Carl von Clausewitz
The Life and Legacy of the Prussian General Who Wrote On War
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $5.42
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Colin Fluxman
About this listen
Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz died almost 200 years ago, yet he remains one of the most important and influential of all military thinkers. His teachings combined strategy with military knowledge to produce a dialectic approach to the philosophy of warfare, and his work is still widely taught in military academies around the world. There are few senior military leaders anywhere who are not familiar with his seminal book, On War.
In fact, with the exception of Napoleon Bonaparte, no man was more influential on the military tactics and strategy of 19th century warfare than Clausewitz, a Prussian soldier and military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war. On War was mandatory for all military students and officers to read during the 19th century, and it was common practice for generals during the American Civil War to carry Clausewitz’s treatise and read it to assist them in strategy and tactics.
On War covered every conceivable facet of warfare, using historical battles as examples of what to do and what not to do. The treatise discusses how opposite forces interact, and how unexpected new developments unfolding under the "fog of war" called for rapid decisions by alert commanders. In opposition to Antoine-Henri Jomini, he argued war could not be quantified or graphed or reduced to mapwork and graphs.
Perhaps most importantly, Clausewitz realized the correlation between politics and war. Clausewitz had many aphorisms, of which the most famous is, "War is not merely a political act, but also a political instrument, a continuation of political relations, a carrying out of the same by other means”. This view of warfare is still the standard viewpoint of war today.
What it is easy to overlook is that during his life and in the period when On War was first published, Clausewitz was regarded as a fairly insignificant figure, but in hindsight it’s easy to understand why his concepts have stood the test of time. While other military theorists focused on aspects of war that were applicable only to the tactics, equipment, and weapons of a particular period, Clausewitz looked instead at the philosophy which underpinned the strategy of warfare, something that remains unchanged by military technology or politics. Indeed, that approach has ensured Clausewitz remained relevant despite changes in tactics and technology. Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin studied Clausewitz and referred to him as “one of the great military writers”, and the strategy of deterrence pursued by the United States during the Cold War was inspired in part by President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s reading of Clausewitz’s book as a young officer in the Army in the 1920s. General George S. Patton was an avid reader of Clausewitz, as was Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong, who organized a Clausewitz seminar for Communist Party members in the 1930s. The influential British military writer and thinker Basil Liddell Hart was clearly influenced by Clausewitz’s writings.
The list of those who were directly influenced or inspired by their reading of Clausewitz would cover many pages, so it’s all the more remarkable that On War was not completed at the time of his death in 1831. It was left to his widow, the Countess Marie von Brühl, to gather together writings that her husband had been working on for a number of years and pull these together into the book, which was first published in 1832. Nearly 190 years later, On War remains one of the most significant and brilliant expositions on political-military analysis and strategy ever produced, and it is also still one of the most influential books ever written on military (and non-military) strategic thinking.
Carl von Clausewitz: The Life and Legacy of the Prussian General Who Wrote On War looks at the life and career of the military officer and highlights the most important parts of his timeless work.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2019 Charles River EditorsListeners also enjoyed...
-
Haile Selassie: The Life and Legacy of the Ethiopian Emperor Revered as the Messiah by Rastafarians
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event - known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 - galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa.
-
-
Good
- By Amazon Customer on 09-14-20
-
On War
- By: Carl von Clausewitz
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 29 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On War was first published in 1832, at a time when muskets and cavalry were a dominating presence on the battlefield. Yet in the 21st century it remains a much-read and studied treatise on the subject – perhaps the most important European classic of its kind – and this despite the author’s demise before he could finish what was an extended review of the whole subject of military strategy. Why is that?
-
The Battle of Thermopylae
- A Captivating Guide to One of the Greatest Battles in Ancient History Between the Spartans and Persians
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most famous battles in human history. It featured two of the ancient world’s most prominent cultures, the Achaemenid-led Persian Empire and the fragmented yet culturally advanced Greeks. It also included some of history’s most famous leaders, such as the Persian king Xerxes and the Spartan king and military general Leonidas.
-
-
It's a good book!
- By Mack Zonee on 11-28-19
-
The Peloponnesian War
- A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Greek War Between the Two Leading City-States in Ancient Greece: Athens and Sparta
- By: Captivating Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Peloponnesian War, then pay attention. The Peloponnesian War enveloped the entire Greek world, from Syracuse on the island of Sicily to the shores of western Turkey. It ravaged the Greek population and produced great hardships, and it led to the eventual downfall of the Athenian Empire and the rise of the Spartan Empire.
-
-
factually incorrect
- By Maarten-Jan on 12-24-22
-
History of Russia
- A Captivating Guide to Russian History, Ivan the Terrible, The Russian Revolution and Cambridge Five
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny, Timothy Burke, Colin Fluxman
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to discover the captivating history of Russia, then pay attention...Four captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: Russian History, Ivan the Terrible, The Russian Revolution, and The Cambridge Five. So if you want to learn more about the history of Russia, get this audiobook now!
-
-
Not As Advertised
- By S. Kostka on 08-26-20
-
Napoleon
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Johnson's book is a refreshing return to a concept whose time has come once again: the Great Man theory of biography. It serves as "the greatest possible refutation of those who hold that events are governed by forces, classes, economics, and geography rather than the powerful wills of men and women". Napoleon truly was the Great Man of his age, a towering and terrible genius who managed to conquer the Continent.
-
-
Not your standard biography
- By Mark Grannis on 04-24-05
By: Paul Johnson
-
Haile Selassie: The Life and Legacy of the Ethiopian Emperor Revered as the Messiah by Rastafarians
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event - known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 - galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa.
-
-
Good
- By Amazon Customer on 09-14-20
-
On War
- By: Carl von Clausewitz
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 29 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On War was first published in 1832, at a time when muskets and cavalry were a dominating presence on the battlefield. Yet in the 21st century it remains a much-read and studied treatise on the subject – perhaps the most important European classic of its kind – and this despite the author’s demise before he could finish what was an extended review of the whole subject of military strategy. Why is that?
-
The Battle of Thermopylae
- A Captivating Guide to One of the Greatest Battles in Ancient History Between the Spartans and Persians
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most famous battles in human history. It featured two of the ancient world’s most prominent cultures, the Achaemenid-led Persian Empire and the fragmented yet culturally advanced Greeks. It also included some of history’s most famous leaders, such as the Persian king Xerxes and the Spartan king and military general Leonidas.
-
-
It's a good book!
- By Mack Zonee on 11-28-19
-
The Peloponnesian War
- A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Greek War Between the Two Leading City-States in Ancient Greece: Athens and Sparta
- By: Captivating Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Peloponnesian War, then pay attention. The Peloponnesian War enveloped the entire Greek world, from Syracuse on the island of Sicily to the shores of western Turkey. It ravaged the Greek population and produced great hardships, and it led to the eventual downfall of the Athenian Empire and the rise of the Spartan Empire.
-
-
factually incorrect
- By Maarten-Jan on 12-24-22
-
History of Russia
- A Captivating Guide to Russian History, Ivan the Terrible, The Russian Revolution and Cambridge Five
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny, Timothy Burke, Colin Fluxman
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to discover the captivating history of Russia, then pay attention...Four captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: Russian History, Ivan the Terrible, The Russian Revolution, and The Cambridge Five. So if you want to learn more about the history of Russia, get this audiobook now!
-
-
Not As Advertised
- By S. Kostka on 08-26-20
-
Napoleon
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Johnson's book is a refreshing return to a concept whose time has come once again: the Great Man theory of biography. It serves as "the greatest possible refutation of those who hold that events are governed by forces, classes, economics, and geography rather than the powerful wills of men and women". Napoleon truly was the Great Man of his age, a towering and terrible genius who managed to conquer the Continent.
-
-
Not your standard biography
- By Mark Grannis on 04-24-05
By: Paul Johnson
-
The Greco-Persian Wars
- A Captivating Guide to the Conflicts Between the Achaemenid Empire and the Greek City-States, Including the Battle of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea, and More
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L. Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Greco-Persian Wars are often portrayed as a battle between good and evil. This is simultaneously an exaggeration and an oversimplification, but there is no doubt that this war, or series of wars, fought between some of the most powerful civilizations of the ancient era helped to plot the course of human history that we have been following up until this very day.
-
-
Wonderful book on Ancient Greek history
- By Day-2-Day (Melissa) on 10-12-19
-
Poland
- The First Thousand Years
- By: Patrice M. Dabrowski
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 25 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its beginnings, Poland has been a moving target, geographically as well as demographically, and the very definition of who is a Pole has been in flux. In the late medieval and early modern periods, the country grew to be the largest in continental Europe, only to be later wiped off the map for more than a century. Yet even under these constraints, Poles persisted in their desire to wrest from their oppressors a modicum of national dignity and, ultimately, managed to achieve much more than that.
-
-
Easy listen.
- By Pieter Reyneke on 01-11-23
-
A World Undone
- The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 27 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a summer day in 1914, a nineteen-year-old Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. While the world slumbered, monumental forces were shaken. In less than a month, a combination of ambition, deceit, fear, jealousy, missed opportunities, and miscalculation sent Austro-Hungarian troops marching into Serbia, German troops streaming toward Paris, and a vast Russian army into war, with England as its ally. As crowds cheered their armies on, no one could guess what lay ahead in the First World War.
-
-
A great book!
- By Jodi Bernard on 07-11-23
By: G. J. Meyer
-
Parthian Empire
- A Captivating Guide to the Enemy of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: David Patton
- Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the most enduring empire of the ancient Near East. Few nations were able to not only parry but also defeat the mighty Roman Empire, rivaling it in almost all segments. One of those was the Parthian empire, cultural and traditional successor of the more famous Achaemenid Persian empire that was brought down by the Alexander the Great.
-
-
Too short!
- By Viktor V. Choban on 12-03-21
-
The Winter War: A Captivating Guide to the Russo-Finnish War Between Finland and the Soviet Union
- The Eastern Front, Book 1
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In December 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech about a conflict that had some leading figures in Britain and France, including Churchill himself, briefly discussing the idea of going to war with the Soviet Union, even though they were already fighting Adolf Hitler. Of course, war makes strange bedfellows, and one year later, Churchill would find himself allied with the Soviet Union against Germany and Finland. It’s an interesting saga, one with roots in imperial Russian history and the desire of the Finns to be free in their northern forests.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Mary Willard on 07-01-20
-
Hannibal Barca: A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Christopher Boozell
- Length: 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are notorious figures in history who have withstood the test of time, and then there is Hannibal Barca. This man stands in a unique category of his own because the name of Hannibal Barca not only went down in history, it changed the course of it. This headstrong North African leader did the impossible. He not only led a massive army flanked by elephants - yes, elephants - from North Africa and into Europe, Hannibal also managed to check the growing superpower of Rome through sheer ingenuity.
-
-
Really Good
- By Robert D Steele on 04-04-23
By: Hourly History
-
Carthage
- A Captivating Guide to the Carthaginian Empire and Its Conflicts with the Ancient Greek City-States and the Roman Republic in the Sicilian Wars and Punic Wars
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L. Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Very few of the ancient empires and nations were able to challenge the Romans, who were famous for their military might. Even fewer were able to make them shiver just by mentioning their name. In fact, only one enemy of Rome managed to engrave such fear into their bones. That was Carthage, sometimes called the Carthaginian Empire. It was a formidable state that stretched across northern Africa, from Algeria and Tunisia to the shores of Morocco and southern Spain.
-
-
the beautiful sister, Juliet
- By Fannie Marshall on 06-20-20
-
Napoleon
- A Concise Biography
- By: David A. Bell
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility that Napoleon represented. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary.
-
-
Perfect introduction to Napoleon
- By DJP on 10-17-20
By: David A. Bell
-
History's Greatest Generals
- 10 Commanders Who Conquered Empires, Revolutionized Warfare, and Changed History Forever
- By: Michael Rank
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a work of art that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society. This book will look at the lives of the 10 greatest military commanders in history.
-
-
Great Book
- By MICHAEL H on 01-27-14
By: Michael Rank
-
Leadership in War
- Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War, Andrew Roberts presents us with a bracingly honest and deeply insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher. Each one of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war in which their nation was embroiled.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Amazon Customer on 01-15-20
By: Andrew Roberts
-
The Great Commanders
- Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant, Georgi Zhukov
- By: Phil Grabsky
- Narrated by: Phil Grabsky
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Commanders is a masterly portrait of six men - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant and Georgi Zhukov - whose military genius changed the course of world history.
-
-
Broad, and High Level History
- By Mark on 11-20-14
By: Phil Grabsky
-
The Mongol Conquests
- A Captivating Guide to the Invasions and Conquests Initiated by Genghis Khan That Created the Vast Mongol Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongols were also known to be both merciful as well as tolerant. Moreover, their conquests weren’t aimed against civilized life; in fact, they helped connect numerous cultures and facilitated the spread of ideas and knowledge across the continent. Of course, the Mongols themselves were not uncultured brutes, as they had their own civilization, society, and traditions. With all that being said, this does not mean they were innocent for all the destruction they caused. Instead, it is implied that the Mongols weren’t like fire, causing annihilation wherever they passed.
-
-
Great inspiration
- By DeidrePrivette on 02-07-20
Related to this topic
-
Napoleon
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Johnson's book is a refreshing return to a concept whose time has come once again: the Great Man theory of biography. It serves as "the greatest possible refutation of those who hold that events are governed by forces, classes, economics, and geography rather than the powerful wills of men and women". Napoleon truly was the Great Man of his age, a towering and terrible genius who managed to conquer the Continent.
-
-
Not your standard biography
- By Mark Grannis on 04-24-05
By: Paul Johnson
-
Napoleon
- A Concise Biography
- By: David A. Bell
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility that Napoleon represented. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary.
-
-
Perfect introduction to Napoleon
- By DJP on 10-17-20
By: David A. Bell
-
History's Greatest Generals
- 10 Commanders Who Conquered Empires, Revolutionized Warfare, and Changed History Forever
- By: Michael Rank
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a work of art that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society. This book will look at the lives of the 10 greatest military commanders in history.
-
-
Great Book
- By MICHAEL H on 01-27-14
By: Michael Rank
-
Leadership in War
- Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War, Andrew Roberts presents us with a bracingly honest and deeply insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher. Each one of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war in which their nation was embroiled.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Amazon Customer on 01-15-20
By: Andrew Roberts
-
The Great Commanders
- Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant, Georgi Zhukov
- By: Phil Grabsky
- Narrated by: Phil Grabsky
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Commanders is a masterly portrait of six men - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant and Georgi Zhukov - whose military genius changed the course of world history.
-
-
Broad, and High Level History
- By Mark on 11-20-14
By: Phil Grabsky
-
The Mongol Conquests
- A Captivating Guide to the Invasions and Conquests Initiated by Genghis Khan That Created the Vast Mongol Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongols were also known to be both merciful as well as tolerant. Moreover, their conquests weren’t aimed against civilized life; in fact, they helped connect numerous cultures and facilitated the spread of ideas and knowledge across the continent. Of course, the Mongols themselves were not uncultured brutes, as they had their own civilization, society, and traditions. With all that being said, this does not mean they were innocent for all the destruction they caused. Instead, it is implied that the Mongols weren’t like fire, causing annihilation wherever they passed.
-
-
Great inspiration
- By DeidrePrivette on 02-07-20
-
Napoleon
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Johnson's book is a refreshing return to a concept whose time has come once again: the Great Man theory of biography. It serves as "the greatest possible refutation of those who hold that events are governed by forces, classes, economics, and geography rather than the powerful wills of men and women". Napoleon truly was the Great Man of his age, a towering and terrible genius who managed to conquer the Continent.
-
-
Not your standard biography
- By Mark Grannis on 04-24-05
By: Paul Johnson
-
Napoleon
- A Concise Biography
- By: David A. Bell
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility that Napoleon represented. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary.
-
-
Perfect introduction to Napoleon
- By DJP on 10-17-20
By: David A. Bell
-
History's Greatest Generals
- 10 Commanders Who Conquered Empires, Revolutionized Warfare, and Changed History Forever
- By: Michael Rank
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a work of art that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society. This book will look at the lives of the 10 greatest military commanders in history.
-
-
Great Book
- By MICHAEL H on 01-27-14
By: Michael Rank
-
Leadership in War
- Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War, Andrew Roberts presents us with a bracingly honest and deeply insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher. Each one of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war in which their nation was embroiled.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Amazon Customer on 01-15-20
By: Andrew Roberts
-
The Great Commanders
- Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant, Georgi Zhukov
- By: Phil Grabsky
- Narrated by: Phil Grabsky
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Commanders is a masterly portrait of six men - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant and Georgi Zhukov - whose military genius changed the course of world history.
-
-
Broad, and High Level History
- By Mark on 11-20-14
By: Phil Grabsky
-
The Mongol Conquests
- A Captivating Guide to the Invasions and Conquests Initiated by Genghis Khan That Created the Vast Mongol Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongols were also known to be both merciful as well as tolerant. Moreover, their conquests weren’t aimed against civilized life; in fact, they helped connect numerous cultures and facilitated the spread of ideas and knowledge across the continent. Of course, the Mongols themselves were not uncultured brutes, as they had their own civilization, society, and traditions. With all that being said, this does not mean they were innocent for all the destruction they caused. Instead, it is implied that the Mongols weren’t like fire, causing annihilation wherever they passed.
-
-
Great inspiration
- By DeidrePrivette on 02-07-20
-
A World Undone
- The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 27 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a summer day in 1914, a nineteen-year-old Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. While the world slumbered, monumental forces were shaken. In less than a month, a combination of ambition, deceit, fear, jealousy, missed opportunities, and miscalculation sent Austro-Hungarian troops marching into Serbia, German troops streaming toward Paris, and a vast Russian army into war, with England as its ally. As crowds cheered their armies on, no one could guess what lay ahead in the First World War.
-
-
A great book!
- By Jodi Bernard on 07-11-23
By: G. J. Meyer
-
The Savior Generals
- How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost - From Ancient Greece to Iraq
- By: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prominent military historian Victor Davis Hanson explores the nature of leadership with his usual depth and vivid prose in The Savior Generals, a set of brilliantly executed pocket biographies of five generals (Themistocles, Belisarius, William Tecumseh Sherman, Matthew Ridgway, and David Petraeus) who single-handedly saved their nations from defeat in war. War is rarely a predictable enterprise - it is a mess of luck, chance, and incalculable variables. Today's sure winner can easily become tomorrow's doomed loser.
-
-
A good history book tells about human nature.
- By Doruk Denkel on 03-03-20
-
What If? Part 1
- Reshaping the 20th Century
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose, John Keegan, more
- Narrated by: John Cunningham, Janet Zarish
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if Hitler had won the war, if Japan had another sneak attack, or if the cold war turned hot? What If? provides a fascinating new perspective on history's most pivotal events. Featuring today's foremost historians speculating on what could have happened, we discover where we might be if history had not unfolded the way it did.
-
-
For history buffs
- By Charles Elmore on 05-11-04
By: Stephen E. Ambrose, and others
-
Napoleon
- Soldier of Destiny
- By: Michael Broers
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written with great energy and authority - and using the newly available personal archives of Napoleon himself - the first volume of a majestic two-part biography of the great French emperor and conqueror.
-
-
Clarity
- By Tad Davis on 03-25-19
By: Michael Broers
-
Hannibal Barca: A Captivating Guide to the Carthaginian General Who Fought in the Second Punic War Between Carthage and Ancient Rome
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the names most synonymous with brilliant military strategy is Hannibal. He was the legendary Carthaginian general who marched elephants over the snowy Alps and took on Rome, the growing power in Europe at the time. He outsmarted the best strategists that Rome had to offer and twice sat in front of the gates of Rome with his army. There was never any doubt that Hannibal would serve his country in the military, but no one could have predicted just how well. Even centuries later, Romans used the phrase “Hannibal’s at the gates!” as a way of indicating misfortune or fear.
-
-
Nice and succinct
- By Tally D Lykins on 04-28-22
-
Frederick the Great
- A Military History
- By: Dennis Showalter
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frederick the Great is one of history's most important leaders. Famed for his military successes and domestic reforms, his campaigns were a watershed in the history of Europe, securing Prussia's place as a continental power and inaugurating a new pattern of total war that was to endure until 1916. However, much myth surrounds this enigmatic man's personality and his role as politician, warrior, and king.
-
-
Thrashed insensibly by over writing
- By Jeff Lacy on 09-27-20
By: Dennis Showalter
-
War: How Conflict Shaped Us
- By: Margaret MacMillan
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret MacMillan looks at the ways in which war has influenced human society and how, in turn, changes in political organization, technology, or ideologies have affected how and why we fight. War: How Conflict Shaped Us explores such much-debated and controversial questions as: When did war first start? Does human nature doom us to fight one another? Why has war been described as the most organized of all human activities? Why are warriors almost always men? Is war ever within our control?
-
-
Horrible choice of narrator derails this book
- By Steve Winnett on 02-25-21
-
The Fall of the Roman Empire
- A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.
-
-
A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
By: Peter Heather
-
Carnage and Culture
- Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
- By: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 20 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Examining nine landmark battles from ancient to modern times - from Salamis, where outnumbered Greeks devastated the slave army of Xerxes, to Cortes' conquest of Mexico to the Tet offensive - Victor Davis Hanson explains why the armies of the West have been the most lethal and effective of any fighting forces in the world. Looking beyond popular explanations such as geography or superior technology, Hanson argues that it is in fact Western culture and values which have consistently produced superior arms and soldiers.
-
-
Wow! This truly is a great book. A rarity!
- By GEJ on 11-12-19
-
Philip and Alexander
- Kings and Conquerors
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Neil Dickson
- Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This definitive biography of one of history's most influential father-son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world - and their rise and fall from power.
-
-
Horrible narrator
- By Anonymous User on 01-05-21
-
The Cambridge History of Warfare
- By: Geoffrey Parker
- Narrated by: Andrew Cullum
- Length: 21 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The new edition of The Cambridge History of Warfare, written and updated by a team of eight distinguished military historians, examines how war was waged by Western powers across a sweeping timeframe beginning with classical Greece and Rome, moving through the Middle Ages and the early modern period, down to the wars of the 21st century in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
-
-
Too anglocentric
- By A. Siegel on 10-27-22
By: Geoffrey Parker
-
Panzer General
- Heinz Guderian and the Blitzkrieg Victories of WWII
- By: Kenneth Macksey
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kenneth Macksey's highly regarded biography of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian gives clear insight into the mind and motives of the father of modern tank warfare. Panzer General shows Guderian as a man of ideas equipped with the ability to turn inspiration into reality. A master of strategy and tactics, he was the officer most responsible for creating blitzkrieg in World War II.
-
-
Terrible narration/pronunciation
- By Amazon Customer on 01-23-22
By: Kenneth Macksey
What listeners say about Carl von Clausewitz
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 03-22-21
good as a well-done primer for clausewitz
I've had little experience with what I call classical writings. this is a nice introduction that I thought was very well done. the narration was some of the best I've ever heard.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John N.
- 12-16-21
Not "On War"
just a short bio on the life of Clausewitz with a smattering of quotes from his work.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!