Air & Space Power Journal

THE ARMY TIMES BOOK OF GREAT LAND BATTLES From the Civil War to the Gulf War, Col J. D. Morelock, Edited by Walter J. Boyne The Berkley Publishing Group, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016. 1994, 331 pages. $29.95

THE ARMY TIMES BOOK OF GREAT LAND BATTLES covers fourteen battles in nine major wars beginning in 1863 and finishing in 1991. Beginning with the American Civil War, the battles of Gettysburg and Chickamauga are described, the Battle of Sedan represents the Franco -Prussian War, the Battle of Port Arthur represents the Russo-Japanese War. The three battles of Tannenburg, Verdun, and Meuse-Argonne cover the start, middlle and conclusion of the First World War. The battles of Stalingrad, Battle of the Bulge, and Okinawa highlight the Eastern Front, the European Theater, and the Pacific Theater, respectively. The Korean conflict is covered from start up to Chinese intervention in the winter of 1950. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu represents the First Indochina War while The Yom Kippur War is covered by the Battles of the Sinai and Golan Heights. The 100 hour ground battle from the Gulf War completes the book. Together, the selected wars and battles create a balanced picture of ground combat over the 140 year scope of GREAT LAND BATTLES, no small accomplishment. The scope is unique; typical "Great Battles" type works scale their timeframes to centuries - "Battles of the Twentieth Century" - or much larger or smaller time periods.

The scope is not the only thing which sets this work apart. Though the battles depicted in this work occur during a period of technoligical revolution in warfare, author Morellock does not make this the book's focus. Instead, he goes to great pains to portray the tactical, operational and strategic events and significance of each battle -- from both sides. To do this in the 15 to 25 pages alloted per battle requires excellent organizational and writing skills, qualities Col Morelock demonstrates throughout the book. Each battle is introduced by a "you are there " vignette which grabs the reader's attention and draws him into the action. Col Morelock continues with descriptions of the armies involved, weapons and tactics used, and the situation at the time. He then describes the battle in question, along with relevant action before and after it. Col Morelock concludes by briefly describing the consequences of the battle. The author consistently follows this format throughout the book; it is effective and adds to the overall reading experience.

Along with the organization, the historical content of GREAT LAND BATTLES is accurate and is based on conventional interpretations of events - no revisionism here! This is good; there's no real place in a work of this scope to devote space to much other than the facts. Additionally, the author avoids another potential pitfall by selecting the French experience at Dien Bien Phu over the 1968 Tet offensive from the United States involvment in Indochina. This contributes to the overall balance of the work while avoiding a still painful time for many Americans. However, one very minor omission should be noted. In describing the Battle of the Bulge, the author used the German-code name WACHT AM RHEIN , which he translates correctly as "Watch on the Rhine" as a deception. In the next paragraph, Col Morelock provides the code-name for the actual assault, HERBSTNEBEL. However, the translation for the German text is not provided. (The translation is "Autum Mist" or "Autum Fog").

In conclusion , THE ARMY TIMES BOOK OF GREAT LAND BATTLES has something to offer almost any reader. The casual reader or beginning student of military history will find a highly readable, accurate work - a great basis for further study. The more knowledgeable students of military history will likely find at least some new information considering the broad scope of the book and will also appreciate Col Morelock's organization and writing skills. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in military history.

Lt Col George D. Howard
Maxwell AFB, Alabama