“This is a fascinating book most useful for the practitioner and student of war, with many ideas also applicable to other competitive activities such as business. Marvin Pokrant gives us multiple historical vignettes that illustrate the good and the bad of principles of war from around the world and make a compelling case for significant revisions. Highly recommended!”—Col. John A. Warden III, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), and president of Venturist, Inc.
“Marvin Pokrant has masterfully distilled historical and international writings about the conduct of war and uses many historical examples to develop his new principles of war. I believe they form an important resource for study by both the professional military and our national security leadership.”—Adm. Henry H. Mauz Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)
“The principles of war: prescription for battlefield success or dangerous mental straitjacket? Marvin Pokrant’s seminal exploration of the fundamentals of warfare that have been taught around the globe for generations is sure to engage and provoke. And in these dangerous times we need to rigorously challenge our preconceptions. This book does just that.”—Sean M. Maloney, PhD, professor of history at the Royal Military College
“As the U.S. military refocuses on great-power competition, it must update as necessary the hoary canons of the past. Marvin Pokrant takes on this task superbly in his comprehensive, timely, and highly readable reexamination of the principles of war.”—Capt. Peter M. Swartz, U.S. Navy (Ret.), senior CNA strategy analyst and former U.S. Navy maritime strategist and counterinsurgency advisor and instructor
“Pokrant makes an excellent case for a new set of principles of war. Everyone that deals in the world of war plans needs this in their reference library. Rich in historical examples to support his case.”—Adm. Stan Arthur, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
“An important book for all who seek to understand how to improve the odds of winning our nation’s wars. Marvin Pokrant develops his new, more useful principles of war through the effective application of history, treating history as data to test existing and proposed principles against. I have incorporated both his principles and his methods into my course on wargaming.”—Col. Matthew B. Caffrey Jr., U.S. Air Force (Ret.), author of On Wargaming: How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future
“All active-duty military officers should read this book. It would be perfect as a text at military war colleges. People dealing with strategic studies and national security will find this book valuable due to its suggestions of new principles to guide American military efforts. Readers of military history will find this work interesting because of the numerous historical examples.”—Phil E. DePoy, PhD, former president of the Center for Naval Analyses and founding director of the Wayne E. Meyer Institute for Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School
“Marvin Pokrant’s New Principles of War is an excellent examination of the development of the principles of war throughout history and how they have differed over time and among countries. . . . If you are a student of military thought, this work is a must-read and will be a welcome addition to your library.”—Michael A. Palmer, PhD, author of Command at Sea: Naval Command and Control since the Sixteenth Century
“Marvin Pokrant is a brilliant military analyst. New Principles of War is a must-read for any student of the art of war. In fact, Pokrant’s concise and straightforward approach will also benefit non-military business executives as they pursue the study of the art of business!”—Vice. Adm. Cutler Dawson, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and former CEO of the Navy Federal Credit Union
“New Principles of War is an example of the power that can result from combining the skills of military analysis with the skills—and tasks—more often associated with the military historian. Both communities will benefit from the insights the author derived from his research and deep thinking.”—Peter Perla, PhD, author of The Art of Wargaming
