Mud: A Military History

Mud: A Military History

Napoleon delayed his attack at Waterloo to allow the mud to dry. Had he attacked earlier, he might have defeated Wellington before BlÃ¼cher arrived. In November 1942, Russian mud stopped the Germans, who could not advance again until the temperature dropped low enough to freeze the mud. During the Vietnam War, â€œProject Popeyeâ€ was an American attempt to lengthen the monsoon and cause delays on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Soldiers have always known just how significant mud can be in war. But historians have not fully recognized its importance, and few have discussed the phenomenon in more than a passing manner. Only three booksâ€”Military Geography (by John Collins), Battling the Elements (by Harold Winters et al.), and Battlegrounds) (edited by Michael Stephenson)â€” have addressed it at any length and then only as part of the entire environmentâ€™s effect on the battlefield. None of these books analyzed mudâ€™s influence on the individual combatant.

Mud: A Military History first defines the substanceâ€™s very different types. Then it examines their specific effects on mobility and on soldiers and their equipment over the centuries and throughout the world. From the Russian rasputiza to the Southeast Asian monsoon, C. E. Wood demonstrates mudâ€™s profound impact on the course of military history. Citing numerous veteransâ€™ memoirs, archival sources, personal interviews, and historical sources, soldier-scholar Wood pays particular attention to mudâ€™s effect on combatantsâ€™ morale, health, and fatigue. His book is for all infantrymenâ€”past, present, or the clean, dry, comfortable armchair variety.
Country USA
Manufacturer Potomac Books Inc
Binding Paperback
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781597970037
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Potomac Books Inc
Binding	Paperback
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781597970037
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Mud: A Military History

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