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Military History of Western World (From the American Civil War to the End of World War II)
by J. F. C. Fuller
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Da Capo Press (1987-08-21)
ISBN: 0306803062
EAN: 9780306803062
Dewy Decimal #: 355.009
Paperback: 666 pages
SKU: 42226
Condition: Collectable Like New
Comments: THE SOFTBACK BOOK! DA CAPO, 1988. THE UNABRIDGED 1ST EDITION, VOLUME 3. SOFTBACK BOOK AND PAGES ARE NEW! RAPID SHIPPING W/FREE TRACKING, GREAT PACKAGING. Air Mail. PK,
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
'General Fuller's Military History, seen as a whole, is a magnificent survey of the evolution of western military organization, tactics, and strategy from the earliest times; and perhaps it outstanding feature is the fact that this evolution is always seen within the context of political and social history, the author being careful demonstrates the reciprocal relationship which exists between military establishments on the one hand and civilization societies which support them on the other.' -Gordon Craig.
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Customer Reviews
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Insightful and erudite but undermined by radical politics
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-03-23
0 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
I his three volume work Fuller, a prolific author and military historian, analyzes the development of western military science from ancient Egypt through the end of World War II using descriptions of a series of important battles linked together by short "chronicles" of the intervening years. The battles are clearly summarized and unnecessary details are avoided in favor of thoughtful and insightful analyses of the political and social impacts of military developments. The breadth of research is impressive and some of his ideas are fascinating.
On the other hand, in this the third volume as the narrative approaches the author's lifetime he begins to lose his scholarly objectivity and his personal politics show through. When we reach the Russian revolution it becomes clear that Fuller was an hysterical anti-communist. Not surprising in a western military man writing in the 1950's. Less palatable are his fascist sympathies - yes, I mean the word literally. Apparently Fuller flirted with the British fascists before WWII, and his leanings are apparent in this volume. He writes with approval of Mussolini's and Hitler's rise to power and although he does mention the Nazi's persecution of the Jews during the pre-war years he does his best to soften their image ("brutality" is the harshest word he uses), while he ignores the holocaust itself completely. At the same time he vilifies FDR (whom he seems to think was mostly responsible for the outbreak of WWII) in the harshest terms at every opportunity and is often severely critical of Churchill as well. In the end his lack of objectivity undermines the entire second half of his book.
Two examples will suffice: on pp. 372-4 he includes in full a quote from the Polish Ambassador in Washington, devoting nearly one and a half pages to it and describing it as "illuminating." The quote is packed with enough anti-Semitism that it could have come from Goebbel's Nazi propaganda machine. Second, in a footnote on page 504 Fuller characterizes the allied invasion of Vichy French territories in North Africa as "as flagrant an act of aggression against a neutral country as any perpetrated by Hitler." OK, technically it was a violation of French neutrality, but to equate it with Hitler's aggression ignores:
1) The ink was not even try on Hitler's promise to respect Czechoslovakia's borders when he invaded them.
2) Europe was at peace during the occupation of Czechoslovakia and was still at peace during the invasion of Poland.
3) The Polish and Czech governments were universally recognized internally and externally, while a large percentage of the French refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Vichy government.
4) The Poles resisted violently, as would the Czechs if Chamberlain had not just given away their frontier defenses. The French in North Africa, after some initial hesitation, welcomed and cooperated with the allies.
5) The invasion of North Africa by the allies was a unique occurrence. In addition to Czechoslovakia and Poland, Hitler also invaded, unprovoked, neutral Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, Belgium, and the Netherlands; not to mention the Soviet Union, with which he was supposedly allied.
And so on. To compare the allies aggression with Hitler's is absurd, and unfortunately goes a long way to destroying the author's credibility.
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Great book
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-01-28
2 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
Fuller offers an insightful blend of battlefield detail and the broader causes and effects for each engagement presented. He avoids one of the major shortcomings I have with a lot of other military history authors: bogging the reader down in pedantic minutiae.
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Much more than a Military History
Rating  (5)
Date: 2002-03-04
7 out of 10 customers found this reveiw helpful
Those who wish to understand not only the military history but also the underreported political undercurrents of those times will love this book and read it over and over again. By examining the failures by both military leaders and politicians in understanding the obvious lessons of their relatively recent past, they will gain valuable insights into our current condition.
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Informative
Rating (4)
Date: 2001-05-28
1 out of 8 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is for the person who has a generalized understanding of the time period covered but wants to learn more. The author seems to hate Americans, though.
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Good Basic Book on Western strategy
Rating (5)
Date: 2000-11-15
0 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Good Basic Book on Western strategy, Easy to read and focussed.
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