The Savior Generals: How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost–from Ancient Greece to Iraq

Contact Your Elected Officials

In the video above, Hoover fellow and author Victor Davis Hanson discusses his book The Savior Generals: How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost–from Ancient Greece to Iraq. Hanson notes that savior generals are eccentrics, iconoclasts, and visionaries who see things others do not. A great general peels the veneer of invulnerability from a winning enemy, convincing his own men that victory is entirely within their purview.

The Savior Generals: How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost–from Ancient Greece to Iraq offers Stirring portraits of five commanders whose dynamic leadership changed the course of war and history by prominent military historian Victor Davis Hanson.

“Victor Davis Hanson has written another outstanding and eye-opening book”–The Washington Examiner

Prominent military historian Victor Davis Hanson explores the nature of leadership with his usual depth and vivid prose in The Savior Generals, a set of brilliantly executed pocket biographies of five generals (Themistocles, Belisarius, William Tecumseh Sherman, Matthew Ridgway, and David Petraeus) who single-handedly saved their nations from defeat in war. War is rarely a predictable enterprise-it is a mess of luck, chance, and incalculable variables. Today’s sure winner can easily become tomorrow’s doomed loser. Sudden, sharp changes in fortune can reverse the course of war.

These intractable circumstances are sometimes mastered by leaders of genius-asked at the eleventh hour to save a hopeless conflict, one created by others and frequently unpopular politically and with the public. The savior generals often come from outside the established power structure, employ radical strategies, and flame out quickly. Their careers regularly end in controversy. But their dramatic feats of leadership are vital slices of history-not merely as stirring military narrative, but as lessons on the dynamic nature of consensus, leadership, and destiny.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An instructive series of portraits of five military outsiders called in to turn defeat into victory.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“It is not really news that Victor Davis Hanson has written another outstanding and eye-opening book. He has done that before and repeatedly, on a variety of subjects.” ―The Washington Examiner

“Students of military leadership will be intrigued by Hanson’s astute set of cases.” ―Booklist

“Mr. Hanson’s fluency with a broad range of historical epochs, which has made him one of his generation’s most notable historians, is on full display in The Savior Generals.” ―Wall Street Journal, Mark Moyar

About the Author

Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, a professor of Classics Emeritus at California State University, Fresno, and a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services. His many books include the acclaimed The Father of Us AllA War Like No OtherThe Western Way of WarCarnage and Culture, and Ripples of Battle.

Book Knowledge
Book Knowledgehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/previews/books-magazines/
Book Knowledge shares books, magazines and other sources that help us grow in our knowledge of conservatism and help us make a difference in our country.

If Federal Food Assistance Programs End, Theft Begins

Many patriotic Americans well versed in American History have...

Tucker EN FUEGO: Taking Stock of MAGA, Ten Years on

Draining of the Swamp has yet to come anything close to fruition, as the creatures that populate said Swamp yet cling bitterly to power.

Tylenol’s Headache

When President Trump, RFK Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz called for pregnant women to avoid using acetaminophen, Tylenol got the headache.

American Restaurants Are Going Broke

U.S. restaurant bankruptcies surged to 22% in 2020 amid COVID-19 and stayed elevated at 14% last year due to Biden’s “Build Back Better” policy.

A Few Fun Alternatives to the”Gory Stuff” at Halloween

Halloween has gone off the rails with gore through the decades.  But there are ways to enjoy the "scary stuff" without giving into darker, pagan alliances.  

Emergency Funds Can’t Be Used to Keep Food Stamps Flowing: USDA

Emergency funds held by the USDA cannot be used to keep the food stamp program going if members of Congress don’t reach a funding agreement.

Democratic Unity Frays as Shutdown Drags On

A handful of legislators have crossed the aisle on reopening and worker-pay bills, testing Democratic party unity in week four of the shutdown

Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden-Era HHS Transgender Care Rule

A federal judge struck down a Biden-era rule extending federal health care anti-discrimination protections to individuals seeking transgender-related treatment.

US Sending Carrier Strike Group to Latin America, Pentagon Says

The Pentagon on Friday announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier to Latin America to target drug trafficking organizations.

Donor Gives $130 Million to Cover Shortfall in Troop Pay During Shutdown

Trump announced on Oct. 23 that an anonymous donor sent $130M to cover military pay during the ongoing government shutdown.

‘Frustration’ With Canada Led to Trump Scrapping Talks, Not Just Ontario’s Ad: US Official

President Trump cited Ontario’s TV ad as the reason for halting Canada trade talks, but officials say it stems from rising U.S. frustration with Ottawa.

Ontario to Pause Anti-Tariff Ad After Trump Terminates Trade Talks With Canada

Ontario pauses its TV ad campaign after Premier Doug Ford’s talk with PM Mark Carney, following backlash that halted U.S.-Canada trade talks.

Trump Terminates Trade Negotiations With Canada Over Anti-Tariffs Ad Featuring Reagan

President Trump is terminating all trade negotiations with Canada over a TV ad campaign sponsored by the provincial govt. of Ontario opposing U.S. tariffs.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central