Sir Michael Howard
    Part I. History and the Military Profession:
    3. The relevance of military history to the military profession: a British view John Kiszely
    4. The relevance of military history to the military profession: a US marine's view Paul Van Riper
    5. Awkward partners: military history and American military education Richard Hart Sinnreich
    6. Thoughts on military history and the profession of arms Williamson Murray
    Part II. The Influences of History on the Military Profession:
    7. Thucydides as educator Paul Rahe
    8. Clausewitz, history, and the future strategic world Colin Gray
    9. History and the nature of strategy John Gooch
    10. Military transformation in long periods of peace Andrew Gordon
    11. Military history and the pathology of lessons learned: the Russo-Japanese War Jonathan Bailey
    12. Obstacles to innovation and readiness: the British Army's experience, 1919–39
    13. What history suggests about terrorism and its future Christopher Harmon
    14. Civil-military relations and the future Frank Hoffman.

  • Editors

    Williamson Murray
    Williamson Murray is Professor Emeritus of European Military History at Ohio State University and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Defense Analysis. He is the author of a number of books including The Changes in the European Balance of Power, 1938–1939, The Path to Ruin; Luftwaffe; German Military Effectiveness; The Air War in the Persian Gulf; Air War, 1914-1945; The Iraq War: A Military History, with Major General Robert Scales, Jr.; and A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War, with Allan R. Millet. He also co-edited numerous collections, including Military Innovations in the Interwar Period (1996) with Allan R. Millet and The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300–2050 (2001), with MacGregor Knox.

    Richard Hart Sinnreich
    Richard Hart Sinnreich works as an independent consultant in areas ranging from Army wargaming to defense transformation. His recent writings include 'The Changing Face of Battlefield Reporting', ARMY, November, 1994; 'To Stand & Fight', ARMY, July, 1997; 'In Search of Victory', ARMY, February 1999; 'Whither the Legions', Strategic Review, Summer, 1999; 'Conceptual Foundations of a Transformed US Army with Huba Wass de Czege', The Institute For Land Warfare, March 2002; 'Red Team Insights From Army Wargaming', DART, September 2002; 'Joint Warfighting in the 21st Century' (with Williamson Murray), IDA (2002); and A Strategy By Accident: US Pacific Policy in the Cold War. He writes a regular column for the Lawton Constitution and occasional columns for ARMY and The Washington Post.

    Contributors

    Williamson Murray, Richard Hart Sinnreich, Sir Michael Howard, John Kiszely, Paul Van Riper, Paul Rahe, Colin Gray, John Gooch, Andrew Gordon, Jonathan Bailey, Paul Harris, Christopher Harmon, Frank Hoffman

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