Combining strategy and direct insights from practice, Carl von Clausewitz's "On War" has exerted profound influence on later thinking about war. This edition from Penguin Classics is curated with an introduction by Anatol Rapoport.

Writing during the time of Napoleon's greatest campaigns, the Prussian soldier and writer Carl von Clausewitz created this landmark treatise on the art of war, which portrayed war as part of a coherent system of political thought. Echoing Napoleon's military actions, it depicted the need for the annihilation of the enemy and the strong display of power in an 'absolute war' without compromises. However, he was careful to distinguish between war and politics, arguing that war can only be justified when discussion is no longer sufficient, and that, if undertaken, its purpose should ultimately be the improvement of the nation’s well-being, innovating the concept of war as 'politics by other means'.

This edition contains a detailed introduction examining Clausewitz's capability and reputation as a writer, philosopher, and political thinker, as well as a bibliography, notes, and a glossary.

Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) was a Prussian soldier and writer who was introduced to the Prussian Army at the age of twelve with the rank of Sergeant, serving in the Rhine campaign from 1793 to 1794. In 1801, he joined the Berlin Military Academy, where he studied Kant and attracted the attention of General Gerhard von Scharnhorst, whom he later assisted in reforming the Prussian army. More a philosopher than a soldier, Clausewitz's reputation rests on the enduring success of "On War" (Vom Kriege), which remained unfinished at the time of his death and was published posthumously by his wife in 1832.

If you enjoyed "On War," you might also be interested in Sun Tzu's work "The Art of War," which is also available from Penguin Classics.