
Clausewitz
A Very Short Introduction
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
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $9.45
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Corrie James
-
By:
-
Michael Howard
About this listen
Karl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) is considered by many to have been one of the greatest writers on war. His study On War was described by the American strategic thinker Bernard Brodie as "not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war". It is hard to disagree. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was 50 yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Michael Howard explains Clausewitz's ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual background of his time.
©1983, 2002 Michael Howard (P)2021 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
On War
- By: Carl von Clausewitz
- Narrated by: David Timson, Lucy Scott
- Length: 31 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A classic work of military strategy, On War sets forth the theories and tactics of Carl von Clausewitz, a distinguished Prussian general who was notable for his roles in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The book covers a broad range of topics, including weapons, terrain, troops, and leadership, as well as the importance of defense over offence, the balance of power, and the subordination of war to politics. Praised for its timeless insights, Clausewitz’s treatise is often compared to the work of Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, and remains relevant to military leaders.
-
-
This is not the Howard/Paret edition.
- By Bybarbo on 05-30-22
-
Strategy
- A History
- By: Lawrence Freedman
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 32 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives.
-
-
Comprehensive 'Tour de Force' on Strategy
- By Logical Paradox on 07-20-14
-
The First World War
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Howard
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction audiobook provides a concise and insightful history of the Great War - from the state of Europe in 1914, to the role of the US, the collapse of Russia, and the eventual surrender of the Central Powers.
-
-
A very quick synopsis
- By Anonymous User on 11-22-22
By: Michael Howard
-
Hume
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: James A. Harris
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Hume, philosopher, historian, economist, librarian, and essayist, was one of the great figures of the European Enlightenment. Unlike some of his famous contemporaries, however, he was not dogmatically committed to idealized conceptions of reason, liberty, and progress.
By: James A. Harris
-
How States Think
- The Rationality of Foreign Policy
- By: John J. Mearsheimer, Sebastian Rosato
- Narrated by: Mack Sanderson
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To understand world politics, you need to understand how states think. Are states rational? Much of international relations theory assumes that they are. But many scholars believe that political leaders rarely act rationally. The issue is crucial for both the study and practice of international politics. John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato argue that rational decisions in international politics rest on credible theories about how the world works and emerge from deliberative decision‑making processes.
-
-
2hours of content crammed into 8 hours of listening
- By Al from Virginia on 02-04-24
By: John J. Mearsheimer, and others
-
The French Revolution
- A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition
- By: William Doyle
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The French Revolution is a time of history made familiar from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends of let them eat cake, and tricolors. Beginning in 1789, this period of extreme political and social unrest saw the end of the French monarchy, the death of an extraordinary number of people beneath the guillotine's blade during the Terror, and the rise of Napoleon, as well as far reaching consequences still with us today, such as the enduring ideology of human rights, and decimalization.
-
-
A Solid Overview - Good for the Uninitiated
- By The Lee Family on 07-07-23
By: William Doyle
-
On War
- By: Carl von Clausewitz
- Narrated by: David Timson, Lucy Scott
- Length: 31 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A classic work of military strategy, On War sets forth the theories and tactics of Carl von Clausewitz, a distinguished Prussian general who was notable for his roles in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The book covers a broad range of topics, including weapons, terrain, troops, and leadership, as well as the importance of defense over offence, the balance of power, and the subordination of war to politics. Praised for its timeless insights, Clausewitz’s treatise is often compared to the work of Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, and remains relevant to military leaders.
-
-
This is not the Howard/Paret edition.
- By Bybarbo on 05-30-22
-
Strategy
- A History
- By: Lawrence Freedman
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 32 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives.
-
-
Comprehensive 'Tour de Force' on Strategy
- By Logical Paradox on 07-20-14
-
The First World War
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Howard
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction audiobook provides a concise and insightful history of the Great War - from the state of Europe in 1914, to the role of the US, the collapse of Russia, and the eventual surrender of the Central Powers.
-
-
A very quick synopsis
- By Anonymous User on 11-22-22
By: Michael Howard
-
Hume
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: James A. Harris
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Hume, philosopher, historian, economist, librarian, and essayist, was one of the great figures of the European Enlightenment. Unlike some of his famous contemporaries, however, he was not dogmatically committed to idealized conceptions of reason, liberty, and progress.
By: James A. Harris
-
How States Think
- The Rationality of Foreign Policy
- By: John J. Mearsheimer, Sebastian Rosato
- Narrated by: Mack Sanderson
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To understand world politics, you need to understand how states think. Are states rational? Much of international relations theory assumes that they are. But many scholars believe that political leaders rarely act rationally. The issue is crucial for both the study and practice of international politics. John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato argue that rational decisions in international politics rest on credible theories about how the world works and emerge from deliberative decision‑making processes.
-
-
2hours of content crammed into 8 hours of listening
- By Al from Virginia on 02-04-24
By: John J. Mearsheimer, and others
-
The French Revolution
- A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition
- By: William Doyle
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The French Revolution is a time of history made familiar from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends of let them eat cake, and tricolors. Beginning in 1789, this period of extreme political and social unrest saw the end of the French monarchy, the death of an extraordinary number of people beneath the guillotine's blade during the Terror, and the rise of Napoleon, as well as far reaching consequences still with us today, such as the enduring ideology of human rights, and decimalization.
-
-
A Solid Overview - Good for the Uninitiated
- By The Lee Family on 07-07-23
By: William Doyle
-
The Identity Trap
- A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time
- By: Yascha Mounk
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For much of history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. It is no surprise that many who passionately believe in social justice came to believe that members of marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity to resist injustice.
-
-
May It Mark A Turning Point
- By Larry on 09-28-23
By: Yascha Mounk
-
Kant
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Roger Scruton
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kant is arguably the most influential modern philosopher, but also one of the most difficult. Roger Scruton tackles his exceptionally complex subject with a strong hand, exploring the background to Kant's work and showing why the Critique of Pure Reason has proved so enduring.
-
-
Comprehensive, Well Read, But Very Abstract
- By Drone Boy on 09-09-21
By: Roger Scruton
-
A Peace to End All Peace
- The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
- By: David Fromkin
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts are rooted in the region's political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War. Author David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time.
-
-
Still A Great Book On The Topic
- By Nostromo on 02-03-19
By: David Fromkin
-
World History of Warfare
- By: Christon I. Archer, John R. Ferris, Holger H. Herwig, and others
- Narrated by: Scott Carrico
- Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
World History of Warfare covers worldwide military history from ancient times to the present and is designed for college courses. Its principal theme is an exploration of change and continuity, revolution and tradition, in three thousand years of warfare. It teaches students and general listeners how warfare evolved and how that evolution affected human society, with emphasis on major turning points in the conduct of warfare rather than a superficial general history of wars.
-
-
Buckle up - you're in for a rought ride
- By seroteamavi on 10-05-18
By: Christon I. Archer, and others
-
On Grand Strategy
- By: John Lewis Gaddis
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For over 20 years, a select group of Yale undergraduates has been admitted into the year-long "Grand Strategy" seminar team-taught by John Lewis Gaddis and Paul Kennedy. Its purpose: to provide a grounding in strategic decision-making in the face of crisis to prepare future American leaders for important work. Now, John Lewis Gaddis has transposed the experience of that course into a wonderfully succinct, lucid and inspirational book, a view from the commanding heights of statesmanship across the landscape of world history from the ancient Greeks to Lincoln, and beyond.
-
-
Interesting, but fails to offer real lessons.
- By Zack on 07-04-18
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.
-
-
Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
John Stuart Mill
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Gregory Claeys
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Stuart Mill (1806-73) is widely regarded as the leading liberal philosopher, economist, and political theorist of nineteenth century Britain. In his lifetime, he was best known for his System of Logic (1843) and the Principles of Political Economy (1848). Today Mill is chiefly identified with On Liberty (1859), perhaps the definitive text of modern liberal statement of its subject, and probably the single most important work of modern political thought.
By: Gregory Claeys
-
Adam Smith
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher J. Berry
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defense of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was more than an economist. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions.
-
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Martin Bunton
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The conflict between Palestine and Israel is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles in history. In this accessible and stimulating Very Short Introduction, Martin Bunton clearly explains the history of the problem, reducing it to its very essence - a modern territorial contest between two nations and one geographical territory.Providing a clear and fair exploration of the main issues, Bunton explores not only the historical basis of the conflict, but also looks at how and why partition has been so difficult and how efforts to restore peace continue today.
-
-
Even-handed.
- By Tom Judge on 11-15-23
By: Martin Bunton
-
Schopenhauer
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Janaway
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Schopenhauer is considered to be the most accessible of German philosophers. This book gives a succinct explanation of his metaphysical system, concentrating on the original aspects of his thought, which inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. Schopenhauer's central notion is that of the will-a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature.
-
-
Get familiar with the greats
- By Jessen Fox on 03-04-25
-
Hegel
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Peter Singer
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hegel is regarded as one of the most influential figures on modern political and intellectual development. After painting Hegel's life and times in broad strokes, Peter Singer goes on to tackle some of the more challenging aspects of Hegel's philosophy. Offering a broad discussion of Hegel's ideas and an account of his major works, Singer explains what have often been considered abstruse and obscure ideas in a clear and inviting manner.
-
-
Great introduction
- By I'm all ears on 02-17-22
By: Peter Singer
What listeners say about Clausewitz
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L. S. Milani
- 02-03-24
Superb Analysis
Excellent analysis by Howard, as expected, given his subject expertise. This must be a mandatory reading for all students of Clausewitz. Discussion on Clausewitz’s intellectual pathway to his early theorization, and on interplay of his thought with later ideologies, is also quite wonderful. As for technical matters, the narrator performs quite strongly. 10/10, in all regards.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ecualegacy
- 12-22-23
Good Intro for an Overrated Classic
While I'm grateful to Von Clausewitz for the foundation on strategic principles and doctrine that he laid, I lament how people in the military sphere treat his book like Scripture. It's an indictment against our modern military that we haven't held up better works as the standard for military education. I suffered through the verbose 30-hour read of the full book and can say the best part of it was this Very Short Introduction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 06-04-24
Useless. Disappointing.
Yet another book "about" its subject, rather than just presenting the subject itself!
It's not even about interesting biographical details, there's simply talk "about" the man and his work, and in such vague generalities as to be totally useless.
Things like "there are two types of war: total and that to impose your terms of peace". Oh really? What elementary school kid COULDN'T tell you that already? More general generalities of generalship where that brilliancy came from... but why?
Waste of time. NOT a good introductory book for anyone of any description. Disappointed. There are way better books than this one out there.
On a positive note, as usual, I thought the audio narrator was great. My issue is with the writer: this book has no point. I literally couldn't write a single-page PowerPoint slide of bullet-pointed highlights of this book (if I did, it would be blank). And I'm surprised because this same author's other book in this "Very Short Introduction" series, "The First World War", is great.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!