Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers

By: The Great Courses, Andrew R. Wilson

Narrated by: Andrew R. Wilson

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

From Napoleon's revolutionary campaigns to the way insurgency, terrorism, and nuclear weaponry have defined the nature of warfare in the 21st century, the results of military strategy have changed the course of history. These 24 thought-provoking lectures give you an inside look at both the content and historical context of the world's greatest war strategists.

From the triremes and hoplites of ancient Greece to the Special Forces in 21st-century Afghanistan, strategy is the process by which political objectives are translated into military action - using the means at a nation's disposal to compel an enemy to bend to its political will.

In this concise and rigorous survey, Professor Wilson introduces: Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War; Sun Tzu's famous The Art of War; Machiavelli's strategy for a republic with a citizen-army; Jomini, Clausewitz, and the Napoleonic revolution in warfare; the development of naval strategy and the rise of airpower; Mao Tse-tung, David Galula, and Roger Trinquier's reflections on insurgency and counterinsurgency and their influence on the U.S. Army's Field Manual 3-24; Just-war theory, from Thucydides' Melian Dialogue to Operation Iraqi Freedom; nuclear war, terrorism, and other strategic challenges for the 21st century.

You'll come away from this course with new insight that will allow you to take an informed, active interest in political and military debates - which ultimately will determine the course of our nation.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this course are those of the professor and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

Fast paced art of war

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No I would not. As the title says it is a great lecture series not a great story so the lecturer moves quite fast through the material with the expectation that the listener is well versed in military history. Not for the casual listener more for a student of the military. If that happens to be you well then this is a thorough course covering many characters and military strategies.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

I would buy more classes from the great courses. I own several and while some are hard to follow and keep up with the material I find most to be enlightening and very educational.

Which scene was your favorite?

Fall of Greek states

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. You need a break to absorb the just taught materials before moving on to a new part of history and new countries and their battles.

Getting My War College Material as a Lieutenant

Would you consider the audio edition of Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers to be better than the print version?

N/A

Who was your favorite character and why?

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Which character – as performed by Professor Andrew R. Wilson – was your favorite?

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If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

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Any additional comments?

Andrew Wilson does an incredible job of making complex strategic material fathomable for a mere Lieutenant (still working within the realm of the tactical and operational).

good overview on strategy

what I really liked about this audiobook is how the author referred to many different past authors who have written on the subject of strategy and Warfare.

Thoroughly Engrossing

This was the best of the great courses I've taken thus far. A must read if you are a student of history, politics, or warfare.

Awesome

Engaging teacher. Great history lessons. Loved the evolutionary take on technology and strategy. Highly recommended.

I wish I would have listened to this 8 months ago

A great primer for any military strategy course. Found it to be a great supplement for what I'm currently studying.

Excellent Content, Effective Organization

This survey of strategic thinking is an amazing introduction for anyone new to the subject or looking for a systematic distillation of various problems, innovators, and eras in strategic thinking. Wilson organizes it as a series of case study chapters in chronological order, and makes some connections backwards and forward where appropriate. I consider it the best way to approach the topic, but some listeners new to the field may find the shifts jarring, or just wish it was a narrative history because that might be easier to follow. Wilson's balance of breadth and depth is excellent, and provides the listener with a foundation to choose follow-up texts by the thinkers covered (I'll be returning to Machiavelli for the first time since high school).

The truly great are truly humble.

This was incredibly profound; I also heard his lectures on The Art of War. Even though I did not attend an Ivy League University, I wish that he were one of my professors in college because I would have taken him for more than one course.

one of the best great courses

a very good overview on the concept of strategy. definately worth the purchase, very informative.

How to win

A brilliant course by a great presentor. Huge detail on War thru the ages.Thank you