Prussia gained ascendancy over Austria and thus dominion of Germany through the art of war by one of its ablest commanders, Moltke the Elder. With Austria defeated at the decisive battle of Koniggratz (1866), Prussia stood alone for the coveted leadership of Germany; therefore, when France declared war on Prussia (1870) to prevent German unification, ironically this afforded Prussia the opportunity to fulfill its destiny. Napoleon III intended to cut Prussia off from the southern German republics; however, Prussia called the other German republics to arms, not for defense, but for a joint attack against the French vanguard, in French territory. The French seriously underestimated Prussia's capacity to rapidly deploy its seemingly disparate forces into one cohesive whole. How did Prussia accomplish this epic task? At the strategic level Prussia was able to marshal all of its forces under one central command, but at the tactical level the subordinate commanders were permitted the greatest independence possible to take the initiative (Selbstatigkeit).

Moltke states that if one makes a mistake during the initial deployment, one cannot compensate for it later. As the forces evolve, the error propagates concentrically outward like a chain reaction, jeopardizing the outcome of the entire campaign. The French deployment during the Franco-Prussian war suffered from such deficiencies.

According to Moltke, during the decision phase the commander must champion only one perspective to the green table. Once he has arrived at a decision, although it may not be the best, his subordinates should execute it resolutely. The consistent execution of even a mediocre plan will more often lead to victory (in the long-run) than an inconsistent execution of a great plan; hence, Molke's maxim that 'strategy grows silent in the face of the need for a tactical victory'. Moltke states that only a layman believes that it is possible to foresee and predict causal events deterministically in war.

Moltke counsels commanders with one force just how vulnerable they are to envelopment when they maneuver their force between two opposing formations with 'interior lines' and 'central position'. This appears to be a trivial statement; however, one must realize that 'interior lines' was Napoleon's favorite attack maneuver, which he implemented so successfully against numerically superior but divided forces (See The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler). Napoleon I succeeded because he adroitly maneuvered his one force directly, halfway between the two opposing forces, which effectively neutralized his opponents from acting in concert and from supporting one another. Then he would march to attack one of the two, but the other opponent had to march twice as far (to support), hence, Napoleon I could concentrate on defeating the first opponent and then countermarch to defeat the second opponent that arrived too late, thus, his single force fought as well as two. During the Franco-Prussian war, Napoleon III intended to implement a similar maneuver to cut Prussia off from south Germany. First, he hoped to defeat Prussia, alone, which would entice Austria and Italy into forming a triumvirate with him. Then he hoped the triumvirate would attack the south German Confederation.

During the Franco-Prussian war, Prussia was victorious in battle, but as Moltke says, 'at what a cost'. It seems to me that Prussia's losses were rather high, primarily because of their reluctance to change plans and to break off any engagement once it began. Then the 'peoples army' arose like a phoenix in the midst of the vanquished French field armies, which made the consummation of Moltke's final victory elusive. He could not pursue all the remaining military targets; therefore, he just focused on one-Paris. He surrounded the French capital with the preponderance of his remaining forces (150,000) because it was the only strategic option left open to him.

The commander should position himself with his uncommitted reserves to ensure that they are committed where and when they may be of greatest service; he should not be at the front with units already committed. He should send reserves to those areas where the forward units are already nearly winning, thereby, overcoming these areas of resistance faster, with fewer losses by their timely intervention. Secondly, he should endeavor to bolster tenuous positions or those that are in danger of being lost.

The attack has the advantage of dictating the course of events to the defender who must conform to them. The advantages are greater morale and confidence gained through the knowledge of the time and place of the attack. The best method of attack is to envelope the opponent with two forces. First, one must attack the opponent frontally with one force to pin down as much of their main force as possible. Then the second force must attack the opponent's flank. Moltke believed that both the frontal and flank attacks should be performed simultaneously, however, if I were attacking the flank, I would wait until it has been sufficiently denuded, since the opponent will be drawing forces from it to counter the frontal attack (i.e., feint). The flank attack is usually the center of gravity (Schwerpunkt), but the frontal attack may be the center of gravity as well. There should be a reserve element to cover the force attacking the opponent's flank. An example of precisely this method took place during the battle of Koniginhof (Austria, 1866).

This book is a compendium of essays written by v. Moltke that covers many practical aspects of the art of war with historical examples. Many of these methods are just as valid today as they were in 1860. Moltke writes very lucidly with great candor, which is precisely what one would expect of a Prussian Officer.

Count Helmut von Moltke was perhaps the greatest military leader during the period between Napoleon and the First World War. Moltke shaped the way that the German Army looked at war up until 1945. What was important to Moltke was not a set of rules or principles, but rather a way of thinking. Initiative and control were stressed, "when in doubt advance toward the sound of the guns". . . While he had great respect for the Prussian philosopher of war, Carl von Clausewitz, whom he had limited contact with as a young staff officer, Moltke rejected several of Clausewitz's most important concepts, perhaps the most eventful being the place of the military in strategic decisions made during time of war. For Moltke the military should simply be allowed to fight the war to the finish at which time the political leadership would be allowed to negotiate the peace. Clausewitz saw war as the continuation of politics by other means, meaning that political decisions did not end with the commencement of hostilities but continued. The editor of this book mentions several similarities including one that upon closer study is in reality another break between the two outlooks. Referring to Book 6, Chapter 8 of On War, he mentions that Clausewitz wrote, "that all strategic planning rested on tactical success alone, because only tactical successes could produce a favorable outcome." Moltke obviously agreed since he thought, "strategy grows silent in the face of the need for a tactical victory." However if one actually reads that chapter in On War one comes away with a different impression since Clausewitz's view is far more nuanced than that of Moltke. Clausewitz had experienced terrible defeat and great hardship during the struggle against Napoleon, having served with the Russians during the fateful campaign of 1812. It was the experience of that campaign which showed Clausewitz the importance of a Fabian strategy (denying battle, allowing an enemy to exhaust himself through exertion). Thus Clausewitz writes, "One may admit that even where the decision has been bloodless, it was determined in the last analysis by engagements that did not take place, but had merely been offered. In that case, it will be argued, the strategic planning of these engagements, rather that the tactical decision should be considered the operative principle. . . That is why we think it is useful to emphasize that all strategic planning rests on tactical success alone, and that -whether the solution is arrived at in battle or not - this is in all cases the fundamental basis for the decision."

Moltke, during his most successful period, could only see the winning of offensive battles as assuring strategic success. For this reason he developed his strategic sequence which combined mobilization, transportation, deployment, movement and combat into one continuous chain of events. Widely deployed forces would converge at the proper moment and destroy the enemy in a complete or partial envelopment. This worked well in 1866 against the Austrians and in 1870 against the French. His system seemed to promise victory in any war. He had taken the gift of fire from Prometheus and changed its very nature, or so his followers thought. Moltke himself grew more cautious in his later years, suggesting that only a partial success could be achieved in a war against both France and Russia, a political solution would have to be found for the strategic dilemma instead. During the period up to and following the First World War, most German military thinkers followed Moltke's earlier views while giving lip service to Clausewitz. Moltke was the more modern man, the technician of war for the machine age, while Clausewitz was a philosopher, belonging to another time and mode of thinking, or so it seemed.

Professor Hughes' book provides translations of various examples of Moltke's writings. I found Moltke's views on the training and duties of General Staff officers particularly interesting. The editor includes excellent commentary on various German military terms and the ways that they have been translated into English in the past, some rather confusing.

In all I find this book well worth the money and would recommend it to those interested in German military history, 19th Century military history, and military strategy and tactics in general, particularly the evolution of military thought. What seems to be missing is an edition of the works of Sigismund von Schlichting, who as Hughes points out provides the key link between Moltke's theories and modern theory.

The book shows von Moltke to be a prophetic genius. One wonders whether the German generals who joined the French and British in ordering lemminglike frontal assualts during the First World War read his works... he predicted the effectiveness of modern firearms during the 1870s. He also projected the ineffectiveness (or worse) of the United Nations and League of Nations (see page 25). Principles of management include acceptance of responsibility by a single person (p. 26) and delegation to the frontline manager (p. 77). Moltke's advocacy of delegation belies the stereotype of the Prussian Army as mechanistic and rigid. The book contains some echoes of von Clausewitz' "On War," which von Moltke undoubtedly read. Page 22 gives the FULL context of Moltke's infamous statement, "Eternal peace is a dream, and not even a pleasant one." (He continues, "... who can deny that every war, even a victorious one, inflicts grevious wounds on all involved?") -William A. Levinson http://www.pic.net/~wlevinso "The Crisis Manager"

If you own a Mills slot machine you need this book. Detailed information on machine breakdown, lubrication and cleaning, theory of operation. It has gotten me past many otherwise hard to solve problems.

This book is a necessity for any serious collector of Mills bell machines. It is filled with reproductions of the original Mills sales literature, parts lists, price lists, pictures with parts callouts, etc. A treasure of information. See also Mills of the Thirties

I am a first gade teacher who is always looking for new approaches to teaching, especially topics that can be dry--sorry folks--like phonics. This book, "More Phonics Through Poetry," like the first book, "Phonics Through Poetry" affords me some great materials for shared reading which stress specific sounds (and also endings, contractions, and prefixes and suffixes) by repeating them in delightful poetry. The sounds in this book are more difficult than in the first and include consonant digraphs, blends, diphthongs, etc. While some of the poems were obviously written for this purpose, most of them can be applied to a theme as well as to a targeted sound. In addition to the two to three poems per sound, there are other ideas for uses for the poems, blackline masters for use with them, and the cross-references to help you use the poems with themes. This book will definitely help you "work smarter, not harder."

Only two books have astounded and disturbed me. One was a thin volume by Keynes, written just after WWI, which predicted Germany starting another war -- and giving facts and statistics which irrefutably demonstrated Keynes' argument. I was disturbed because the work had been largely ignored by those in a position to change conditions so that Germany need not start another war.

The second astounding and disturbing book is Brooks Adams' "The New Empire." Adams covers a lot of time (4000 b.c. - 1900 a.d.) and territory (Asia, Europe, America). He shows how shifting trade routes have caused great cities to rise, and to fall. He regards these cities as the seats of 'Empires.'

Adams -- younger brother of Henry Adams -- discusses these trade routes as connections among products, resources, and markets. When water traffic became less expensive than overland traffic, port cities became great centers. When the ocean routes began to be navigated, the center of 'Empire' shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic countries, especially Spain, Holland, France and England. Adams discusses various wars as inevitable forms of economic clashes. In early times, Adams discusses the importance of metals. As he moves into the modern era, he looks at coal as essential. I would love to have his thoughts about oil. But the reader can extrapolate easily enough. It's scary.

Lots and lots of good historical stories, including Gengis Khan, the Russo-Japanese rivalry, and the rise of the USA as the center of the 'New Empire." He points out that if we don't stay flexible and energetic, China could become the new center.

He discusses political administrative efficiency as a factor in determining the cost of transport and production.

Why did I never see this book in eight years of university English lit studies?

You'll love Adams' sweeping conclusions and generalities. Buy this book! Read it. It's a keeper.

It would hardly be proper for me to write a true review of "A Pious Bacchanal," but perhaps a few personal words will suffice. As editor and widow of the author, Daniel Orth Bell, Ph.D., I was involved with every aspect of the book's creation, from title page to index. Daniel, myself and our daughter Katie lived and breathed the wonderful drawings of Mr. Beardsley and Mr. Flaxman for over a decade. In fact, at the age of five, the works of these fascinating, if eccentric, British geniuses were probably as familiar to Katie as the characters of "Sesame Street". But though the manuscript itself was nearly done, the tragic death of my husband at the age of 41 left many details incomplete. As a tribute to Daniel's indomitable spirit, I vowed to finish what he could not, and with Katie's help, the book went to press at last. Never before linked by any art historian, Flaxman and Beardsley are compared with skill and empathy. The health problems and deep spiritual questions these artists faced are examined in depth, and Beardsley scholars in particular will derive a plethora of new insights from "A Pious Bacchanal". In every sense of the phrase, this book was a labor of love, and it is my fondest hope that readers across the world will give it the acclaim it truly deserves. Thank you!

The Coming of the Post Industrial Society; A Venture in Social Forecasting by Daniel Bell

Daniel Bell is a renowned sociologist and post-Marxist, his prophetic book was first published in 1976 and republished in 1999 accompanied with a new foreword by the author. Since 1976 many of the concepts, theories and phrases Bell pioneered have become naturalised, universal conventions, and thus Bell should, most definitely, be considered a futurist.

This definitive book explores the 'coming age' and evaluates how this new Post Industrial Society will alter the structure of society. As Bell openly concedes 'the sociologist is always tempted to play the prophet and if not the prophet the seer' (Chapter 1). He does, however, explain that the 'forecasting' he attempts is different from predicting. For, forecasting is only possible where there are 'regularities and recurrences of phenomenon (and these are rare). It is only possible where one can assume a high degree of rationality on the part of the man who influences events-agreement to follow the rules'. And it seems that Bell's sociological background has given him the required understanding.

The new foreword shows considerable contemplation of the books success. Bell explains how there has been an unprecedented increase in the use of the phrase 'post industrial society' but he is not complacent, rather he underlines the lack of 'specificity as to what is connotes'. He describes how the general usage of the phrase, which is often used in reference to the decline in manufacturing and industry, does not acknowledge the parallel changes in social structure, social organisation and the new classes that will be, and have been created, specifically the class of knowledge (this theme is further explored in chapter 3, entitled The New Class Structure of the Post Industrial Society).[ Bell adamantly argues that his vision of the Post Industrial Society does not see the old one displaced by the new, rather a synthesis emerges in which the new society will overlay the old one in profound ways, much as industrialisation continues to coexist within the agrarian sectors of our society.] Thus it seems that Bell does not merely use the new foreword to hail his work a success but to redress, the misunderstood, misinterpreted or inadequately adopted parts of his social forecast.

Bell explains how it is inadequate to define the new society primarily by the services but he does see the productive nature of them. While society naturally embraces the three distinctions of industry as primary, secondary and tertiary in the new foreword Bell makes further distinctions by suggesting 'quaternary' (covering trade and finance) and 'quinary' (health and education), these are the involved in the economics of information not goods or labour. And thus it seems that while Bell has pioneered he wants to pioneer further. He further states that the central and novel feature of the Post Industrial Society is the 'codification of theoretical knowledge and new relation of science to technology'. Major developments of the 20th century came from revolutions in physics and biology as opposed to the 'inspired and talented tinkerers' like Alexander Graham Bell. This suggests the increasing dependence on science as a means of technical and social change, and science is wholly dependent on knowledge and information.

Absolutely amazing book! Castells has done it again!

I really enjoyed reading Silver Bells because I love a good Christmas romance story and this was definitely a good Christmas romance story. Jillian was hoping to spend Christmas with her Fiance Harrison at her friends cabin, she arrived at the cabin first and while she was waiting for Harrison to arrive she is frightened when a man she does not know opens the door and walks in, his name is Matt and he claims the same friends promised him use of the cabin for Christmas and when they call the friends to verify their rights to use the cabin they realize that the friends goofed up but can't do anything about it as a big blizzard is on the way. The blizzard hits and Matt and Jillian are stranded together in the cabin for days, she at first talks about her fiance as though he is absolutlely perfect in every way but slowly begins to realize that she and Matt are attracted to each other and they fall in love, even if neither one of them realizes it at the time. When Jillian does get back to her apartment in the city you at first feel sorry for her fiance Harrison until he shows his true colors, that he is not perfect at all but a mean controlling bully who would be a complete dictator as a husband and too wrapped up in himself and his job to really care for Jillian the way she needs and then you root even more for Matt who you know would treat her right! I Highly recommend this book!

Silver Bells written by a romance book writer named Val Daniels was a pretty good Christmas romance book it was very charming and a pleasure to read, it is about a young lady named Jillian Kemp who has planned the perfect Christmas vacation with her fiance in a cabin in the woods after her friend Karen lends her the cabin but soon learns that even the best of plans can hit a snag because her friend Karen does not know that her husband Jim has promised use of the cabin to his friend Matt Carson so when Jillian gets to the cabin she is soon shocked when Matt who she has never met shows up at the cabin and they soon wind up getting snowed in and it's a good thing that her original plans fell apart because as it turns out her fiance isn't really such a nice guy. This is really a cute little romance book and I'm glad I read it.

An eighteenth century novel recounting the life and survival of a strong willed Moll Flanders, a woman who, abandoned as an infant, finds her way to self sufficiency, in a world then dominated by men. Through ingenius schemes she still some how always regains the illusion of imaginary high standing and good reputation throughout it all.

I found Moll Flanders to be resourceful and ingenious in her methods for securing her own survival. The book puts prostitution and premarital sex in a whole new perspective. As one can deduce from this book, life was not so simple for women in the 18th century, especially if they were abandon as children, or even if they husband died and left them without means to exist. Moll takes her position as a dependent woman and finds power in her mind to devise schemes which will allow her a secure lifestyle without compromising her self.

I found Moll to be a woman of character and repute, with self esteem, who made her own way in a world where women had no power, money or choices aside from their dependence upon men.

This is one of the most fun pieces of literature that I have ever read. It is fast paced, and doesn't get boring. She goes through numerous marriages, even more affairs, and dabbles in theft. She unknowingly becomes part of an incestuous relationship!

It should be noted that this book is action driven, although Moll Flanders still undergoes considerable character development. For example, when she begins her extremely successful career as a thief, she is doing it for survival reasons. But after a while, she is doing it for greed. It is interesting to see what causes her to change in various situations.

I highly recommend this book.

One of the all time best works in the annals of literature, this highly involving and rich comic novel has perhaps the best heroine of any classic book. What a great narrative style, if not altogether a good role model; still, you can hardly blame Moll for all the trouble she gets into. Defoe really gets into the mind of this memorable female protagonist, so deftly, you will sympathsize with her from the first page. A truly sublime work of art. Add it to your personal library today.

An interesting story of a remarkable woman with unusual strength and deep insight into faith, Christ and christian living. Thus defenately worth reading. Yet the book left me spiritually hungry; I would have wanted to hear more Ruth's own voice, get closer to her and her way of figuring things out. That would have also brought more warmth into the biography. A book called "Coffee and conversation with Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Tchividjian" fills that kind of needs better.

Ruth is a remarkable woman, with an interesting childhood, young adult and adult life story. She is a picture of a godly, submissive wife who is not a doormat....(something this world needs more examples of!) I recommend it, especially for young Christian women who are engaged or newly married.

A well written biography of one of the best examples of a Godly woman

This is a interesting book, but has a few major flaws that detract from the book as a whole. Among other things, the language is a problem. Bell disguises a few relatively simple ideas in superfluous and ambiguous language. I would sometimes read a paragraph and then translated it into simple English and would find that the idea behind all that tortured prose was actually quite simple. I have many other problems with this book, but they may just be a difference of opinion. Though, I would sometimes feel that Daniel Bell was just missing the point and his conclusions were consequently unrealistic. On the whole however, this is a very thought provoking book that attempts to trace the subterranean trends in modern society.

The first thing you realize when reading the Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism is that Daniel Bell is smarter than you. That's a good thing, because he interprets the classic philosophers (Marx, Aristotle, Weber) in the context of the 20th century, and reveals problems in society that I never quite realized. He's not quite as cogent as Aristotle, and I think he's only witty in person, and he uses a lot of big words that only confused me. Also, the essays seem rather disjointed, as they were not originally written as a single book. Regardless, I hail Bell for his insight.