In this incisive analysis of generals, John Keegan examines the meaning of heroism as represented by Alexander the Great, Wellington, Grant, and Hitler, and argues that generalship, like warfare itself, is a cultural activity that has, through the years, required a change in the very nature of leadership. 16 pages of photos.

Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan (1934–2012), was one of the most distinguished contemporary military historians and was for many years the senior lecturer at Sandhurst (the British Royal Military Academy) and the defense editor of the Daily Telegraph (London). Keegan was the author of numerous books including The Face of Battle, The Mask of Command, The Price of Admiralty, Six Armies in Normandy, and The Second World War, and was a fellow at the Royal Society of Literature.