Description
Book SynopsisWhile 'winning' might be considered a fundamental part of the human objective, what constitutes winning and how one might achieve it remain somewhat abstract, in war as in any other human endeavour. 'Winning' militarily at the tactical level - in a firefight or a battle - has always been more quantifiable than at the strategic level. At the strategic level, success might be measured by means of three big ideas: ownership; intervention for effect; and fighting for ideas. The divergence between success at the tactical level and the political context of the war creates a challenge at the operational level when it relates to political and strategic matters.
The result of a research project carried out by the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research for the British Army, this book analyses the philosophical constituents of what may comprise ‘victory’ or ‘winning’ and then travels, chronologically, through a wide set of historical case studies, exploring those more philosophical components and weaving them into the factual discussion. Thus the factual relation and analysis is the vehicle for a deeper exploration of the concept of success or ‘winning’, rather than a narrative end in itself.
Trade ReviewAlthough much of the book’s focus is about winning in conventional wars, the insights about the components in measuring effectiveness in such warfare also apply to assessing effectiveness in counterterrorism. * Perspectives on Terrorism 05/07/2021 *
Comprising sixteen excellent and thought-provoking essays by eighteen noted military historians and former warriors, the book comprehensively examines the realities of war and the wide-ranging concepts of victory. At the same time, it offers a very good general history of warfare. * Baird Maritime 05/07/2021 *
…a salutary reminder that it is all too possible to win the war but lose the peace.
...an extremely rich book, containing a multitude of insights. * Militaire Spectator 02/08/2021 *
…extremely readable and jargon-free. […] very instructive collection. * RUSI Journal 05/07/2021 *
Table of ContentsIntroduction – Sir Hew Strachan 1 ‘Winning’ in Classical Antiquity and the Roman Conception of Victory – Ali Parchami 2 The European Concept of ‘Winning’ in the Middle Ages – John France 3 The Early Modern Period in Europe, 1500–1715 – David Parrott 4 From the Age of Reason to the European Nation State, 1750–1850 – Jonathan Riley 5 ‘Winning’ in World War I, 1914–1919 – Lothar Höbelt 6 ‘Winning’ in the World Wars. The British Conceptions of the War-Time Leaders Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, 1914–1945 – Rob Johnson 7 ‘Winning’ in the Cold War and the Nuclear Age, 1945–1990 – Jonathan Riley 8 Western Strategic Goals and ‘Winning’ in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 – Daniel Marston and Carter Malkasian 9 A Hollow Victory? Assad’s Regime and ‘Winning’ the Conflict in Syria since 2001 – Richard Kuno 10 The Impact of History, Politics and Religion: Three Contrasting Conceptions of ‘Winning’ in Iran since 1979 – Ali Parchami 11 The Chinese Concept of ‘Winning’ – Kerry Brown 12 A Decisive British Victory? The Confrontation with Indonesia, 1963–1966 – Christopher Tuck 13 The Ambiguity of Victory: The Spectrum of ‘Winning’ in African History – Richard Reid 14 The Provisional IRA and the Elusive Concept of ‘Winning’ since 1969 – Aaron Edwards 15 Russian Views of ‘Winning’: ‘Velikaya Pobeda’ ‘pobedonosnaya voina’ – Andrew Monaghan 16 ‘Winning the Peace’: The Peacebuilding Paradigm and its Implications for Peacekeepers in the 21st Century – Nicholas Rees Conclusion: So, What is ‘Winning’? Andrew Sharpe
