01894nam a22001337a 4500020001500000082001400015100002500029245004200054260003900096300003200135505003600167520153600203650002101739  a0760712794  a355.00922  aLanning, Michael Lee  aThe Military 100cMichael Lee Lanning  aPakistanbServices Book Clubc2000  axii, 372 Pagesb25x19cmbHB  aInclude Illustrations and Index  aGeorge Washington. Napoleon Bonaparte. Genghis Khan. George S. Patton. Adolf Hitler. The very names conjure up images of glorious victories, startling reversals, and colossal defeats. All of them have left their mark on world history. But how do they stack up as leaders when compared to each other?

The answers given in The Military 100 will surprise you. Although granting that these great leaders had no opportunity - in most cases - to confront each other on the battlefield, Michael Lee Lanning, a military historian and retired lieutenant colonel, has nevertheless created a sophisticated ranking based as much on the influence that each man had on the destiny of the forces and nation he was empowered to lead as on the number and size of his victories.

The book contains many surprises. Even seasoned armchair military historians will make new discoveries. In addition to the well-known heroes of battle, Lanning has turned the spotlight on more obscure strategists: He ranks French Marshal Hermann-Maurice Comte de Saxe (1696-1750) and Spanish general Fernandez Gonzalo de Cordoba (1453-1515), for example, well above Ulysses S. Grant, Horatio Nelson, Charles XII, and even George S. Patton. The narratives are devoid of the popular misconceptions and distortions often found in military biographies. Only the plain truth remains - and much of it is startling.

Whether you are reading for enjoyment or research or just to argue with the author's controversial ranking system, you'll find The Military 100 indispensable.  aMilitary Science