Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda.

1st ed. First Edition 387p. Photos. Maps. Jacket priced. Fine/Near Fine Copy

From Publisher:

In fiction, the spy is a glamorous figure whose secrets make or break peace, but, historically, has intelligence really been a vital step to military victories? In this breakthrough study, the preeminent war historian John Keegan goes to the heart of a series of important conflicts to develop a powerful argument about military intelligence.
In his characteristically wry and perceptive prose, Keegan offers us nothing short of a new history of war through the prism of intelligence. He brings to life the split-second decisions that went into waging war before the benefit of aerial surveillance and electronic communications. The English admiral Horatio Nelson was hot on the heels of Napoleon's fleet in the Mediterranean and never knew it, while Stonewall Jackson was able to compensate for the Confederacy's disadvantage in firearms and manpower with detailed maps of the Appalachians. In the past century, espionage and decryption have changed the face of battle: the Japanese surprise attack at the Battle of the Midway was thwarted by an early warning. Timely information, however, is only the beginning of the surprising and disturbing aspects of decisions that are made in war, where brute force is often more critical.
"Intelligence in War" is a thought-provoking work that ranks among John Keegan's finest achievements.

Product Info

ISBN: 0375400532

ISBN-13: 9780375400537

Publisher: Knopf, 2003.

Year: 2003

Type: Used

Binding: Hardcover

First Edition

Seller Info

MilitaryBooks

Address: 3226 Woodley RD NW Washington, District of Columbia

Website: https://www.rwmilitarybooks.com

Country: United States