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First edition, first impression of Fuller's controversial, but eventually influential, "big book on war"; this copy in the remainder binding of light blue cloth, the original was issued in gilt-lettered black cloth. Essentially a distillation of a course of lectures developed by Fuller, as chief instructor, for the Staff College, Camberley. Moving away from the idea that "character" was the most important component for successful generalship he "introduced. a study of psychology, philosophy, and the influence of technology on weapons and tactics - subjects which had been conspicuous by their absence previously. In Fuller's view there was an intimate connection between war and society, 'to understand war. you must understand peace: the psychology of the people. the nature of their institutions, their industry, commerce, politics and finance'" (Reid, pp. 82-3). Inevitably the book was viciously reviewed by the military establishment whose representatives Fuller took such pleasure in goading; in the Army Quarterly Brig.-Gen. J. E. Edmonds, the Great War official historian, waspishly observed that "the danger of such a book is that the young should take it seriously". Even Fuller himself came to see that the book was flawed, "like the curate's egg, [it] was only in parts good. I set out to do something which at the time I was not sufficiently equipped for mentally" he confessed to Jay Luvaas in 1963. But nonetheless the wide-ranging investigation of the interrelationship of war and social forces initiated by The Foundations. was the process that was to lead to Fuller's most far-sighted and enduring work: "For this reason it is difficult to dissent from Fuller's own observation [to Liddell Hart] in 1935:'You are right. The Foundations of the Science of War, in spite of its many faults, is the best book I have written'" (ibid., p. 106). Brian Holden Reid, J. F. C. Fuller: Military Thinker, 1987. Octavo. Numerous diagrams in the text. Original light blue remainder cloth, spine lettered in black, sides ruled in black. Recent ownership inscription of one M. S. G. Armstrong on front pastedown; some neat marginal pencillings. Small wormhole to lightly sunned spine, touch of foxing to edges of book block, but this remains a very good copy.
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