Written In English
8.75" H x 5.5" W x 2" D
The Science of War, edited by Captain Neill Malcolm and published by Longmans, Green & Co. in its sixth impression of 1913, gathers the finest lectures and essays of Colonel G.F.R. Henderson (C.B.) delivered between 1891 and his untimely death in 1903. In the years before the Great War, Henderson’s peers recognized that his penetrating analysis of modern military practice from the German General Staff’s rigorous staff work to the moral impact of massed firepower would prove indispensable to a new generation of officers. Inside, a richly gilt Royal Military College crest adorns the cloth boards, flanked by simple gilt tooling on the spine; marbled pink-and-cream endpapers introduce a mounted prize certificate awarded “For Military Law” to Cadet (Sergeant) R. M. Villiers in July 1925, complete with the Assistant Commandant’s signature. Four folding strategic maps and a frontispiece portrait of Henderson cap the scholarly presentation of his forward-looking theories.
At its heart, the volume unfolds as a carefully structured argument for the “science” of war: the opening chapters stress the necessity of scientific officer training, the integration of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and the moral as well as physical dimensions of modern conflict. Henderson then tackles strategy itself defining its principles, warning against pedantry, and urging commanders to learn from history in order to overcome superior numbers and explores the evolving role of cavalry from shock action to reconnaissance within a combined-arms framework. Subsequent essays delve into operational preparations, from theater planning and logistics along rail and sea routes to the management of allied forces and the maintenance of strategic reserves. Throughout, his clear-eyed assessments of the Franco-Prussian and Boer Wars anticipate the industrialized battlefields to come.
Condition:
The leather spine has mellowed to a warm copper-red and shows only gentle rubbing, while the cloth boards bear minor fading and a few discreet surface marks. Corners are lightly bumped but joints and hinges are tight, ensuring the text block opens freely. The marbled endpapers are clean aside from light foxing at the margins, and the prize certificate remains crisp with fresh blue ink. Internally, pages carry uniform age-toning and occasional fox spots limited to the preliminaries; all four folding maps lie flat without tears. In both its scholarly content and its storied provenance, this is a standout piece for any collector of military history or fine bindings.
