Logistics: The Key To Victory

Logistics is an essential aspect of warfare and this is an original and much-needed contribution. All commanders know that an army (or navy) cannot operate without supplies yet most aspects of war studies emphasise strategy, tactics, weaponry and command. This book fills a gap in war studies with logistics as a huge subject at the centre of all conflict, globally and historically. The focus is on key conflicts, developments and concepts, illustrating the vital role of logistics with technologies changing but underlying issues remaining constant. Here is a world history of logistics - a veritable compendium - but within a detailed and comprehensive but concise text. Factors affecting logistics include, for example, climate, geography, food supplies, welfare of troops, payment, transport, communications, terrain and distance, but also government policy, stability and financial conditions. All are considered, including theoretical and practical factors of supply, from classical, ancient, early and medieval times, to modern eras of industrial warfare, especially with oil and steam, and scientific and technical advances - even cyber warfare and 'smart' weapons. AUTHOR: Jeremy Black has been described as 'the most prolific historical scholar of our age'. He has researched and written widely on British history, politics, including political ideas, and international relations, from the 17th and 18th century to the present, and especially on military history. He obtained a starred First in History at Queens College, Cambridge followed by postgraduate work at St John's and Merton Colleges, Oxford and was Professor of History at the Universities of Durham and then Exeter, and is now Emeritus Professor of History at Exeter University. He is senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia and at the British Foreign Policy Group. He is a ?non resident senior fellow in the national security program. He has lectured extensively in various British Commonwealth countries, Europe and the USA. He has served as editor of Archives, Council member of prestigious academic and research bodies including the Royal Historical Society, the British Record Society, and the List and Index Society, and on the editorial boards of journals including History Today, RUSI Journal, International Review of Military History and Media History. He has numerous honours including the MBE. From 2024 Jeremy has been Distinguished Fellow in the Center for Military History and Strategy at Hillsdale College.