Who did you like the most?

[ElectricEel]

Hey,
I think I heard of Macchiavelli once or twice, but not much. I look him up.

I haven't really read much about military strategy, but I did find Machiavelli's works very interesting to read. At least his Art of War should be available from Project Gutenberg, if you can't find a paper version.

[Warmaster Horus]

He wrote an Art of War? hmmm...

It's not on Gutenberg, at least.

Edit: actually, it is. Under "Machiavelli, volume 1".

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Intersting. I look it up :-).

[Snite]

Macchiavelli was a philosopher who never lead any army other than a citizen militia.

I would rather follow Rommel when he was a lt in WWI, or Ceasar in Gaul, or Fredrick the Great in Europe, or Hannibal across the Alps or Captain McKinnon into a terrorist stronghold(you dont know him).

But I would rather have
Peace, One Love,
Snite

[Subedei]

Sun Tzu all the way....

[spmetla]

Ol' Machi is best (in my opinion) for dealing with coworkers or soldiers that are in competition with you for promotion. As for tactics and such, I wouldn't trust him, not that I recall there being any tactics in The Prince. Reading Caesar's Gaulic War is in the same boat but certainly more applicable for military purposes.

I find Rommel the best to analyze for armoured warfare and light infantry. He really liked to always attack, find weak points and exploit them but a strong defense could and did defeat him. For defenses I like looking at Vauban's works, though he looks into 17th century fortresses there is some usable depth in it that can be applied to current warfare styles though.

Sun Tzu is nice reading but I never really apply stuff from his book, it all seems to common sense, perhaps that's why it's so good to read.

Still planning to read Guderian's memoirs, just haven't gotten around to it.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

Clausewitz's philosophy is great! e.g.:

Defined Military Power as:
- “one of the instruments with which political power is originally created and made permanent.”
- It “expresses and implements the power of the state in a variety of ways…”
- War is “the continuation of politics by other means.”

===

I wrote a term paper on him a few months ago. Great stuff, just GREAT.

[KrooK]

none of them
Sun Tzu is great but his book don't answer on some smart questions.
I like John Charles Chodkiewicz - Great Lithuanian Hetman, undefeated general of XVII century. One of the biggest general of that bloody era.

For 62 years of his life he keep winning. He died from plague during battle of Chocim when polish-cossack army defeated Ottoman army for first time from 150 years. His skills were admired even by his enemies.
Some of his most interesting victories.

1) White Stone - biały kamień; 2000 Poles crush 7000 Swedens
2) Kircholm - 3500 Poles cursh 12 Swedens
3)Defense of Riga
4) Chocim - 48000 Poles and Cossacks stop 120.000 Turks. Poles and Cossacks loose 14000 men, Turks 40.000

[Veho Nex]

i know there was a book written by Liang Zhuge that i read a while back called the advancements of war or what not but it seemed like he knew what he was doing.... though

My favorite strategist would have to be rommel

[DisruptorX]

i know there was a book written by Liang Zhuge that i read a while back called the advancements of war or what not but it seemed like he knew what he was doing.... though

My favorite strategist would have to be rommel

Zhuge Liang is practically a mythological figure in Asia, so he had to have done something right.

Still, the tactics he used, as well as all great Chinese leaders, were derived from Sun Tzu's work. Sun Tzu was the original gangsta.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Some of Sun Tzu's saying I can't explain well. But Most I can :-)

[Didz]

Sun Tzu, mainly because his principles are still being used both by the military and commerce today and are taught by many business schools.

I tend to see him more as a consultant than a hands on leader, he seems to have spent a lot of his time advising others on how to wage war and manage their states.

My favourite stories of Sun Tzu are those which describe how he impressed upon his often lethargic and disinterested patrons the basic lessons of war and statesmanship.

One of my favourites was the story of how he was set a test by the King of Wu, who challenged him to train 180 of his concubines as soldiers as proof of his methods. The girls did not take their training seriously enough and so Sun Tzu ordered their two leaders (the King of Wu's two favourites) executed to ensure that the rest were more diligent.

Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying: "Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your majesty's inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey."

[The Stranger]

my dad uses them when he's teaching management and organisation.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

[QUOTE=Didz]Sun Tzu, mainly because his principles are still being used both by the military and commerce today and are taught by many business schools.[QUOTE]

You know you're good when you're sayings are still being used centuries later. I'd call that a successful life!