How to Fight a War

Mike Martin has acquired a big Twitter following for his expert analysis of the Ukraine war. His fourth book will be a delight to those who are keen to see his analysis at a greater depth than 240 characters allow. The title is reminiscent of Sun Tzu, but Mike Martin’s How to Fight a War is more like a 21st century Machiavelli. Anyone who has read The Prince will have been stuck by what a straight-talking, practical guide it is to politics in 16th century Italy (when politics was not much more than warfare). Taking his lead from the florentine, Martin imagines you, his reader, as the leader of a modern nation-state, and tells you as straightforwardly as he can what you need to know about war, and how you should plan to win one, should it occur. After 80 years or relative world peace, this is a question we are all asking ourselves right now with increasing urgency. This book expertly scratches that itch, with the plain talking of a soldier mixed with the erudite range of a scholar. Martin is of course both, and also a budding politician (currently the Lib Dem candidate for Tumbridge Wells). So he understands warfare as both a technical act (what provisions does a soldier need? what tactics are best for destroying tanks?) and as a political art (he sums it up as a form of communication where the ultimate goal is to change the psychology of the opposing commander). Peppered with fascinating facts and examples from conflicts as far back as ancient Persia and as recent as last year’s invasion of Ukraine, How To Fight A War will tell you everything you need to know about warfare in this increasingly dangerous age.

Defekte Ware

An excellent and timely book, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This is an excellent primer for politicians and military leaders whose experience of military operations has been dominated by peace keeping, counter insurgency or counter terrorism. It could be argued that in terms of content it adds little new to the subject. But that misses the point, it is a well written, readable summary of “How to fight a war”. As such contributes greatly to the available literature, particularly as it is devoid of many of the acronyms and mil-speak that make some books on the subject unreadable to a wider audience. It is a little land centric in my personal opinion, but as in all things that is debatable. The author’s own military background seeps occasionally in to the text. “Bayonets” being a case in point, who else but a Brit. It is well worth a read.

I’m not from a military background and this might all be obvious to those who are. But this was a most enlightening book on war and more importantly the necessary preparations for war. Guides you, as a potential leader of a country, to what you need to consider, what you need to prepare for and the huge amount of resources and cost you need to reserve for any war, both offensive and defensive. The one takeout for me is the logistics, that is key to winning a war. Have good logistic plans and prioritise taking out your enemies logistic abilities. The first 3/4 of the book focuses on logistics, training, moral, types of armies, and types of warfare. Only in the last 1/4 does it cover the actual fight. If you got the first bit right the second seems is a lot easier. Well that is me now a military expert… Twitter here I come.

How does that saying go? "Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics." This chap really knows his stuff, and reading about the sheer scale of the logistics involved in fighting a war is mind-blowing. One artillery piece can use an entire shipping container of shells in one morning - imagine the supply lines in a war that goes on for months and years. And this book is not just about logistics - it's about everything involved in making war, from propaganda to chemical weapons, all dealt with coolly and dispassionately in terms of how effective they are in terms of achieving victory. Hence the comparison to Machiavelli - there is little handwringing or moralising here. He takes lots of examples from the current [at the time of writing] conflict in the Ukraine, and it is very clear he is not impressed by the performance of the Russian forces. No suprise to anyone who follows his podcasts, but then you would have to be a dedicated Putin fanboy to think the Russian efforts have been anything short of woeful. A great book, and for all the detail and depth, admirably lucid and easy to read.