Coming soon · Book Profile
The Practice of Strategy From Alexander
Through twelve historical case studies spanning from antiquity to modern conflicts, this book argues for the unity of all strategic experience, demonstrating that while the character of war changes, its fundamental nature and the logic of strategy remain timeless.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
What do Alexander the Great, Byzantine emperors, and modern generals in Iraq have in common? This book answers that question by exploring the enduring nature of strategy across more than two millennia of warfare. Featuring essays by leading military historians, it delves into twelve pivotal conflicts—from the campaigns of ancient Rome and the Hundred Years War to the American Civil War and the Cold War—to reveal the timeless principles that govern the art of winning. It argues that while the tools and context of war constantly evolve, the core function of strategy—the purposeful matching of ends, ways, and means to achieve political objectives—is universal. For military professionals, students of history, and anyone interested in the logic of conflict, this book provides a masterclass in seeing the unchanging forest for the ever-changing trees, demonstrating how grand strategy and military strategy must work in concert to translate victory on the battlefield into lasting political success.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A military professional, policymaker, or student of history who wants to master the timeless principles of strategy to think more clearly and perform more effectively in a world of complex and ever-changing conflicts.
- The problem
- They struggle to develop and apply effective strategy, often getting lost in the unique details of contemporary conflicts and confusing tactics or operations with a coherent strategic plan. They feel uncertain and overwhelmed by the complexities of modern warfare, questioning whether historical lessons have any relevance and struggling to distinguish enduring principles from situational noise.
- The plan
- Examine strategy in practice through twelve distinct historical case studies, from Alexander the Great to modern Iraq.
- Identify the universal patterns and continuities in the logic of strategy across vastly different technological and cultural contexts.
- Internalize a general theory of strategy, articulated in twenty-one clear dicta, to guide your own strategic thinking and decision-making.
- The payoff
- Gaining a clear framework for understanding the relationship between politics, grand strategy, and military operations. · Developing the ability to analyze any conflict through the lens of timeless strategic principles. · Becoming a more competent and confident leader, capable of crafting and executing sound strategy.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- Competitive Strategy · Michael Porter
The book is cited as the source for the concept of a 'focus' strategy, which is analyzed in detail using the Crown Cork & Seal case. Porter's Five Forces framework is also mentioned as a tool for industry analysis.
- Only the Paranoid Survive · Andrew Grove
The author discusses Grove's concept of 'inflection points' as a way of understanding major industry transitions, specifically in the context of the computer industry's shift from a 'vertical' to a 'horizontal' structure.
- The Fifth Discipline · Peter Senge
The book is discussed and critiqued as part of the intellectual lineage that can lead to bad strategy, particularly its emphasis on 'shared vision,' which the author links to the quasi-religious 'New Thought' movement.
- Thoughts Are Things · Prentice Mulford
Cited as a foundational text of the 'New Thought' movement, which the author argues is a dangerous intellectual precursor to modern bad strategy that substitutes positive thinking for rigorous analysis.
- Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors · Michael Porter
Cited as perhaps the most widely respected book on strategy ever written. The book's concepts, such as the two ways to win (cost leadership and differentiation) and the five-forces analysis, are foundational to the framework presented in 'Playing to Win'.
- The works of Peter Drucker · Peter Drucker
The book is inspired by and dedicated to Drucker, who is described as a mentor and friend. His foundational idea that the purpose of an organization is to create a customer is cited as a core principle for setting winning aspirations.
- The works of Chris Argyris · Chris Argyris
Credited as a seminal influence whose work on organizational learning shaped the authors' thinking. His concept of balancing advocacy with inquiry is the basis for the 'assertive inquiry' communication method promoted in the book.
- Moments of Truth · Jan Carlzon
Mentioned as an influence on A.G. Lafley's thinking. The concept was adapted to create one of P&G's core strategic messages: 'Win the two most important moments of truth' (in-store and at-home).
- The Concept of Corporate Strategy · Kenneth R. Andrews
The book explicitly positions itself as building on the 'classic approach to strategy formulation' heavily influenced by Andrews' work at Harvard, which focused on matching company strengths and weaknesses to environmental opportunities and threats.
- Business Policy: Text and Cases · C. Roland Christensen, Kenneth R. Andrews, and Joseph L. Bower
Cited along with Andrews' work as a standard-setter in the field of strategy formulation that provided the intellectual starting point for the more analytical frameworks developed in this book.