Fighting By Minutes: Time and The Art of War

“The history of failure in war can…be summed up in two words: too late.” –General Douglas MacArthur In this book, veteran author Colonel Robert Leonhard argues that time is the primary dimension in war and that to win, the warrior must fight by minutes. From his experience as an infantry officer and war planner, Leonhard lays out the important time dimensions of warfighting: duration, frequency, sequence, and opportunity. He shows how the great captains of history turned the enemy’s time flanks, preempted defenses, or manipulated the frequency of operations to their advantage. Leonhard likewise dissects the phenomenon of surprise in war, explaining how combat forces delay detection and hasten contact to overturn the enemy’s perception of the fight. He shows how nations and armed forces can create revolutionary new ways to fight by altering the time factors that bound the violence of war. Called “brilliant!” “intriguing!” and “THE premier theoretical work of the last 40 years” by reviewers, this 2nd edition features a new introduction from Colonel Leonhard, as well as revised and updated text and figures.