Desert Battle: Comparative Perspectives

Desert Battle: Comparative Perspectives

by Bruce A. Watson
ISBN-10:
027594686X
ISBN-13:
9780275946869
Pub. Date:
05/30/1995
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Academic
ISBN-10:
027594686X
ISBN-13:
9780275946869
Pub. Date:
05/30/1995
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Academic
Desert Battle: Comparative Perspectives

Desert Battle: Comparative Perspectives

by Bruce A. Watson

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Overview

Desert Battle is a study of the nature of desert warfare with special attention to the evolution of weaponry, the organization of forces, the impact of the desert environment on the ability of those forces to sustain battle, and the influences of the desert on battle tactics. The work concentrates on seven campaigns, from Bonaparte's adventure in Egypt in 1798-1799 to the 1991 Gulf War. Each campaign is discussed in relation to its political-military background, with focus on leadership, the forces available, and the weapons at their disposal. A narration of each campaign follows, ending with an evaluation in relative degrees of the leadership, weapons, and tactics and the long-run consequences of the campaign.

Watson's study opens with a description and analysis of Erwin Rommel's first advance in North Africa in April of 1941, but his emphasis is not on Rommel's magnificent achievements but on the creation of the Rommel legend and its effect on our understanding of desert warfare. That opening chapter is followed by an examination of deserts as a physical context for battle—the nature of the environment and who fights in deserts and why. Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in Egypt, 1798-1799, is discussed in the context of desert campaigns. British operations along India's Northwest Frontier from 1849-1852 follow. The Tigris campaign of World War I is particularly notable because it introduced armored cars, thereby increasing an army's mobility in desert sands. The British counterattack against the Italians in North Africa from late 1940 to early 1941 demonstrates how a small army, utilizing surprise, indirect attack, and high mobility, were able to offset the Italians' numerical superiority. Post-World War II battle is illustrated by the Yom Kippur War between the Arabs and the Israelis in 1973. The final campaign discussed is the 1991 Gulf War. Watson's original conclusions about the nature of desert battle and the constants that determine the outcome of battles in that hostile environment are surprising and illuminating. They constitute a real contribution to the study of desert warfare.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780275946869
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 05/30/1995
Pages: 272
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile: 1200L (what's this?)

About the Author

BRUCE ALLEN WATSON is Emeritus Professor of Art History at Diablo Valley College. He is the author of The Great Indian Mutiny (Praeger, 1991) and Sieges (Praeger, 1993).

Table of Contents

Illustrations and Maps
Preface
Rommel: Birth of a Desert Legend
Deserts: The Physical Context of Battle
Bonaparte in Egypt, 1798 to 1799
The Northwest Frontier of India, 1850 to 1852
The British Campaign in Mesopotamia, 1916 to 1918
Battle in the Western Desert, 1940 to 1941
The Arab-Israeli War, 1973
The Gulf War, 1991
Desert Battle: Trends and Perspectives
Selected Bibliography
Index

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