The Second World War, 1939-45: A Strategical And Tactical History by J. F. C. Fuller (PDF)

Description

Fuller’s biographer, Bryan Holden Reid, has described The Second World War as “an analysis of the breakdown, as Fuller saw it, of the vital relationship between grand strategy and grand tactics–the end and the means…Too often books on the Second world War detail the movements of formations about the battlefield and give space to strategical commentary without assessing the manner in which the war was actually fought. On the tactical level, The Second World War can still be read with profit.” Fuller himself characterized the book, however, as “in part a least a psychological study of the folly of man.” Expertly combining detailed military history and analysis with Clausewitzian insights based on his own theories of warfare, Fuller produced a modern military masterpiece in The Second World War.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From the Back Cover Bryan Holden Reid, has described The Second World War as ‘an analysis of the breakdown’ as Fuller saw it, of the vital relationship between grand strategy and grand tactics–the end and the means… Too often books on the Second World War detail the movements of formations about the battlefield and give space to strategical commentary without assessing the manner in which the war was actually fought. About the Author Major General J.F.C. Fuller (1878-1966) was one of the most important and original military thinkers of this century. He served as lieutenant in the Boer War, organized the first British tank corps in World War I, and developed the strategy and tactics of tank warfare which were later put to such effective use by the Nazis for their World War II blitzkriegs. His many books include A Military History of the Western World (3 volumes), The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant, Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant, and The Generalship of Alexander the Great, all of which are available from Da Capo Press.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐JFC Fuller is one of the greatest military historians, so it should hardly be surprising that this strategic and tactical overview of the Second World War puts many more recent books on the subject in the shade.I would also recommend “Decisive Battles of the USA” (out of print, but well worth hunting down – not least for its section on the American Civil War), and “Military History of The Western World.”

⭐This is a tactical and strategic analysis of World War II, a purely military history without much in the way of human dimension. It makes some interesting arguments. Fuller believes air power is wasteful, immoral, and ineffective at deciding military conflict, and that the best use of it is in cargo transport rather than aerial bombing. He also believes that the Allies made a costly mistake in demanding unconditional surrender of both Germany and Japan, which ensured that the war would be ferociously fought to the finish when it could have been ended sooner with a negotiated peace. He makes some good points, but elsewhere he comes across as the pompous ass he obviously is. He clearly believes war is a game for gentlemen, and what he deplores most about World War II is that it was clearly not a gentleman’s war. He seems to believe that such wars occur when the little people are allowed to rise up instead of being kept in their proper place. Obviously a book from an older era.

⭐Great book at great price. I’ve enjoyed it more than I thought I would

⭐A masterful strategic and tactical history, with a powerful message at the end.

⭐J. F. C. Fuller, The Second World War 1939-1945 (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949). The prolific Fuller wrote one of the very first accounts of the war. By the author’s own admission, he passes over the war in China, insurgencies in Europe and a number of other topics in order to provide a quick, straightforward but quite perceptive single volume description of the war. There is much to argue about here – was Hitler’s biggest strategic blunder not seizing North Africa? But some insights are quite useful, as is his assertion that the Japanese relied on a 5-6 month turnaround time for ships coming from the U.S. to the far Pacific as strategic insulation, or “space as a shock absorber.” Fuller is very negative about the way the war ended saying, “The dropping of the two atomic bombs was a political blunder of unfathomable consequences” and argues that the draconian terms inflicted on Germany and Japan would only lead to a subsequent conflagration. This is something of a contrarian read, one which can be quite stimulating.

⭐If you want to study history from a military standpoint, you cannot beat J.F.C. Fuller. As he is fond of saying, “War is an extension of politics.” In all his books he begins his discussions by describing why the two sides are at war. What is each side trying to accomplish? He then narrows his focus to the particular battle in question. What is the relevance of this battle to the two antagonists and to the war he is discussing? He introduces the leaders of the two opposing forces, and discusses each sides strengths and weaknesses. He explains the plan each leader had going into the battle, and how the leader reacted to unexpected developments. And, of course, he describes the terrain, the effects of the terrain on each sides endeavors, and describes the battle. Unlike most historians, J.F.C. Fuller tells you why the winner won and why the loser lost. He doesn’t pull any punches. If somebody messed up, he lets you know. For example he appears to have no fondness for Winston Churchill even though General Fuller is British. And, finally, he describes why this battle is important in history. For example, he claims that if the Christians had lost the Battle of Lepanto, we would all be Muslims today. I have read five of General Fuller’s books, and I highly recommend him.

⭐The word “Jews” has just three appearances in this book, “Jewish” just one.On page 400 “… the Germans exterminated hundreds of thousands of Jews and locked up hundreds of thousands of people in concentration camps.”The other two appear along with “Jewish” on page 30, where Fuller quotes from Mein Kampf.

⭐This book is, as the title suggests, a Strategical and Tactical, not Political, history of the Second World War; and it accomplishes this task magnificently. Fuller analyzes both theaters of operations in terms of initiative and resources giving invaluable, and relatively unbiased, insights into successes and failures at all levels of warfare, then integrating the tactical, operational, and strategic levels, demonstating how they affected each other and how they lead to the ultimate results of the operations, campaigns, and war itself. No military studies or modern military history library is complete without this work, which contains analyses that are essential to an understanding of the Second World War from a military perspective.

⭐１９４２年のエル・アラメインの戦いを読んでみた。ほんの数ページだが、地形上の特徴から説き起こして、ロンメルの意図や、補給上の優劣を論じて、なるほどなるほどと、納得いった。

⭐

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