A must-have guide to the Church through the ages. Maybe you’ve wondered just what the Church has to offer. Or maybe you’ve been tempted to give up on it as you realize its weaknesses. The Compact History of the Catholic Church sweeps through the centuries offering a clear-eyed view of the Church’s development and contributions to world history. God’s faithfulness and mercy are evident; too; as he continually renews the Church and raises it “again and again from the pit of trouble to new heights of faith; charity and peace.†Now including a handy timeline highlighting major developments and figures from the time of Christ into the twenty-first century.
#593727 in Books Westview Press 1985-08-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .33 x 6.00l; .56 #File Name: 086531862X152 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. This is the book to buy if you want to understand maneuver warfareBy Utah BlaineIf you are looking to understand what maneuver warfare is (and isn't); this is the book you are looking for. I've read a lot about maneuver warfare on the internet and in other books (e.g. Leonard's crappy book) trying to make sense of it; but Bill Lind has done a terrific job putting it all together and explaining the ideas completely and straightforwardly in this thin book. He ties the ideas of Boyd's OODA loop; auftragstatik; surfaces and gaps; and schwerpunkt together so that the reader can CLEARLY understand what the central ideas of maneuver warfare idea. These buzzwords are thrown around in virtually every source about maneuver warfare; but this is the only one that I've read where the author really understands what they all mean and how they relate to the whole. One thing that Lind states over and over is that warfare (and particularly maneuver warfare) is an art; not a science. There are many general ideas that one should be aware of; but the application of these ideas can vary from situation to situation. It is the difference between being a cook and a chef. A cook can follow the recipe; but a chef understands the ingredients and can combine them in different ways to make interesting and unique dishes each time. So it is with maneuver warfare. Lind explains the general ideas; the kinds of things a military leader should be thinking about; but not a hard set of rules that must be followed slavishly. There are also some real world military problems at the end of the book to put the ideas that you learned in the first half into practice. Lind uses many historical examples to elucidate various points; with heavy emphasis on the WWII German army and the pre-73 Israeli Army. From my amateurish armchair; there is one question I'd like to ask Lind regarding one potential weakness of maneuver warfare. In particular; it seems to me that this decentralized philosophy of fighting requires a certain type of leadership up and down the ranks. At the lower levels; the leaders must be aggressive and intelligent; but not too aggressive (which could lead to catastrophic mistakes) nor too intelligent (which generally leads to too much introspection and hesitation). At higher levels; the command must allow their subordinates some latitude and accept some mistakes. A maneuver warfare doctrine instituted in the wrong leadership could be catastrophic. The selection and training of the officer core appears paramount in this doctrine - an issue that Lind doesn't really address. I might even go so far as to say that the national culture of many countries would prevent the use of maneuver warfare. In any case; this is a great book; the only one you'll need. If you have an interest in or professional need to study this subject; this is a no-brainer to add to your permanent collection.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The digest will take a lot longer it is not an easy read but if you do it will change your ...By CustomerJohn Boyd's and his ideas as understood by William Lind; if they are listened to and understood could change the business of war; and should change them forever. I hope that you will take the short time it takes to read and digest this book. The digest will take a lot longer it is not an easy read but if you do it will change your strategic thinking about everything; war; business; the world.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Great Job of Creating a Useful Tool from A Grand TheoryBy Steve DietrichLind has done a masterful job of moving Boyd from the Pentagon to the battlefield. He succeeded in keeping to the concept of a Handbook rather than a textbook.Somehow he has distilled the famous all day slide brief ([...]) and extended it to the realities of land warfare. It's ironic that the Marines are most closely identified as having learned the lessons of Col Boyd; USAF. The Marine's pride is boundless; but it seldom keeps them from appropriating anything useful that happens to come into view. In this case it was some precious jewels.Others; with far more military knowledge have commented on the applicability of these comments to warfare. I agree with others who have demonstrated that these concepts have a place in business; political campaigns and sports.A final recommendation is that this book is a great read for anyone who watches and listens to the news. It will help the reader to understand what some of our troops are doing. As a small example; after the start of the Iraq war the press was filled with reports of Marines pressing ahead for days; without sleep; food and in some cases water. To the generals of CNN it seemed to be military incompetence; but to someone who read Lund it was evidence of success.Highly recommended along with a download of the Boyd slides noted above.
