This book, first published in 1990, is a provocative collection of military quotations that captures the human essence of warfare. From the skirmishes beneath the walls of Troy to the dropping of the atomic bomb, nearly 3,500 quotations distil the experiences of generations of soldiers, depicting the preparation for and the waging of war. Read the words of field marshals and generals, kings and dictators, and follow them into battle – Alexander the Great at Issus, Wellington at Waterloo, Sitting Bull at Little Big Horn and Montgomery at El Alamein. Here too are the recorded details of life among the ranks as diverse as ammunition and uniform, sick parade and comradeship, discipline and ‘Dear John’ letters. A final section, ‘Last Post’, deals with the tragic aftermath of conflict.

The quotations in this unique dictionary cover all aspects of the military art─war, personalities, traditions and customs, weapons and equipment, as well as virtues and failings. It is a fascinating and comprehensive collection which includes over 5000 quotations and spans the past two thousand years. The words of Catherine the Great are here, along with those of Churchill, Shakespeare, Nimitz, Clausewitz, Kant, and John F. Kennedy. Napoleon I and Thomas Jefferson share a page with Robert E. lee and Alfred Thayer Mahan. The scope of the subject matter covered by the quotations is extensive. The table of rubrics runs between Action to Zeal with 365 pages in between. Aggression, Causes of War, Détente, Duty, Loyalty, Luck, Profanity, Recruits, Victory, Weapons, and Women are but a few of the headings. Quotations under each entry appear in chronological order. Transcending the barriers of the profession of arms, there is much here for the student, the teacher, the historian, the politician, the reference specialist, the public speaker, and the interested reader. The words of hundreds of the world's greatest philosophers, poets, admirals, generals, prophets, and politicians serve both to inspire and to remind us of Santayana's words: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

An authoritative compilation of military history quotes from 2000 BC to the present day. 'A massive compilation casting light not only upon the pain, suffering and sheer insanity of war, but also upon the unique comradeship and exhilaration of battle... this is a valuable addition to the literature of reference.' - The Spectator Peter Tsouras brings 4,000 years of military history to life through the words of more than 800 soldiers, commanders, military theorists and commentators on war. Quotes by diverse personalities – Napoleon, Machiavelli, Atatürk, 'Che' Guevara, Rommel, Julius Caesar, Wellington, Xenophon, Crazy Horse, Wallenstein, T.E. Lawrence, Saladin, Zhukov, Eisenhower and many more – sit side by side to build a comprehensive picture of war across the ages. Broken down into more then 480 categories, covering courage, danger, failure, leadership, luck, military intelligence, tactics, training, guerrilla warfare and victory, this definitive guide draws on the collected wisdom of those who have experienced war at every level. From the brutality and suffering of war, to the courage and camaraderie of soldiers, to the glory and exhilaration of battle, these quotes offer an insight into the turbulent history of warfare and the lives and deeds of great warriors.