Suggested Reading list for the Army's Command and General Staff Co

[Virgil61]

FYI to the group. This is an excerpt of the Ancient history portion--along with comments--of a suggested reading list for officers at the US Army's Command and General Staff College. An interesting selection.

 

Ancient History

 

Adcock, Frank Ezra, Sir. The Greek and Macedonian Art of War. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974, c1957.

 

This highly readable short book provides a wealth of knowledge on ancient warfare.

 

Anderson, John Kinloch. Military Theory and Practice in the Age of Xenophon. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1970.

 

This volume analyzes the functioning of Greek armies of the fourth century B.C. and assesses Xenophon as a pioneer military theorist. Anderson examines all the characteristics of ancient Greek warfare during Xenophon's time. Also included are excellent photographs of vases that show Greek soldiers as they appeared during this period.

 

Caesar, Julius. The Civil War: Together With the Alexandrian War, the African War, and the Spanish War by Other Hands. Translated with an introduction by Jane F. Gardner. New York: Penguin Books, c1967.

 

Both propaganda and a soldier's tale, The Civil War describes Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, entrance into Rome, installation of Cleopatra on the throne of Egypt, and final battles in Spain in 45 B.C. This work (together with three accounts that were most likely written by Caesar's lieutenants) covers the period of Caesar's final struggle for power and provides considerable tactical detail about his maneuvers.

 

_______.The Conquest of Gaul. Translated by S. A. Handford. New York: Penguin Books, 1982, c1951.

 

Caesar's narrative on the Gallic War, the only account actually written by a great general of antiquity about his own campaigns, provides information on Britain and its early inhabitants and also records Caesar's successful campaigns in Britain and Europe between 58 and 50 B.C. Partly written as personal propaganda, this work has much to say about Roman military history.

 

Engels, Donald W. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.

 

Engels presents an ingenious systematic study of logistics in the ancient world and brilliantly assesses how Alexander combined strategic and logistic objectives.

Ferrill, Arther. The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986.

 

In examining the military reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, Professor Ferrill shows that generals and their armies were an essential component in the decline and fall.

 

_______.The Origins of War: From the Stone Age to Alexander the Great. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1985.

 

Ferrill believes that the developments that led to the tactically integrated army of Alexander the Great laid the foundation of modern warfare to the time of Napoleon. In this work, Ferrill evaluates land and naval warfare in prehistoric times, the Copper-Bronze Age in the Near East, the Iron Age in Assyria and Persia, and classical Greek warfare. Good maps, clear illustrations, and simple prose make this a valuable guide to ancient warfare.

 

Fuller, J. F. C. The Generalship of Alexander the Great. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981, c1960.

 

In this analysis of the military abilities and actions of Alexander the Great, Fuller assesses Alexander's career as a statesman and soldier, and examines his great battles, sieges, and small wars in considerable detail. Fuller believes that, while Alexander was, one of the most audacious generals in history, "the risks he accepted were seldom left to chance; they were carefully weighed and calculated probabilities."

 

Livy. The War With Hannibal: Books XXI-XXX of the History of Rome From Its Foundation. Translated by Aubrey De Selincourt. New York: Penguin Books, 1965.

 

Livy (59 B.C.-17 A.D.) vividly describes the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.) between Rome and Carthage, and examines the Carthaginians' early success, the famous Battle of Cannae, and Rome's victory over Hannibal at Zama. Reading this book offers a classical perspective on timely military questions.

Luttwak, Edward N. The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire: From the First Century A.D. to the Third. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976.

 

Luttwak, an expert on current strategy and a leading defense reformer and critic, explores Roman strategy, tactics, and military organization in this well-written work. It has been required reading in the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College's School of Advanced Military Studies.

 

Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Rev. ed. Translated by Rex Warner. New York: Penguin Books, 1954.

 

Thucydides, the best Greek historian of classical period, analyzes the wars between Athens and Sparta. The work has appeared in numerous editions. This classic is especially prized for showing the relationship between war and society, assessing war aims, and exploring the human factor in war.

Xenophon. The March Up Country: A Modern Translation of the Anabasis. Translated by W. H. Rouse. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1958.

 

If the modern soldier looks to ancient history for knowledge and perspective, Xenophon (431-345 B.C.) is an admirable guide. His immortal story of the march of the Ten Thousand from Babylon through the mountains of Armenia to the Black Sea discloses much about ancient warfare and the timeless nature of military operations and leadership.

[Pantagathus]

That's a pretty darn good list.

 

However, I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that Polybius should be added...

[Divi Filius]

I guess Polybius heavy focus on tactics is what alienates it from the logistics and strategic focus of the US army. His account is also far less romantic then Livy's.

 

Although I definitely think his work should be included.

 

The story of the March of the 10,000 is an excellent story for the impressionable recruit. A damn fine way of getting him hyped for war.

Edited November 27, 2006 by Divi Filius

[Ursus]

About 7 years ago I was a student supervisor for the Dickinson College Library in Carlisle, PA. We had an agreement with the nearby War College where they could borrow our books and vice versa. I remember lieutenant colonels coming in to check out the classics. I hadn't really given it much thought till I saw this post.