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Outnumbered: Incredible Stories of History's Most Surprising Battlefield Upsets, by Cormac O'Brien
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Outnumbered but not Outmatched.�How did Hannibal’s 55,000 Carthaginians turn the tables on an 80,000-strong force of the ancient world’s most efficient military machine, the Roman army? What allowed 6,000 Englishmen to overcome 30,000 French at Agincourt in 1415? Which errors in judgment doomed a Russian army twice as large as its opposing German force at the Battle of Tannenberg during World War I?Author Cormac O’Brien’s powerful and vivid recreations of history’s most surprising military victories illuminate the cunning strategies, secret weapons, fateful decisions, and changes of fortune that turned the tide of battle in the most extraordinary and unanticipated ways: the risky Greek ruse that trapped the Persian Fleet at Salamis in 480 BCE; the snowstorm that helped a Swedish force destroy a Russian army four times its size at the Battle of Narva in 1700; the newly introduced firearm that enabled 150 British soldiers to hold off an attacking horde of 4,000 Zulus at Rorke’s Drift, Africa, in 1879.Even a commander as fearless, self-assured, and battle-hardened as Alexander the Great, leading 40,000 Macedonian troops, must have quailed at the sight that met him as he neared the village of Issus, Asia Minor, in 333 BCE: an unexpectedly and unimaginably vast Persian force of some 100,000 men, spanning the Mediterranean coastal plain as far as the eye could see. For warfare had already demonstrated, and has confirmed ever since, that numerical superiority consistently carries the day. And yet, every once in a while, such lopsided engagements have had an unexpected outcome, and proved to be a crucible in which great leaders, and history, are forged.�Outnumbered chronicles fourteen momentous occasions on which a smaller, ostensibly weaker force prevailed in an epochal confrontation. Thus, Alexander, undaunted, devised a brilliant and daring plan that disoriented and destroyed the Persian force and, consequently, its empire. Likewise, during the U.S. Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, despite being outpositioned and outnumbered more than two to one by Union forces at Chancellorsville, Virginia, hatched an audacious and surprise strategy that caught his enemy completely unawares. Other equally unexpected, era-defining victories are shown to have derived from the devastating deployment of unusual weaponry, sheer good fortune, or even the gullibility of an enemy, as when Yamashita Tomoyuki, commander of 35,000 ill-supplied Japanese troops, convinced the 85,000-strong British Commonwealth army to surrender Singapore in 1942.�Together these accounts constitute an enthralling survey that captures the excitement and terrors of battle, while highlighting the unpredictable nature of warfare and the courage and ingenuity of inspired, and inspiring, military leaders. A thrilling tour of the battlefields of history, replete with dramatic encounters, sudden twists of fate, and intriguing character studies, Outnumbered demonstrates that, even when the odds seem insurmountable, the path to glory can still be found.
- Sales Rank: #443433 in eBooks
- Published on: 2010-05-01
- Released on: 2010-05-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review
“Nowhere is leadership in all its dimensions—knowledge, craft, audacity, the ability to organize, and the capacity to inspire—more thoroughly tested than it is in combat, and in no combat is leadership put to a more extreme test than in an uneven battle, a blood contest in which one side substantially outnumbers the other. Cormac O’Brien identifies, narrates, and explores some of history’s most revelatory lopsided clashes of arms and, each time, leaves the reader with something more than a damn good story. From each encounter, we come away with a hard-won—or hard-lost—lesson in courage, will, and the application of doctrine, tactics, and strategy. We take with us a lesson in leadership against all odds.” —Alan Axelrod, author of Little-Known Wars of Great and Lasting Impact and Patton’s Drive
“There are few more powerful and inspiring stories in military history than those of small groups of soldiers facing daunting odds and triumphing in spite of them, which is why names like Salamis, Alesia, Agincourt, and Chancellorsville have been justly celebrated. Cormac O'Brien's new book Outnumbered is a white-knuckling ode to desperate battles and the men who fought them. O'Brien is a bravura writer for a bravura subject. He gives us strategy from generals and battlefield detail from blood-spattered foot soldiers. Want to know what it was like to encircled by the cream of the Roman foot and cavalry at Cannae? To�be 150 holding off thousands at Rorke's Drift?�And, most astoundingly, to triumph? Read Outnumbered.” —Joseph Cummins, author of The War Chronicles and The World’s Bloodiest History
“O’Brien has taken an interesting look at an old question: how does a force that's outnumbered or outgunned prevail? He looks at each battle from top to bottom: political situation, military situation, and how each force was armed, equipped, and trained. By investigating not just the generals but�often overlooked factors�like the influence of terrain and weather, he shows that it's not just fighting spirit or exceptional command skills but dogged determination that sometimes wins the day. A good look at both well-known�and also less-famous battles, as well as the nature of warfare from ancient times to World War II.” —Paul K. Davis, author of 100 Decisive Battles
People love to root for the underdogs. With that in mind, O'Brien (Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents: What Your Teachers Never Told You About the Men of the White House) here recounts tales of battles in which the smaller forces not only survived but even pulled off dramatic victories. The 14 battles discussed, arranged chronologically, cover four continents and date from anywhere between 480 B.C.E. and 1942. The snapshots of each battle, all clear and concise, demonstrate the more intriguing aspects of each engagement. Large color illustrations and maps are frequent, helping to make this a beautifully presented book. Although the bibliography is brief, the titles referenced generally represent recent scholarship. There are similar titles about decisive battles and interesting campaigns, but none quite like this. Only the absence of an overall conclusion detracts from this otherwise entertaining work. VERDICT: Accessible writing and an attractive presentation make this an appealing choice for many military history enthusiasts. - Library Journal, May 15, 2010
Fighting outnumbered and winning has been part of American military doctrine since the Cold War when we realized that we could never match the numbers that the Soviet military could put in the field. Our military philosophy became one of stressing quality over quantity. In training programs such as the Navy's "Top Gun" combat air maneuvering course and the Army's National Training Center, we emphasized superb individual and unit combat skills. In our professional military schools, our officers learned how the great masters beat numerically superior foes.
In Outnumbered, Cormac O'Brien makes an effort at a reexamination of how some of the military greats overcame all odds to win. The result is a beautifully illustrated and entertainingly written coffee table book...It is an entertaining read and holds some superb insights. It is popular history at its best; perhaps some of the chapters will find their way to the History or the Military television channels. - Washington Times, June 9, 2010 (circ.: 67,148, vpm: 4.5 million)
About the Author
Cormac O’Brien is the author of The Forgotten History of America and Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents, among other books. He has been a featured speaker at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and a regular guest on National Public Radio. He lives in New Jersey.
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Interesting but hard to follow
By rsoroc
This book has many great stories about military upsets through the ages. The stories were well written but there is one overriding problem- the maps. In most military histories about specific battles there is a standard format for maps through out the book that shows how the action took place. In this book there is a hodgepodge of third party sourced maps that don't even have some of the places mentioned in the story. This made some of the more complicated battles difficult to follow. A unified map system would have made this a four star book.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
The 'Cliffs Note's' on some of the most amazing underdog victories
By Joel R.
As early as the story of David and Goliath, people have loved to root for the underdog. "Outnumbered: Incredible Stories of History's Most Surprising Battlefield Upsets", Cormac O'Brien, lives up to its title - it introduces the reader to many of the most famous battlefield victories won by the army facing a much larger adversary.
This collection of battles ranges from antiquity through World War II. O'Brien covers the battles of Salamis, 480 BCE; Issus, 333 BCE; Cannae, 216 BCE; Carrhae, 53 BCE; Alesia, 52 BCE; Tracamarum, 533; Agincourt, 1415; Narva, 1700; Leuthen, 1757; Auerstadt, 1806; Chancellorsville, 1863; Rorke's Drift, 1879; Tannenberg, 1914; and Singapore, 1942.
O'Brien offers the `Cliff's notes' version on these battles. The author is a gifted writer, which made the narratives very interesting to read. He begins each chapter with a strategic overview of why the two parties were warring. O'Brien then moved on into a narrative of the battles. Where applicable, O'Brien highlights the technological innovations of the historic period that influenced the battle. In most of the battles, terrain played a key role in the battle, and the author does an excellent job of highlighting how the opponents made use of the terrain. Winning a battle doesn't necessarily equate to winning the war. O'Brien finishes each chapter by explaining subsequent events following the battle.
Each chapter has pictures and an occasional map to support the narrative. My one complaint about the book is the lack of consistency in charts and maps to illustrate the battle. The chapter on Carrhae has a very good diagram illustrating the Roman formation. On the flip-side, Narva had a map of northern Europe with only a dot to show the location of the city.
This book would be perfect for the casual reader looking for a collection of great stories about how an underdog army managed to turn the table on their adversaries. O'Brien does a great job identifying the significance of terrain, technology, and politics for the reader. He also provides a modest bibliography for the readers who are interested in learning more.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Good if Brief
By Fireman721
Outnumbered summarizes a number of battles which, on the surface, were clearly going to be one sided--generally for the ultimate loser. Many are familiar to those with any knowledge of military history (Salamis, Cannae, Agincourt, Chancellorsville, Singapore), others not so at least to me (Tannenberg, Leuthen, Narva, Tricamarum, Carrhae). There are 4 others that I had at least heard of but knew next to nothing about. All are well, if succinctly, summarized, which is where my 'beef' with the book lies. And I know I am asking a lot, for a book of this type, to have more detail. There is a modest bibliography which would serve as a start for detailed investigations of any (or all!) of the cited battles. All in all a good starter book for those interested in military history where superior commanders pulled off amazing feats against more numerous if weaker opponents (that is one of the overriding impressions from these summaries--numbers do not make up for poor leadership/generalship).
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