This is the best non-fiction book I have ever read. Van Creveld traces the history of command systems in organized warfare. His conclusion is that successful command systems did not employ breathrough technology but, rather, so organized themselves that they could function with less information flow. They did this by either compressing the organization so less communication was needed (e.g., the phalanx) or decentralizing decision making so that information did not have to flow as far up or down the organization. Added to this informational efficiency was a "directed telescope" that permitted commanders to focus on essential points in the system in detail, which had the secondary purpose of keeping lower level commanders honest through fear of intense scrutiny from on high. Finally, informal channels of communication existed to grease the wheels of the formal system, as well as to permit temporary but essential circumvention of the formal system in emergencies.
Van Creveld's scholarship is broad and impressive; he researched in, and translated from, several languages. His sense of irony and good story telling make for a can't-put-down read.
This book is great for military buffs, and is equally useful for business managers who recognize that the hot new management buzzwords being hawked by the consultant industry cannot compare to thoughtful analysis.
By the way, for those who believe the Internet will easily and immediately change how we do business, check out van Creveld's Technology and War.
