By Their Deeds Alone: America's Combat Commanders on the Art of War

• Lt. Col. Robert R. Leonhard, “Soldiers of Gideon: The Defense of the Golan, Oct. 1973”–how Israel bested a Syrian onslaught, typified by the effort of Lt. Zvi “Zwicka” Greengold, who convinced his adversaries they were up against a force of tanks, when he was armed with only one. From the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 to the Allied chase of German forces across France in 1944 to the crippling of the Russian Army by Chechen rebels in 1995, battlefield fights and fireworks throughout the century are recounted in brilliant detail, revealing all the action–and wisdom–they have to offer, in powerful prose by military professionals. “Leadership, not machines, not doctrine, not even logistics, is the supreme element in war.” These are the words of Lt. Col. Richard Hooker, editor of By Their Deeds Alone. They describe the lesson taught by this extraordinary collection, a gripping and inspiring anthology of battle histories written by brave men who’ve been there themselves. Here are dramatic retellings and relevant interpretations of campaigns recent and remote, famous and forgotten–designed to teach tactics to today’s military leaders as well as inform and entertain any history or military buff. Ten accomplished historians–at once combat commanders and acclaimed authors–transport you to the front lines of real battles in wars from around the world, including: • Col. John Antal, “A Most Daring Enterprise: The Conquest of Fortress Singapore”–in a cautionary tale for any country facing a “weaker” foe, the Imperial Japanese Army defeats a superior force of overconfident British–and conquers the supposedly impregnable fortress of Singapore • Col. James R. McDonough, “African Holocaust: The Rwandan Civil War”–in 1994, quiet and introverted master of infiltration Paul Kagame took the nation’s capital, Kigali, with his Rwandan Patriotic Front, defeating a foreign-funded government force. • Lt. Col. Robert R. Leonhard, “Soldiers of Gideon: The Defense of the Golan, Oct. 1973”–how Israel bested a Syrian onslaught, typified by the effort of Lt. Zvi “Zwicka” Greengold, who convinced his adversaries they were up against a force of tanks, when he was armed with only one. From the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 to the Allied chase of German forces across France in 1944 to the crippling of the Russian Army by Chechen rebels in 1995, battlefield fights and fireworks throughout the century are recounted in brilliant detail, revealing all the action–and wisdom–they have to offer, in powerful prose by military professionals.