Maverick Military Leaders: The Extraordinary Battles of Washington, Nelson, Patton, Rommel, and Others Book

From the high seas at Trafalgar to the dusty battle fields of Sinai, the course of history has been changed by military mavericks who lead from the front. In the current age of backroom generals who command from far behind the front lines, it is often forgotten that wars have been won or lost by the personality and leadership of a maverick commander. Here for the first time together are the stories of the military careers of Ariel Sharon, Simon Bolivar, Robert E. Lee, Henri Gouraud, Douglas MacArthur, Horatio Nelson, Georgy Zhukov, William Slim, and many more. In sixteen riveting portraits, bestselling historian Robert Harvey (The War of Wars) explores how these lone leaders came to power, and how their unique leadership styles affected the extraordinary events of Stalingrad, Chancellorsville, Austerlitz, Messina, Junín, Yorktown, Inchon, Plassey, Imphal, Sinai, and Salamanca, among others. Explore Napoleon's reputation as an aggressive tactician, Bolivar's talent for flamboyant improvisation, and George Washington's careful and calculated patience. Discover the history behind the nicknames of "Old Blood and Guts" (Patton) and "the Desert Fox" (Rommel). Maverick Military Leaders is a definitive, one-volume account of some of history's most important and surprising battles and the commanders who won the field.

Publishers Weekly

Author of the excellent A Few Bloody Noses: The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution, British historian Harvey turns his attention to military leadership with modestly successful results. After listing a great commander's qualities, Harvey delivers laudatory biographies of 12 who fought from the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries. Americans will enjoy reading of less familiar 18th-century British commanders such as Robert Clive, who triumphed against immense opposing forces to conquer huge areas of India. Thomas Cochrane won dazzling naval victories during the Napoleonic Wars and became a national hero, but offended Admiralty officials, who refused him promotions. Later chapters make for lively reading, but the author stretches too hard to portray his subjects as mavericks. Washington, Nelson, Wellington, Grant and Rommel were establishment figures in good standing, and Patton's superiors appreciated him despite his quirks. Montgomery and MacArthur made plenty of enemies, but most military experts conclude that their inflated egos had little to do with their talents, which in professional eyes (although not those of worshipful civilians) were overrated. Maps. (Jan.)