The sun., 1891-12-13
SOME NEW BOOKS
Great Aaosern Cesus.dsrs.

SFNht "o0crn So"@booorss
In q large octave volume entitled. Great Ohm
Nandcs Of Xodern Times. Mr.. WILLIAM OCoN
non Mohnrs hos republtshed series OF essayt
which originally appeared In the Lnustateo
Ndpai and Military Magazine. When q civilian
attempts to treat Of military affairs he may
expect To- be reminded Of the remark Of Han
nibal to the Greek sophist: 1T is pretty. but
II Is az nonsense" Mr.. Morris is not soldier.
but Aeither is Mr.. John @ Ropes. who is. nov.
er'heless. regarded as one OF tho most authori-
tAtive Of living critics on the campaigns Of
Napoleon. It 10 certain that the papers before
us are worth reading even II the author has
mot attained mastery Of technical details.
The names included In Mr.. Mofris's list Of
modern great commanders are Of Tu-
repne. Marlborough. Frederick the Great. Napo-
Icon. wellington. and Moltke. Admitting that no
list would be complete without Turenne and
Marlborough. many will nevertheless ask why
che names OF Gustavus Adolphus. the Prince
de Cond6 and Prince Eugene. and perhaps we
might add. OF Cromwell. are not included. II
is we'll known that Napoleon's own list COM
pretended Alexander. Hannibal Julius Caesar.
Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne. Prince Eugene,
and Frederick the Great: the Prince dc Condo.
and still more strangely. Marlborough. being
omitted. II was. We see. the opinion Of HA-
poleon. as It Is that Of the biographers Of Gus
tavus. that the Swedish King was the true
father Of modern strategy and the hrst really
great General since Julius Cesar. Not only
wns Gustavus o consummate strategist but
the tactical improvements introduced BY him
were extensive: his reforms In the armament
and equipment Of his soldiers were remarka-
blA and he was the first to enforce upon his
troops the discipline and seli.restraint which
Asve become capital features Of modern armies.
A. AaA.
and Conde. xr. Morris admits that the former
had not the latter's sudden Inspirations on the
field. and that, moreover. Condo when op-
posed 10 Turenne. was repeatedly bafiod by
The obstinaoy OF bis Spanish coadjutora It's
also acknowledged that for q commander of
extraordinary gifts Turenne suffered defeat
in many instances. but It was one Of his special
characteristics that he was most formidable
after reverse Of fortune. There is no doubt
that he remodelled the military organization
Of France and made IL BY far the best in
Europe. that hc possessed administrative
powers Of the HIGHEST order. and that no Cen
eral ever had more completely the secrot
Of evoktng the. devotion OF his officers
and men. There. are In the history OF
war few moro striking instances Of what
q commspdsr may be 10 his troops than
the series Of misfortunes which. after tho fall
bf Tuyenne. succeeded his steady success
before II The passionate outcry OF his de-
ieatod soldIery to the worthless men who oc-
rupled his place. "Give us MsRpie e"-Tu-
renne's charger-"to lead us!" was only an
exnggeration Of the truth.
" II Ia as natural that an Englishman should
set Marlborough above Prince Eugene as It
was that Napoleon. with regard to the sus-
capabilities OF Frenehmen. should express an
opposite opinion. The fact is indisputable
TINT Marlborough was never defeated In .
pitched battle: whereas. In 1712. when Eng
land had withdrawn from the Grand Alliance.
Prince Eugene was utterly routed by Mar
shal vilars. and driven beyond the Rhine.
Yet. although Prince Eugene made In this
campaign a strategic mistake which had dis
aStrous consequences. Mr. Morris comedies
that uron the whole he achieved moro than
Marlborough in this sphere OF the military art
We must go to the field Of hattie to behold the
genius OF Marlborough In it's highest perfec-
fon. for. although he may have been equal
~ u tactician. he hns never boon surpassed.
EuS6no could chow no masterpiece Of purely
tactical skill like Families, Then, again.
Marlborough. like ali Generals OF the FIRST
order. was great leader Of men. Corporal
John was az ndored by his soldiers as was to
be the Little Corpora" OF n succeeding ago.
for tho authors views OF Frederick the
Great. Napoleon. Wellington. and Moltke we
must refer the reader to the book itself. We
will only say az regards the account OF tho
campaign which ended Mt Waterloo. that
while Mr.. Morris does Justice to tho great
qualities displayed by Wellington and Blucher
~ soldiers. he describes Napoleon as easily
superior In respect Of strategy to his adver-
.nrles. Indeed. he does not hesitate to shock
Englands vanity by dwelling on the strategic
mbtakes which Wellington committed