Mark R. Polelle

A little bit dry at first, but as I got into it, that was no longer a problem. It felt like we really couldn't get into depth with one lecture on each general. (This is a set of 7 audio CDs with 14 lectures.) Still, it was interesting & I learned from it.

General Lee was especially surprising. 1) He was not popular with the Southerners at the start of the war. 2) He was more successful at defensive operations. 3) The possibility of him serving on the Northern side had never occurred to me.

HIs perspective on the more modern generals was also interesting.

Lecture 1 The Politics of Military History and Military Leadership

Lecture 2 Washington: The Indispensable Man

Lecture 3 Napoleon: The First Modern General

Lecture 4 U.S. Grant and the Art of War in the Industrial Era

Lecture 5 Sherman and the Advent of Total War

Lecture 6 The Great Southern Hope: Robert E. Lee

Lecture 7 Moltke and the German Way of War

Lecture 8 Pershing and the American Expeditionary Force in World War I

Lecture 9 Eisenhower and World War II

Lecture 10 Patton and the Romance of War

Lecture 11 MacArthur: The American Caesar?

Lecture 12 Curtis LeMay and Generalship During the Cold War

Lecture 13 "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf and Desert Storm: Remaking the American Military after Vietnam

Lecture 14 Lessons of Military Leadership

http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course...

Since they have a lot of them, I intend to continue to check out recordings from the Modern Scholar series from my local library.… (mehr)

Similar in quality and style to the Teaching Company, these lectures provide an absorbing overview of U.S. military history, focusing on 8 major wars in chronological order. Professor Polelle has an engaging speaking style and kept me engrossed throughout.

On occasion, the brevity of these lectures resulted in some frustrating moments. For example, when he brought up how General Winfield Scott performed the first major amphibious landing in U.S. history before the Siege of Veracruz, an action well regarded internationally, but quickly moved on without further detail. Argh!

I recommend this for anyone who enjoys listening to American history summarized by a highly knowledgeable professor.
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