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Reviewer Comment:
While the book is titled Cannae it is not about that famous victory of
Hannibal over 2 Roman legions. It is about Attrition Warfare. The title is
discussed in a brief first chapter as the primier example of the achievement of
Attrition Warfare. The following chapters are about Frederick and Napoleon; The
campaign of 1866 during the Austro-Prussian War; and The campaign of 1870-1871
in the Franco-Prussian War. General von Schlieffen is studying modern warfare
in terms of the possibility to acomplish Attrition Warfare in modern military
conditions. His study is a contribution to widespread discussion, some
vigorous, about this controversial form of warfare. Several editions of the
book, including one that is an atlas of the maps, are available from various
used book dealers and Amazon, but they are rather expensive. There are also
copies of books or articles of the commentary and discussion. I was given my
Xerox edition by the Art of War Colloquium at the Army War College. It is an
interestng read. If I had some funds, I would buy the map atlas. Study of
campaigns and battles really does demand study of the relevant maps.
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