A concise dictionary of military biography: Two hundred of the most significant names in land warfare, 10th-20th century

By Martin Windrow and Francis K. Mason

Book Overview

A concise dictionary of the most important military leaders in history, featuring detailed capsule biographies of 200 individuals from antiquity to the modern age. Included are military leaders known... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1872004202
• ISBN13: 9781872004204
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: London : Windrow & Greene
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Brevity and good judgment

This is a superb collection of mini-essays on the 200 most important figures in land warfare from A.D. 941 through 1988. The 199 men and 1 woman are listed chronologically at the beginning and then alphabetically, with cross-references where necessary, in the text. The individual entries not only recont major achievements and failures, but also deliver a cogent analysis of each leader's relative worth as a military commander -- only Marshal Zhukov is given notoriously short shrift.Like all books, this one has its quirks: sailors and airmen need not apply, but a couple of paratroopers and military theorists made the cut. Coverage is international but heavily weighted toward Western Europe at 130 entries, or 69 percent. However, considering that Europe dominated warfare in this millenium, the book is not excessively biased in that direction.Naturally, no work is perfect, and this one lacks an index, bibliography, sources, and suggested reading.Yet, despite these minor shortcomings, I believe "A Concise Dictionary of Military Biography" will stand as a landmark work for its brevity, sound judgment, and clear writing.