Why read Studies in Generalship?

Book cover of Studies in Generalship: Lessons from the Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces

Book description

The commander, or chief of staff, of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is a prominent public figure in Israel. His decisions, advice, and persona exert direct influence on force design and military strategy, and indirectly impact social, economic, and foreign affairs. This first-ever in-depth comparative study on the role and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Studies in Generalship as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Yakov Ben-Haim

Author

War is the realm of uncertainty. Clausewitz sums this up by referring to the "fog of war".

Military commanders must confront this uncertainty, making far-reaching decisions when the fog of war obscures their understanding of the situation and the implications of their actions.

The book contains concise professional and historical biographies of 6 generals of the IDF, serving from early 1973 (prior to the Yom Kippur War) to 2013. The studies focus on decisions made – or not made – by these generals, the uncertainties that they confronted, and the military, political and social constraints they faced.

An interesting aspect…

From Yakov's list on The best books on making decisions when you don’t know what’s going on.