Lawrence Freedman was Professor of War Studies at King's College London from 1982 to 2014 and Vice-Principal of the College from 2002 to 2013. He was the Official Historian of the Falklands Campaign and a member of the UK Inquiry into the Iraq War. He is the author of several books, including Strategy: A History (Oxford).
"Command is the history of our time, told through war. It's a
wonderful, idiosyncratic feat of storytelling as well as an
essential account of how the modern world's wars have been fought,
written by someone whose grasp of complex detail is as strong and
effective as the clarity of his style. I shall read it again and
again." -- John Simpson, The Guardian"In this historical and
geographical tour de force, Freedman cogently examines the
interplay of politics and command-the balance of decision-making by
civilian leaders and their military counterparts. . . . Freedman's
book is a must-read, and even more so today, as it sheds light on
the dynamics of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which challenges the
very core of the postwar international order." -- Monica Duffy
Toft, Foreign Affairs"Freedman offers excellent concise summaries
of some of the world's main clashes since 1950." -- Max Hastings,
Sunday Times"Sir Lawrence Freedman, Britain's most distinguished
scholar of war, surveys 15 different
battles and campaigns . . . The lesson is that good command looks
both ways, sensitive to the politics raging above while remaining
in touch with the war being fought below. -- Economist"Lawrence
Freedman is one of our most distinguished military historians . . .
this should be
the standard text in staff colleges around the world, and for
military-history studies." -- Daily Telegraph"It is incredibly
insightful, occasionally moving and profoundly wise." -- Andrew
Roberts,
Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year"One of the revelations
of Freedman's detailed and well-informed book is how difficult the
management of conflict has become . . . [an] invaluable panorama of
the challenges of modern command." -- Richard Overy, Literary
Review"Command is arguably his finest book--fluently written and
convincingly argued--into
which he distils a lifetime of study into the nature and practice
of war." -- The Times"Comfortably the book of the year. It is a
reminder of the human factor as a central component of the
so-called correlations of forces in war." -- John Bew, New
Statesman Books of the Year"Freedman's mastery of the subject of
civil and military leadership in time of war is
peerless . . . a fascinating study of the psychological and
political characteristics
that determine success or failure in leadership in war." -- The
Irish Times"Any student of military history will find this an
invaluable book on the challenges of higher command and grand
strategy. It is another masterful work by one of the best
practitioners of strategic thought today." -- Jerry Lenaburg,
Project Manager and Senior Military Analyst, New York Journal of
Books"I recommend Freedman's Command because of its valuable
exploration of the influence of politics and personality. All
higher command courses should embrace this book for its central
theme on the confluence of politics and personal character and
their impact on operational decisions. The book is also invaluable
for recognizing that command evolves with the changing character of
war." -- Dr. Frank G. Hoffman, Parameters
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