Seeds of Victory (Hardcover)

James Ellman

ISBN 10: 0811776778 / ISBN 13: 9780811776776

Published by Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, 2025

About this Item

Hardcover. Like all armed forces, the United States militaryoften celebrated for its victorieshas been defeated on the battlefield throughout its long history. Unlike some others, the United States has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from defeat: to learn from the loss, recover, and turn it into victory. In this book James Ellman, who has established a reputation for his reconsiderations of military history, takes a close look at nine such pivot points on the ground, in the air, and at sea, from the American Revolution through the Korean War:Long Island (1776) to Saratoga (1777)Charleston (1780) to Cowpens and Guilford Court House (1781)Invasion of Canada (1812) to Battle of Lake Erie (1813)First Bull Run (1861) to Antietam (1862)Pearl Harbor (1941) to Midway (1942)Luzon (1942) to Buna-Gona (1943)Kasserine Pass (1943) to El Guettar (1943)Schweinfurt/Ploesti (1943) to Big Week (1944)Chongchon (1950) to Operation Ripper (1951)In brisk narratives, Ellman describes each battle, explaining how it was fought and lost, and then shifts gears to detail how leadersmilitary as well as civiliansuch as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Patton assessed the factors that led to defeat, made changes to training, tactics, and strategy, and entered the next battle wiser and better prepared. Ellman finally recounts the subsequent battle, focusing on how it was shaped by what came before and how the victory was gained. As this book makes clear, the history of the United States at war is, to a surprising degree, the story of tenacity in the wake of defeat, of flexibility and adaptability on the path to victory. This is essential reading for understanding how battles are lost and won. Through discussion of historical battles and leaders, James Ellman describes how the history of the United States at war, from the American Revolution through Korea, is the story of tenacity in the wake of defeat, of flexibility and adaptability on the path to victory. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780811776776

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Seeds of Victory (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0811776778
• ISBN 13: 9780811776776
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

How pivotal American defeats fueled crucial victories through resilience and strategic adaptation, shaping the nation's path from loss to triumph in warfare
Like all armed forces, the United States military—often celebrated for its victories—has been defeated on the battlefield throughout its long history. Unlike some others, the United States has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from defeat: to learn from the loss, recover, and turn it into victory. In this book James Ellman, who has established a reputation for his reconsiderations of military history, takes a close look at eight such pivot points on the ground, in the air, and at sea, from the American Revolution through the Korean War:
 

• Long Island (1776) to Trenton and Princeton (1777)
• Charleston (1780) to Cowpens and Guilford Court House (1781)
• Invasion of Canada (1812) to Battles of Lake Erie and the Thames(1813)
• First Bull Run (1861) to Antietam (1862)
• Pearl Harbor (1941) to Midway (1942)
• Luzon (1942) to Buna-Gona (1943)
• Schweinfurt (1943) to the "Big B" (1944)
• Chongchon River (1950) to Operation Ripper (1951)

In brisk narratives, Ellman describes each battle, explaining how it was fought and lost, and then shifts gears to detail how leaders—military as well as civilian—such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Chester Nimitz, Douglas MacArthur, James Doolittle, and Matthew Ridgway assessed the factors that led to defeat, and made changes to training, tactics, and strategy, so that American forces entered the next battle wiser and able to win. Ellman then uses this framework to evaluate the wars waged in more recent decades in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Surprisingly, despite the accepted consensus that these conflicts resulted in painful defeats, the American military repeatedly showed its historic ability to react and recover, and if not achieve victory, at least stabilize the situation on the battlefield. While US forces eventually pulled out of these three conflicts, the overarching Cold War and War on Terror were still concluded in America's favor. As this book makes clear, the history of the United States at war is, to a surprising degree, the story of tenacity in the wake of defeat, of flexibility and adaptability on the path to victory. This is essential reading for understanding how battles are lost and won.

About the Author

James Ellman holds a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Tufts University and an MBA from Harvard. He has also written Hitler’s Great Gamble: A New Look at German Strategy, Operation Barbarossa, and the Axis Defeat in World War II (Stackpole, 2019) and MacArthur Reconsidered: General Douglas MacArthur as a Wartime Commander (Stackpole, 2023). He lives in California.