NCW Libraries

Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz (July 1, 1780 - November 16, 1831) was born in Burg bei Magdeburg, Kingdom of Prussia and was a Prussian soldier and military theorist who stressed the psychological and political aspects of war. Clausewitz served in the Rhine Campaigns (1793-1794) including the Siege of Mainz, when the Prussian army invaded France during the French Revolution, and served in the Napoleonic Wars from 1806 to 1815. Helped negotiate...

Twenty-one days. In the middle of nowhere. With no tools, no food, and no clothes. These naked strangers have no choice but to abandon inhibitions and join forces in a shocking attempt at survival in the most remote areas of the world.

Distilled from the Yale University seminar, "Studies in Grand Strategy," a master class in strategic thinking surveys statecraft from the ancient Greeks through FDR and beyond as vital historical lessons for future world leaders. "John Lewis Gaddis, the distinguished historian of the Cold War, has for almost two decades co-taught grand strategy at Yale University with his colleagues Charles Hill and Paul Kennedy. Now, in [this book], Gaddis reflects...

"The world is a dangerous place--especially when you're up to no good. Whether you're a rampaging monster, a calculating mastermind, or the current possessor of the Golden MacGuffin, someone's going to come at you. Probably more than one someone. You can't know when, but you can choose where. You need to be ready. You need a lair. In How to Defend Your Lair, gamemaster Keith Ammann pulls back the curtain on an underrated but crucial part of any tabletop...

Confronting the critics who say George Washington's victories were due to luck, not skill, Palmer proves why the father of our country also deserves the title of America's pre-eminent military strategist.

Andrew Marshall is a Pentagon legend. For more than four decades he has served as Director of the Office of Net Assessment, the Pentagon’s internal think tank, under twelve defense secretaries and eight administrations. Yet Marshall has been on the cutting edge of strategic thinking even longer than that. At the RAND Corporation during its golden age in the 1950s and early 1960s, Marshall helped formulate bedrock concepts of US nuclear strategy...

What makes the Civil War so fascinating is that it presents an endless number of "what if" scenarios-moments when the outcome of the war (and therefore world history) hinged on a single small mistake or omission. In this book, Civil War historian Edward Bonekemper highlights the ten biggest Civil War blunders, focusing in on intimate moments of military indecision and inaction involving great generals like Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and William...

What are the critical factors that determine the outcome of battles? Which is more decisive in a clash of arms: armies or the societies they represent? How important is the leadership of the commanders, the terrain over which the armies fight, the weapons they use and the supplies they depend on? And what about the rules of war and the strategic thinking and tactics of the time? These are among the questions Graeme Callister and Rachael Whitbread...

The Hostage Rescue Manual is a comprehensive, illustrated source on the dynamic operations which have saved hundreds of lives in hostage situations around the world. It is based on strategies that have proved successful in numerous incidents, including the landmark SAS rescue at Prince's Gate, London, and is compiled by an author with intimate and practical knowledge of the field.

This is the fourth fully revised edition of a book first published in 1970. This longevity is testimony to its enduring value as a reference work-indeed, "Colledge," as the book is universally known, is still the first stop for anyone wanting more information on any British warship from the fifteenth century to the present day when only the name is known. Each entry gives concise details of dimensions, armament, and service dates, and its alphabetical...