Pre-Owned Piercing the Fog of War: Recognizing Change on the Battlefield: Lessons from Military History, 216 BC Through Today (Hardcover) 0760335230 9780760335239

Piercing the Fog of War " " - The Battle of Little Bighorn (25 June 1876) - The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BC) - The Battle of Yarmouk (15-20 August 636) - The Battle of the Horns of Hattin (3-4 July 1187) - The Battle of Trenton (26 December 1776) - The Battle of Grozny (31 December 1994-3 January 1995) - Levantine Non-State Conflict (1967-Present) Each of these battles is an example of extreme change, known as "aberration," in warfare. In conflicts of the future, the successful commander must be able to differentiate between "out of the ordinary" and "extraordinary." "Piercing the Fog of War "provides tools to accomplish this. Using the expression "think outside the box," this book is about seeing possibilities where others do not, putting aside one's preconceived notions about the enemy to develop a true empathy, which is perhaps the most important trait for military success. From the book: "There is no simple answer to overcoming aberration. Custer was no fool and no incompetent. He was considered by most of his peers as the best Indian-fighter of his time. He allowed arrogant presumptions to dominate his thinking, and, as a result, he made a series of mistaken decisions based on his assumptions. There are more Little Bighorns with more Indian villages, more Crazy Horses and Sitting Bulls waiting to crush some similarly arrogant commander who is unwilling to expand his box because the world fits so well in the box as it is." Contributor: Brian L. Steed