Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France 1870-1871, Revised Edition

Book Description

In 1870 Bismarck ordered the Prussian Army to invade France, inciting one of the most dramatic conflicts in European history. It transformed not only the states-system of the Continent but the whole climate of European moral and political thought. The overwhelming triumph of German military might, evoking general admiration and imitation, introduced an era of power politics, which was to reach its disastrous climax in 1914.
First published in 1961 and now with a new introduction, The Franco-Prussian War is acknowledged as the definitive history of one of the most dramatic and decisive conflicts in the history of Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Dry as Dust.......2006-09-15

I don't know enough about the Franco-Prussian War to criticize the research and the facts presented. But this is certainly not an enjoyable book to read. If that is a factor for you, be warned.

Boring but informative.......2004-05-20

I actually have not finished the book yet, so forgive my hypocrisy. From an information and accuracy perspective it is probably the best book on the war. However it is a bit of a tough read, so be prepared. Howard details technology and warfare of the time, along with politics and the like and the book doesn't miss much. However, perhaps that is the reason it seems so long. overall I would say a good book.

an authoritative treatment of a complex conflict.......2003-09-29

Howard does a masterful job in detailing the the military preparations of both sides before the conflict, describing the war itself, and even going into some detail about the increasing importance of technology in "modern" warfare (especially transport). However, there are some shortcommings - the chief among them are the maps. While they are useful in giving the reader an idea of what happened where, they really needed to be more detailed, showing troop movements and positions. I also thought the lack of perspective on the war was disappointing - after all, the Franco-Prussian war was instrumental in the creation of German nationhood, the birth of the Fourth republic, and a foundation stone of the First World War. None of these important after-effects were discussed in any detail whatsoever. As a book of pure military history, though, Howard's book is beyond reproach.

Military history as it should be written.......2003-07-22

The Franco-Prussian War is an unusual conflict in that it is in many ways a study in contrasts. Historically, it set the stage for two twentieth century conflagrations even as it settled scores from the early nineteenth century. Politically, it marked the zenith of French national influence, and the ascendancy of a united German power. Finally, militarily, it offered the first widespread use of breech-loading rifles and modern artillery, even as it often languished in the tactics of an earlier age.

It takes a broad brush to capture all of these elements, and in this book, Michael Howard has succeeded admirably. He has taken an often overlooked conflict and placed it squarely at the crossroads of modern Europe, and a new, more terrible type of war. For while the American Civil War (or even the Crimean War) is often referred to as the first modern war, it is in fact in the Franco-Prussian War that we see all the key elements of modern warfare: national mobilization, citizen soldiers under the guidance of a professional general staff, and the ascendancy of industrialization in both transport and new, more destructive, weapons. At the same time, newer, more insidious developments in the form of guerrilla warfare and the targeting of civilians centers for strategic reasons first make their appearance on a large scale.

Arising out of French objections to the Prussian selection of the Spanish monarch, this war, like many before and since, arose out of a complete lack of French appreciation for the changes that had overtaken the battlefield. While the French had relied on a small, professional army, the Prussians had adopted a model of mandatory service that allowed them to raise massive, reasonably competent forces with unprecedented speed. Thus, when hostilities broke out the French, who had assumed an easy victory, were caught on their heels and never regained the initiative.

Thus from the summer of 1870 through the depths of winter and into 1871, the story of the Franco-Prussian War is the story of the courage of the French soldier being failed utterly by inept leadership. It wasn't in the strength of Prussian arms, or in the courage of its soldiers that the war was won; rather, it was in the ability of the centralized Prussian command structure to adapt rapidly to events when their French counterparts were still in the dark that victory was secured.

Thus, while Howard's writing on the actual combat is vivid, it is in his appreciation of the fundamentally new Prussian way of war that he is most successful. From the king, through the Bismarck and Moltke, and on down through the rest of the senior command, he paints a vivid portrait of Prussian ideals and ambition. Conversely, he is equally successful at capturing the decrepitude and ineptness of a fragmented French government that lost the war in its opening days, and then prolonged it, to the never ending suffering of its soldiers, long after all hope was lost. Likewise along these lines, Howard nicely illustrates the increasing conflict that inevitable comes between politicians and the military in an era of total war.

That said, I do have a few minor complaints. The first is that Howard almost never translates quotes from the original French or German, and while I was just barely able to muddle through with what I remember from high school and college, any one who hasn't been exposed to these languages would certainly be frustrated. Secondly, as anyone familiar with European politics knows, nothing happens in a vacuum, and yet Howard spends precious little time discussing the implications of the conflict within the international system of the time. Finally, while Howard offers many maps, they offer little to know information about troop positions and lines of march, which leaves the reader flipping back rather than digesting a detailed map at a glance.

However, these are minor complaints about an otherwise eminently successful work. Howard has packed a tremendous amount of research into a readable and digestible volume. His appreciation of the politics and personalities is matched only by his understanding of the weapons of war and the nature of combat. Not only is this a successful history of the Franco-Prussian war, but also a model of what good history writing should be: balanced, well researched, and above all, readable. Finally, Howard's success elevates the Franco-Prussian War to its rightful significance as one of the root causes of the tensions that led to WWI, and hence, to WWII. Thus the student of history should appreciate this work not just for its success in considering immediate events, but for providing a bridge from the Great Power politics of the nineteenth century to the wars of the twentieth.

Jake Mohlman

Brisk and Detailed.......2003-04-25

This is a very detailed account of the military and - to a lesser extent - political maneuverings of the Franco-Prussian War. Given the detail and the heavy footnoting, it is a surprisingly brisk read, though I do have one suggestion to assist future readers: photocopy the various pages that have maps on them so you can easily refer to them as you read on. Since I hadn't thought of this idea while reading the book, I found myself holding two or even three such pages open with the fingers of my left hand while reading battle descriptions many, many pages later.

One disappointment was in the very brief epilogue. The author discusses how the speed of the Prussian victory raised the stakes for all European powers, Germany in particular, but the author does not really discuss the aftermath of the war in France or explain how France formed a post-war government given the fractious way it had fought the war. Every history needs to stop at some point, of course, but a brief explanation of France's recovery seems in order.

Customer Reviews:

Contents:.......2004-04-16

The mountains of the Himalaya, from the lushly forested slopes of Nepal to the barren ranges of Central Asia, offer solitude, enlightenment, and incredible beauty, as well as the brutal reality of barren peaks and wind-torn slopes and glaciers. They are a lost world of nameless valleys, of people living in the Middle Ages, of travel by yak caravan. To field biologist George Schaller, the Himalaya is all this, and yet it is more, forming as it does the habitat of the world's greatest variety of whild sheep and goats....markhor, urial, bharal, and other spectacular animals...as well as the elusive snow leopard.
This is a story of high adventure, introspection, observation, and discovery. It is primarily about the Himalaya and the people and the animals that live in it. It is a story told in the words of a poet, yet seen through the eyes of a scientists, as he struggles to save this mountain world from turning to stones of silence.

Stones of Silence Journeys in the Himalayas

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Stones of Silence Journeys in the Himalayas
George B. Schaller
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HF15JS

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STONES OF SILENCE: JOURNEYS IN THE HIMALAYA
GEORGE B. SCHALLER
Manufacturer: THE TRAVEL BOOK CLUB BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ANDREW DEUTSCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SAX7AM

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Stones of Silence: Journeys in the Himalaya
George B. Schaller
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0233972153

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Stones of Silence : Journeys in the Himalaya

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRP0UC

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STONES OF SILENCE, JOURNEYS IN THE HIMALAYA

Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HF7L5U

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Stones of Silence: Journeys in the Himalaya
George B. Schaller
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQGWD0

The Stones of Silence: Journeys in the Himalayas

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The Stones of Silence: Journeys in the Himalayas
George B. Schaller
Manufacturer: Univ of Chicago Pr (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPBZ8W

Product Description

This book is an attempt to place the subject aircraft pollution in the context of aerospace engineering by bringing together the most relevant sciences and technologies, which cover the problem...

Air Traffic and the Environment: Background, Tendencies, and Potential Global Atmospheric Effects : Proceedings of a Dlr International Colloquium Bon (Lecture Notes in Engineering, 60)

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Air Traffic and the Environment: Background, Tendencies, and Potential Global Atmospheric Effects : Proceedings of a Dlr International Colloquium Bon (Lecture Notes in Engineering, 60)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

A Delicate Balance: Protecting the Environment and Strengthening Trade Through Controlling Aircraft Noise and Emissions

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A Delicate Balance: Protecting the Environment and Strengthening Trade Through Controlling Aircraft Noise and Emissions

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423526767

Product Description

This is a AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSONAFB OH report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A061693. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: International trade and environmental law present a difficult and delicate balance for the commercial airline industry. The weight of real-world trade and environmental issues constantly shift the balance in opposing regulatory and normative directions. For instance, the environmental realities of running an airport, ranging from noise control and air emissions to less publicized issues of chemical runoff and waste disposal, foment anti-airport sentiment in the public and impose significant fiscal burdens on the airport itself. Despite that, the speed and convenience of air travel and the cheaper ticket prices brought by deregulation has the same public clamoring for more flights to more places at more times of the day and night.

Aircraft Emissions and the Environment (OIES Papers on Energy & the Environment)

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Aircraft Emissions and the Environment (OIES Papers on Energy & the Environment)
Leonie J. Archer
Manufacturer: Oxford Inst for Energy Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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Airport related emissions and impacts on air quality: Application to the Atlanta International Airport [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Airport related emissions and impacts on air quality: Application to the Atlanta International Airport [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
A. Unal , Y. Hu , M.E. Chang , M. Talat Odman , and Russel
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RR7W1G

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Atmospheric Environment, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In the last decade, air traffic has increased dramatically with a significant increase in emissions. Our goal is to quantify the impact of aircraft emissions on regional air quality, especially in regards to PM"2"."5 and ozone. Here the focus is on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport which is the busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic. First, aircraft PM"2"."5 emissions are estimated based on the Smoke Number (SN) by using the ''first order'' method. The Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS) is used for gaseous species. PM"2"."5 emissions are estimated once based on the characteristic SN and a second time using the mode-specific SN. Further, aircraft emissions are processed in two ways: (1) allocating the emissions at the airport itself, and (2) by accounting for flight paths, mode, and plume rise. When the more conservative emission estimates are used (i.e, the characteristic SN estimates allocated to the airport), results suggest that Hartsfield-Jackson airport can have a maximum impact of 56 ppb on ozone with a 5 ppb average impact over most of the Atlanta area. PM"2"."5 impacts are also estimated to be quite large with a maximum local impact of 25@mgm^-^3. Impacts over most of the Atlanta area are less than 4@mgm^-^3. The second set of emissions with detailed spatial allocation leads to a less intense ozone impact with a maximum of 20 ppb and an average of less than 1 ppb. PM"2"."5 impacts, in this case, are about 1@mgm^-^3 within a radius of 16km around the airport. The difference in these two results shows the importance of how aircraft emissions are treated. The impacts on ozone and PM"2"."5 of ground support equipment at the airport are smaller compared to the aircraft impacts, with a maximum impact of 2 ppb for ozone and 9@mgm^-^3 for PM"2"."5.

Aviation and the Environment: Strategic Framework Needed to Address Challenges Posed by Aircraft Emissions.: An article from: General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony

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Aviation and the Environment: Strategic Framework Needed to Address Challenges Posed by Aircraft Emissions.: An article from: General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony

Manufacturer: Stonehenge International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony, published by Stonehenge International on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 511 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Aviation and the Environment: Strategic Framework Needed to Address Challenges Posed by Aircraft Emissions.
Publication: General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony (Newsletter)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: Stonehenge International
Volume: 2003 Issue: 4 Page: NA

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Calculation of odour emissions from aircraft engines at Copenhagen [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]

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Calculation of odour emissions from aircraft engines at Copenhagen [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]
M. Winther , U. Kousgaard , and A. Oxbol
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PA9V6E

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Science of the Total Environment, The, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In a new approach the odour emissions from aircraft engines at Copenhagen Airport are calculated using actual fuel flow and emission measurements (one main engine and one APU: Auxiliary Power Unit), odour panel results, engine specific data and aircraft operational data for seven busy days. The calculation principle assumes a linear relation between odour and HC emissions. Using a digitalisation of the aircraft movements in the airport area, the results are depicted on grid maps, clearly reflecting aircraft operational statistics as single flights or total activity during a whole day. The results clearly reflect the short-term temporal fluctuations of the emissions of odour (and exhaust gases). Aircraft operating at low engine thrust (taxiing, queuing and landing) have a total odour emission share of almost 98%, whereas the shares for the take off/climb out phases (2%) and APU usage (0.5%) are only marginal. In most hours of the day, the largest odour emissions occur, when the total amount of fuel burned during idle is high. However, significantly higher HC emissions for one specific engine cause considerable amounts of odour emissions during limited time periods. The experimentally derived odour emission factor of 57 OU/mg HC is within the range of 23 and 110 OU/mg HC used in other airport odour studies. The distribution of odour emission results between aircraft operational phases also correspond very well with the results for these other studies. The present study uses measurement data for a representative engine. However, the uncertainties become large when the experimental data is used to estimate the odour emissions for all aircraft engines. More experimental data is needed to increase inventory accuracy, and in terms of completeness it is recommended to make odour emission estimates also for engine start and the fuelling of aircraft at Copenhagen Airport in the future.

Detecting and quantifying aircraft and other on-airport contributions to ambient nitrogen oxides in the vicinity of a large international airport [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Detecting and quantifying aircraft and other on-airport contributions to ambient nitrogen oxides in the vicinity of a large international airport [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
D.C. Carslaw , S.D. Beevers , K. Ropkins , and M.C. Bell
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PAA7G2

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Atmospheric Environment, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Plans to build a third runway at London Heathrow (LHR) airport have been held back because of concerns that the development would lead to annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO"2) in excess of the EU Directive limit value, which must be met by 2010. The dominant effect of other sources of NO"x close to the airport, primarily from road traffic, makes it difficult to detect and quantify the contribution made by the airport to local NO"x and NO"2 concentrations. This work presents approaches that aim to detect and quantify the airport contribution to NO"x concentrations for a network of seven measurement sites close to the airport. Two principal approaches are used. First, a graphical technique using bivariate polar plots that develops the idea of a pollution rose is used to help discriminate between different source types. The sampling uncertainties associated with the technique have been calculated through a randomised re-sampling approach. Second, the unique pattern of aircraft activity at LHR enables data filtering techniques to be used to statistically verify the presence of aircraft sources. It is shown that aircraft NO"x sources can be detected to at least 2.6km from the airport, even though the airport contribution at that distance is very small. Using these approaches, estimates have been made of the airport contribution to long-term mean concentrations of NO"x and NO"2. At the airfield boundary we estimate that approximately 27% of the annual mean NO"x and NO"2 is due to airport operations. At background locations 2-3km downwind of the airport we estimate that the upper limit of the airport contribution to be less than 15% ( <10@mgm^-^3). This work also provides approaches that would help validate and refine dispersion modelling studies used for airport assessments.

Detection of very large ions in aircraft gas turbine engine combustor exhaust: charged small soot particles? [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Detection of very large ions in aircraft gas turbine engine combustor exhaust: charged small soot particles? [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
S. Wilhelm , H. Haverkamp , A. Sorokin , and F. Arnold
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RR1F4G

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Atmospheric Environment, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Small electrically charged soot particles (CSP) present in the exhaust of a jet aircraft engine combustor have been detected by a Large Ion Mass Spectrometer and quantitatively measured by an Ion Mobility Analyzer. The size and concentration measurements which took place at an aircraft gas-turbine engine combustor test-rig at the ground covered different combustor conditions (fuel flow=FF, fuel sulphur content=FSC). At the high-pressure turbine stage of the engine, CSP-diameters were mostly around 6nm and CSP-concentrations reached up to 4.8x10^7cm^-^3 (positive and negative) corresponding to a CSP-emission index E"C"S"P=2.5x10^1^5 CSPkg^-^1 fuel burnt. The E"C"S"P increased with FF but did not increase with FSC. The latter indicates that sulphur was not a major component of the large ions. Possible CSP-sources and CSP-sinks as well as CSP-roles are discussed.

Hydrocarbon emissions from a modern commercial airliner [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Hydrocarbon emissions from a modern commercial airliner [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
B.E. Anderson , G. Chen , and D.R. Blake
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR93VI

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