Jay Luvaas – författare

Frederick the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia, initiated the Seven Years' War in 1756 outfought the formidable French, Russian, and Austrian armies aligned against him and established Prussia as a major power, thereby decisively influencing the next two centuries of European history. He was also a brilliant military thinker whose observations arose from extensive battlefield experience.This volume presents a balanced selection from Frederick's writings on strategy, tactics, and mobility the problems of logistics and a two-front war the combined use of infantry, cavalry, and artillery the history of the Prussian army the critical battles of the Seven Years' War generalship as an art and much more. A majority of this material is translated here for the first time in English and available nowhere else. The result is an invaluable glimpse into the inner thoughts of a military genius.

“This interesting account of the development of the machine gun takes the reader from the Gatling guns of the Civil War to the eve of WWI....This book provides an important look at the inability of military bureaucracy to rise above inertia and find a place for a demonstrably better weapon. It is highly recommended for all service schools and colleges with a large ROTC program; it will be a useful acquisition for all undergraduate libraries with a military history collection.”–Choice

“The letters of World War II Gen. Eichelberger to his wife delineate an intriguing picture of infighting at the high level of military command. He reveals more about Gen. Douglas MacArthur for one, than a searching biographer. The large-scale picture of a major army at war is superb.”–UPI

Unlike Sun-Tzu or Karl von Clausewitz, Napoleon never wrote a unified essay on his military philosophy. Yet as one of the world's greatest strategists and tacticians, his wisdom and genius can be found in his many and varied writings. Jay Luvaas has spent more than three decades pouring through the 32 volumes of Napoleon's correspondence, carefully translating and editing all of his writings on the art of war, and arranging them in seamless essays. The resulting book captures the brilliant commander's views on everything from the preparation of his forces to the organisation, planning and execution of his battles, all buttressing Napoleon's view that 'in war there is but one favourable moment; the great art is to seize it.' From the specifics of Napoleon's use of cavalry and unique reliance upon artillery to an all-encompassing vision of life from a man of supreme confidence and success, NAPOLEON ON THE ART OF WAR is the only straightforward explanation of Napoleon's campaigns and philosophy by the man himself.

This pioneering study focuses on the experiences and writings of the surprisingly large number of Prussian, British, and French military observers who witnessed the Civil War firsthand. Luvaas's fascinating account reveals why they came, what they wrote, what their armies learned (or failed to learn) from their reports, and how their writings influenced later European military theorists.For this edition, Luvaas has added a thoughtful introduction that analyzes why some "military lessons" are learned and others ignored and examines the extent to which such lessons can be applied to subsequent conflicts.

This guide to the US Civil War's Battle of Shiloh combines eyewitness accounts with details about the strategies that were employed. It also provides directions to key points on the battlefield and maps illustrating troop positions, elevations and tree lines as they were at the time of the battle.

Including the battle that claimed the life of ""Stonewall"" Jackson, this guide contains detail on warfare, from river crossings under fire and street fighting to trench warfare. Eyewitness accounts, directions to points of interest and maps help bring the battles to life.

Napoleon. The passage of time has not dimmed the power of his name. A century and a half after his death, Napoleon remains the greatest military genius of the modern world. Yet unlike Machiavelli, Clausewitz, or Sun Tzu, his name has not crowned any single literary work. The subject of thousands of biographies and treatises on warfare, he is the author of none. Until now. The great general and conqueror of Europe may not have written any books, but he was a prolific writer. Thousands of his missives to subordinates survive, and these documents reflect the broad range of a fearless and incisive mind. From them, military historian Jay Luvaas has wrought a seamless whole. Luvaas has spent decades culling, editing, and arranging Napoleon''s thoughts into coherent essays and arguments. In the remarkable result. Napoleon speaks without interruption in a work that will forever change the way we view him. Luvaas covers every subject Napoleon wrote about, from the need for preparation -- "Simply gathering men together does not produce real soldiers; drill, instruction, and skill is what makes real soldiers." -- to the essence of victory -- "To win is not enough: It is necessary to profit from success." On education, leadership, strategy and history, Napoleon speaks with an authority unique to those who have ruled a continent. In these pages lies the wisdom of a giant who knew life''s greatest achievements and its lowest lows: triumph and conquest, exile and disgrace. Whether you are a student of military strategy or a business professional eager to learn from the greatest manager of personnel that the world has ever known, Napoleon on the Art of War has something for you. From the specifies of Napoleon''s use of cavalry and unique reliance upon artillery to an all-encompassing vision of life from a man of supreme confidence and success, you''ll find it here. This is the only straightforward explanation of Napoleon''s campaigns and philosophy by the man himself.