Intelligence in War:Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda

Authors

David A. Smith

Abstract

Among many military historians, the release of a book by John Keegan is cause for celebration, and the sentiment is not altogether out of place. Keegan’s prolific output of insightful studies, reaching back to his seminal Face of Battle (1992), has won for himself dev- otees from both the academic and public sectors. In his latest book, Intelligence in War, Keegan returns to the distinctive format he used in The Face of Battle, dividing his study into several vignettes from a broad range of military his- tory—what he labels here as “a collec- tion of case studies”—organized, in this case, to highlight the effect that good intelligence has on military operations, and the general role intelligence plays in underpinning the effectiveness of armed forces in the field.

Recommended Citation

Smith, David A. (2004) "Intelligence in War:Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda," Naval War College Review: Vol. 57: No. 3, Article 21.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol57/iss3/21