- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Thunder's Mouth, Nation Books; Second Edition edition (Mar 10 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1560256028
- ISBN-13: 978-1560256021
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 13.8 x 2.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 358 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #931,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The title may draw in people with a weakness for military models for civilian planning issues, but, unlike Duggan's The Art of What Works, the book is not really a planner's how-to, nor is it conventional military historiography. Instead, Duggan offers clear perspectives on how various traits-e.g. mental flexibility in reading the past and present, talent for envisioning the efforts of tens to millions, minute adjustment of tactical details-have been put to careful use by particular figures. Beyond that, it is a mixed bag. Duggan oversimplifies the military strategists he covers (Napoleon and Patton) with a dichotomy between the approaches of Clausewitz (flexible) and Jomini (rigid), leaving out, for example, the crucial role of staffs. On Sundiata (it is a nice surprise to find him here), the founder of the Mali Empire in Africa, the author lists only a single source. Also here are Alice Paul, the American suffragist, and Ella Baker, one of the founders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Joan of Arc was herself only a very short-lived strategist, drawing her insights from the legend of the Quest for the Grail-but watching her in action inspired the French statesmen and soldiers who won the Hundred Years' War. The best essay in the book, the study of Mohammed Yunus's Grameen Bank making micro-loans in Bangladesh, reflects the author's background in international development with the Ford Foundation.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
"The book's own stroke of genius is Duggan's coherent reporting of coup d'oeil as it occurs throughout the centuries, while at the same time relating it in a way sure to inspire readers to discover their own formulas for success."
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Nice try,
By A Customer
This review is from: Napoleon's Glance: The Secret Of Strategy (Paperback)
but no cigar...he was Emperor of the French.
2.0 out of 5 stars
He could have said this so much better!!!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Napoleon's Glance: The Genius Of Strategy (Hardcover)
There are a few tidbits of useful info in this slender volume, but it should NEVER be confused as containing valuable, factual historical analysis beyond the most general of circumstances. Perhaps the reason for this is that the author's reading of history is simply wrong. Take the small chapter on Napoleon as an example. The author repeatedly calls Napoleon the "emperor of europe"...gag... he was "Emperor of France." And the author misses entirely the most important the issues of his battlefield genius, and totally misunderstands the 1812 campaign and WHY Napoleon went for Moscow. Hummm...perhaps he should have expanded his shallow source reading on Napleon's campaigns to far better works than the lone, vastly-overrated military work listed in the back. His information on Patton and Joan of Arc is also very superficial and lacking any meaningful depth (and the dust jacket touts the author as currently writing "a forthcoming scholarly study of strategy"?). In retrospect, I understand what the author is trying to say and how he wants to convey the concept of "coup d'oeil" to folks for their use in everyday life. However, because of all the factual errors and superficial conclusions drawn from such shallow study, the author's message is significantly weakened. Therefore, because of the way the book is presented, I could have gleaned all useful info out of this by quickly reading through it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, useful, and well-written!,
By reader (Chicago) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Napoleon's Glance: The Genius Of Strategy (Hardcover)
... This is a great history of social entrepreneurs, military leaders, and other great strategists who figured out how to get what they wanted. Great short chapters on Joan of Arc, Patton, Alice Paul and the suffragists, Japan, and even Picasso and Matisse. Turned out for me to be an excellent source of fun cocktail party chatter. But it is a very very good and unusual kind of self-help book. Yes, the book is NOT about military strategy, but is is about strategy in personal life. I thought it was better than a ton of other popular history or self help books. It helped me understand how to be more successful at figuring out how to get what I want. On the cover General Wesley Clark calls this a "very important book" and I agree!
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