War by numbers : understanding conventional combat / Christopher A. Lawrence.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lawrence, Christopher A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Warfare, Conventional--History.

Warfare, Conventional.

Combat--History.

Combat.

Warfare, Conventional--Philosophy.

Military art and science--History.

Military art and science.

History.

Philosophy.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

x, 374 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Lincoln : Potomac Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press, [2017]

Summary:

"A study of the basic nature of conventional warfare based on extensive analysis of historical combat to indicate the impact that various factors have on warfare"--Provided by publisher.

"War by Numbers assesses the nature of conventional warfare through the analysis of historical combat. Christopher A. Lawrence establishes what we know about conventional combat and why we know it. By demonstrating the impact a variety of factors have on combat he moves such analysis beyond the work of Carl von Clausewitz and into modern data and interpretation. Using vast data sets, Lawrence examines force ratios, the human factor in case studies from World War II and beyond, the combat value of superior situational awareness, and the effects of dispersion, among other elements. Lawrence challenges existing interpretations of conventional warfare and shows how such combat should be conducted in the future, simultaneously broadening our understanding of what it means to fight wars by the numbers"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1. Understanding War

2. Force Ratios

3. Attacker versus Defender

4. Human Factors

5. Measuring Human Factors in Combat : Italy, 1943-1944

6. Measuring Human Factors in Combat : Ardennes and Kursk, July 1943

7. Measuring Human Factors in Combat : Modern Wars

8. Outcome of Battles

9. Exchange Ratios

10. The Combat Value of Superior Situational Awareness

11. The Combat Value of Surprise

12. The Nature of Lower Levels of Combat

13. The Effects of Dispersion on Combat

14. Advance Rates

15. Casualties

16. Urban Legends

17. The Use of Case Studies

18. Modeling Warfare

19. Validation of the TNDM

20. Conclusions

Appendix 1: Dupuy's Timeless Verities of Combat

Appendix 2: Dupuy's Combat Advance Rate Verities

Appendix 3: Dupuy's Combat Attrition Verities.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-374).

Other Format:

Online version: Lawrence, Christopher A. War by numbers.

ISBN:

9781612348865

1612348866

OCLC:

982839662