The Ghost of Napoleon

First edition, first impression.  200pp.  Blue cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering on the spine.  8vo.  Cloth is heavily worn, rubbed, marked and faded, fraying at corners and spine ends and cracked along spine joints; Boots sticker on front panel.  A little skewed.  Upper text block edge dust darkened, remaining edges lightly spotted.  Some spotting on first and last few pages.  Previous owner’s name inked on the front free endpaper, and couple of random pen marks on the front paste down. Pages show a few minor signs of handling and there’s the occasional strained gutter.  

We would not usually offer a book in this condition – no better than acceptable – but this a hard to find title and remains complete and readable and therefore may serve to fill a gap in a collection until a better copy can be sourced or afforded.  

An influential work of military  theory written by prominent military strategist, Basil Liddell Hart.  The core thesis presented is that military theory – and thought working on thought –  can influence events as much as military action itself.  The titular ‘ghost’ references a perceived distortion of the legacy Napoleonic warfare; and Liddell Hart argues that 19th century theorists misinterpreted Napoleon’s later, brutal campaigns and overemphasised the mass murders and destruction.  A study of military theory from the 18th century to the aftermath of the first world war.