Book Description
An informed and entertaining refrence that explains the real meanings behind the most famous military phrases throughout history. From the Trojan War to World War II, war has produced some of the most eloquent statements uttered by man. Complete with rich, historical sidebars, this chronological record of battle-tested wisdom delves into the human side of greatness to reveal the often-forgotten context behind such heroic quotes as "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition," "Don't fire 'til you see the whites of their eyes," and hundreds more. The result is a truly unique and spellbinding resource as applicable to the chronicles of war as it is to the challenges of contemporary leadership. A book of courage, wit, and passion guaranteed to inspire and enlighten.
From the Back Cover
"Damn the Torpedoes is a fascinating account of how military historians write...a moral treatise on how we look, and should look, upon war itself." - Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece. "Don't flinch from the fire, boys! There's a hotter fire for those who don't do their duty!" Admiral Farragut warned his crew as they endured a bristling barrage from Fort St. Philip in the Battle of New Orleans. "Come on lads! Who will follow me?" demanded Sir Chalres Russell of the leaderless Coldstream Guards in the thick of the Crimean War. "Fix bayonets! Charge BAyonets, charge!" ordered Bowdoin College professor Col. Joshua Chamberlain, directing the 20th Maine Volunteers into the hand-to-hand attack at Little round Top that many call the turning point in the American Civil War. These and other stirring words of war echo through history - but how many of them were actually spoken? In Damn the Torpedoes, Brian Burrell scrutinizes warfare through the catchphrases of military history - phrases said to have persuaded men to charge, pressed them to fire on the enemy, led them in retreat, and recounted the story afterward. This candid, carefully researched, and intimate approach unveils the dynamics of martial myth-making, reveals civilizations at war and in peril, and shines new light upon human behavior on the doorway of death. Celebrating genuine heroism in combat and simple grace in the face of adversity, this book is not only a compelling reading experience, but a lens that will give you "Damn the Torpedoes is a fascinating account of how military historians write...a moral treatise on how we look, and should look, upon war itself." - Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece. "Don't flinch from the fire, boys! There's a hotter fire for those who don't do their duty!" Admiral Farragut warned his crew as they endured a bristling barrage from Fort St. Philip in the Battle of New Orleans. "Come on lads! Who will follow me?" demanded Sir Chalres Russell of the leaderless Coldstream Guards in the thick of the Crimean War. "Fix bayonets! Charge Bayonets, charge!" ordered Bowdoin College professor Col. Joshua Chamberlain, directing the 20th Maine Volunteers into the hand-to-hand attack at Little round Top that many call the turning point in the American Civil War. These and other stirring words of war echo through history - but how many of them were actually spoken? In Damn the Torpedoes, Brian Burrell scrutinizes warfare through the catchphrases of military history - phrases said to have persuaded men to charge, pressed them to fire on the enemy, led them in retreat, and recounted the story afterward. This candid, carefully researched, and intimate approach unveils the dynamics of martial myth-making, reveals civilizations at war and in peril, and shines new light upon human behavior on the doorway of death. Celebrating genuine heroism in combat and simple grace in the face of adversity, this book is not only a compelling reading experience, but a lens that will give you a startling new perspective on the past.
