In Margin of Victory Douglas Macgregor tells the riveting stories of five military battles of the twentieth century; each one a turning point in history. Beginning with the British Expeditionary force holding the line at the Battle of Mons in 1914 and concluding with the Battle of Easting in 1991 during Desert Storm; Margin of Victory teases out a connection between these battles and teaches its readers an important lesson about how future battles can be won. Emphasizing military strategy; force design; and modernization; Macgregor links each of these seemingly isolated battles thematically. At the core of his analysis; the author reminds the reader that to be successful; military action must always be congruent with national culture; geography; and scientific-industrial capacity. He theorizes that strategy and geopolitics are ultimately more influential than ideology. Macgregor stresses that if nation-states want to be successful; they must accept the need for and the inevitability of change. The five warfighting dramas in this book; rendered in vivid detail by lively prose; offer many lessons on the tactical; operational; and strategic levels of war.
#750287 in Books 2014-10-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.33 x 1.05 x 6.40l; .0 #File Name: 1611685354304 pages
Review
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful. Very Interesting Little Known Story About Paul Revere and a Militia Disaster in MaineBy H. M. KnudsenI found this story absolutely superb. This is a very nicely written book about an almost unknown piece of Revolutionary War history. I did not know anything about Paul Revere beyond his ride the night before Lexington and Concord; and thus the title just grabbed me. I had to find out what this court martial was all about?At about a quarter of the way through the story there is a quote Greenburg uses from an earlier Revere biographer who said Revere “was not a soldier.†Up to this point I learned Paul Revere was not happy that he could not land the type of military officer’s commission he thought he should have; but knowing nothing of his life after his famous ride; this assessment then made me very curious to see how this problem was going to unfold.It unfolds on the little known Penobscot Maine Campaign in 1779 undertaken by the Massachusetts militia and their entire colony/state navy of some 40 ships. A joint operation into difficult terrain against a determined enemy outpost that was certain to get powerful naval support from the Royal Navy if threatened. I won’t give away the details on the battles; but how Greenburg tells the story of this forgotten campaign makes for very enjoyable military history writing. I was career Army Artillery officer; and in addition to how the campaign unfolded; I was equally curious about how Paul Revere; who was the Corps Artillery commander of the militia; would do as a commander of artillery and provide the critical fire support to the operation.I have to agree with the reviewer who was a JAG officer (Mr. Cave) at one time – there are quite a few articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice – had they existed in the Massachusetts Militia in 1779 – Revere would have been charged under and probably would have been convicted of violating. The results of the final court martial as it turned out I cannot agree with as a professional soldier. Essentially the military court acquitted him due to the great confusion of the defeat. Confusion as a reason is not that relevant. An officer is supposed to lead troops through confusion. Revere had clearly disobeyed various orders and deserted the command without being properly relieved by his direct superior in his chain of command; and having a replacement assume his command; --among doing other things unbecoming of an officer. To me; as a soldier; the most egregious was deserting his artillery soldiers in order to get himself home to Boston long before the privates could hobble back. That one would have gotten him convicted in the Continental Army and the US Army of any later period I am sure. It summed up for me the earlier comment that he was not soldier.This book for me also highlighted exactly the reason why George Washington had no confidence in militia troops. I have been working on a book about Fisher Ames; and have as part of this work done quite a bit of research on Washington the general and the top Federalist during his years as president. In the Revolutionary War he was constantly let down by militia failures; and thus brought Baron von Steuben into the army to get it trained to the standard of regulars. Von Steuben; however; did not work with the militia that failed in Newport; R.I. and this Maine campaign. Professionals leading this force would have had a much better chance at accomplishing the mission. This militia leadership was dismal in the Penobscot operation. Just the fact the commanding general held these “councils of war†that seemed to be democratic in how they tryied to build a consensus on a way ahead; achieved nothing decisive and resulted in lost momentum. A real Army officer in command would not hold a council with a vote. He would certainly ask the opinion of his subordinate commanders and staff; but use those opinions only in making his decision; and then issue orders and guidance. Period. Great research; interesting story; nicely told. Great book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Balancing the myth of P RevereBy Stanley PattersonLongfellow’s caricature of Paul Revere was; unbeknownst to me; so firmly embraced in my pantheon of heroes that I found myself tempted to close the book and read no further when it became obvious that old Paul was a man with faults and foibles. It was painful to make the mental adjustments necessary to accommodate the legend with the real man who when on the battlefield was as apt not to retreat to safety and comfort while his men suffered hardship and uncertainty without the benefit of stable leadership. Worth the read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Revere wasn't who you think he was.By Paul M. PelhamThe story you weren't taught in school. Did you know Revere had 16 children? Did you know Revere was courtmartialed for his actions (or inactions) in one of the major battles of the American Revolution? Get your hands on a copy of this book. Well written and extensively researched.
