<center> <p>A remarkable compendium of the worst military <br> decisions and the men who made them</p> </center> <p> The annals of history are littered with horribly bad military leaders. These combat incompetents found amazing ways to ensure their army's defeat. Whether it was a lack of proper planning, miscalculation, ego, bad luck, or just plain stupidity, certain wartime stratagems should never have left the drawing board. Written with wit, intelligence, and eminent readability, <i>How to Lose a Battle</i> pays dubious homage to these momentous and bloody blunders, including: </p> <ul> <li><p><b>Cannae, 216 <small>B.C.</small>:</b> the bumbling Romans lose 80,000 troops to Hannibal's forces.</p></li> <li><p><b>The Second Crusade:</b> an entire Christian army is slaughtered when it stops for a drink of water.</p></li> <li><p><b>The Battle of Britain:</b> Hitler's dreaded Luftwaffe blows it big-time.</p></li> <li><p><b>Pearl Harbor:</b> more than one warning of the impending attack is there, but nobody listens.</p></li> </ul> <p> <i>How to Lose a Battle</i> includes more than thirty-five chapters worth of astonishing (and avoidable) disasters, both infamous and obscure -- a treasure trove of trivia, history, and jaw-dropping facts about the most costly military missteps ever taken. </p>