The Strategists

Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini and Hitler – How War Made Them, And How They Made War

Author: Phillips Payson O'Brien

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A compelling revisionist history which explores the impact of WW1 on the mindsets and strategic decisions of WW2's most important leadersIf we want to understand military strategy, we must first understand the strategist.In THE STRATEGISTS, Professor Phillips Payson O'Brien delves deep into the psyches of five of the most impactful leaders in modern history - Churchill, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Roosevelt - and their respective strategic methods and choices. Payson O'Brien shows how the views of these leaders were forged in World War One and the Russian Civil War, and that these views are crucial to understanding how they fought World War Two.We see how, contrary to the prevailing view amongst contemporary historians, strategy in World War Two was highly individualistic and idiosyncratic. For example, Churchill's experiences of facing the German Army in France in 1916 made him unwilling to send masses of British soldiers back there in the 1940s, while Hitler's mistakes on the Eastern Front were influenced by his reluctance to accept that conditions had changed since his own time fighting in World War One.This is a history in which leaders matter - for better or worse, the five leaders made their own choices, often ignoring external advice. The implications of the power of leaders remain with us to this day- to truly understand what is happening in Ukraine, for example, requires us to know what has influenced the leaders involved.

Critic Reviews

Phillips Payson O’Brien is one of our finest historical thinkers. The Strategists shows him at the height of his powers: a book full of deep perception, convincingly challenging many entrenched views and examining these five leaders that so shaped the modern world in an entirely fresh, brilliantly insightful and utterly compelling way. Everyone with an interest in not just the Second World War, but the twentieth century and beyond, should read this without delay. James Holland, author of Normandy ’44
The Strategists matches a remarkably wide-ranging expertise with an eye for telling detail and a lucid style. It is full of fascinating insights about the use and misuse of power: global, national and individual. Professor Daniel Todman, author of Britain's War
A worthy addition [to bookshelves] . . . compelling Kirkus
O’Brien’s fluid prose makes for enchanting reading; there’s never a dull moment.... For military history buffs, this is a must-read. Publishers Weekly
This book’s most important argument is that the western allies were proved decisively right in viewing the Second World War as an oceanic struggle...it is entirely right for each generation of historians — and O’Brien is two decades younger than me — to think anew about everything. -- Max Hastings Sunday Times
O'Brien is seeking to do something more useful than rehashing all the old stories. He is trying to set the Second World War in deeper historical context by drawing out connections with the First World War . . . The Strategists reminds us that humans matter too. -- Jonathan Boff Literary Review
A colourful and compelling read . . . with anecdotes that help the protagonists spring to life. -- Andrew Lynch Irish Independent
Thanks to the engaging nature of the subjects—and Mr. O’Brien’s care not to go too far down rabbit holes about weaponry, gulags, local politics and psychology—the narrative moves briskly. By linking decisions to identifiable personality traits, “The Strategists” provides insight into the minds of titans who vied for Europe’s destiny. Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Phillips Payson O'Brien is Professor of Strategic Studies at St Andrews. He is the author of How the War Was Won- Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II and The Second Most Powerful Man in the World- The Life of Admiral William D. Leahy, Roosevelt's Chief of Staff. He has written for The Atlantic, The Spectator and Foreign Affairs, and has a combined following of over 200k on Twitter and Substack. This is his first trade book.