On War
by Carl von Clausewitz
The unfinished masterwork: war as the continuation of politics, friction, the fog of war, the centre of gravity, the culminating point of victory, the trinity of passion, chance and reason. Difficult and inexhaustible; read Book One at minimum.
Read it if…
you want the deepest theory of strategy ever written.
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Skip it if…
you want a quick read; Book One alone is dense.
Try instead: Strategy: The Indirect Approach →
Three things you will actually use
- Everything in war is simple; the simplest thing is difficult.
- Find the centre of gravity.
- Know the culminating point.
Do this first
Read Book One, chapters one and seven (on friction).
Our verdict
Friction, fog, centre of gravity.
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