Hannibal vs. Scipio. Grant vs. Lee. Rommel vs. Patton. The greatest
battles, commanders, and rivalries of all time come to life in this
engrossing guide to the geniuses of military history.
"A compelling study of military leadership."--James M. McPherson,
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
Any meeting of genius may create sparks, but when military geniuses
meet, their confrontations play out upon a vast panorama of states or
civilizations at war, wielding the full destructive power of a mighty
nation's armies. Gods of War is the first single-volume, in-depth
examination of the most celebrated military rivalries of all time, and
of the rare, world-changing battles in which these great commanders in
history matched themselves against true equals.
From Caesar and Pompey deciding the fate of the Roman Republic, to Grant
and Lee battling for a year during the American Civil War, to Rommel and
Montgomery and Patton meeting in battle after battle as Hitler strove
for European domination, these match-ups and their corresponding
strategies are among the most memorable in history.
A thrilling look into both the generals' lives and their hardest-fought
battles, Gods of War is also a thought-provoking analysis of the
qualities that make a strong commander and a deep exploration of the
historical context in which the contestants were required to wage war,
all told with rousing narrative flair. And in a time when technology has
made the potential costs of war even greater, it is a masterful look at
how military strategy has evolved and what it will take for leaders to
guide their nations to peace in the future.
