The Wrath of Achilles Essays on Command in Battle

Battle command, particularly of higher formations, is extraordinarily complex, like brain surgery under fire. In all of history, only a relative few have mastered it. Others have been skilled practitioners, though they may have lacked the spark of genius - what Napoleon called "coup d'oeil" - that marks the great captains. Only the chosen few will succeed. But they will make history. This anthology was inspired by its authors and the Soldiers and Marines they lead. They have succeeded brilliantly in translating the reality of combat to a rising generation of combat leaders. Many were moved to delve deeply into military history as the wellspring of their profession, even as they fought America's wars and half-wars and rose to command themselves. Their experiences and reflections appear in this volume, a collection of battle studies that focus on leadership success, and failure, in the great campaigns of the last 150 years. From brigade- to army-group level, these lessons in battle command speak across the decades to the key questions of success in war. The authors are soldier-scholars of the first rank, some of whom are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan today and will rise to lead our military in tomorrow's battles and campaigns. Today, in Afghanistan and Iraq, America is re-learning a central lesson: in the end, wars are fought and won on the ground, in the mud, not by superior machines but by tough Soldiers and Marines enabled by superior battle command. That is not likely to change. America's military must always have a ready answer to the question "can you fight?" If this volume spurs any young commander to pick up his Homer and read about war, the labors of its authors will be amply rewarded.