Seeds of Victory

Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War

James Ellman

$65.99

Hardback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

Stackpole
20 June 2025

History; Military history

Like all armed forces, the United States military—often celebrated for its victories—has been defeated on the battlefield throughout its long history. Unlike some others, the United States has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from defeat: to learn from the loss, recover, and turn it into victory. In this book James Ellman, who has established a reputation for his reconsiderations of military history, takes a close look at nine such pivot points on the ground, in the air, and at sea, from the American Revolution through the Korean War:

Long Island (1776) to Saratoga (1777) Charleston (1780) to Cowpens and Guilford Court House (1781) Invasion of Canada (1812) to Battle of Lake Erie (1813) First Bull Run (1861) to Antietam (1862) Pearl Harbor (1941) to Midway (1942) Luzon (1942) to Buna-Gona (1943) Kasserine Pass (1943) to El Guettar (1943) Schweinfurt/Ploesti (1943) to “Big Week” (1944) Chongchon (1950) to Operation Ripper (1951)

In brisk narratives, Ellman describes each battle, explaining how it was fought and lost, and then shifts gears to detail how leaders—military as well as civilian—such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Patton assessed the factors that led to defeat, made changes to training, tactics, and strategy, and entered the next battle wiser and better prepared. Ellman finally recounts the subsequent battle, focusing on how it was shaped by what came before and how the victory was gained.

As this book makes clear, the history of the United States at war is, to a surprising degree, the story of tenacity in the wake of defeat, of flexibility and adaptability on the path to victory. This is essential reading for understanding how battles are lost and won.

By: James Ellman
Imprint: Stackpole
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 581g
ISBN: 9780811776776
ISBN 10: 0811776778
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 20 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

James Ellman holds degrees from Tufts and Harvard. He has also written Hitler’s Great Gamble: A New Look at German Strategy, Operation Barbarossa, and the Axis Defeat in World War II (Stackpole, 2019) and MacArthur Reconsidered: General Douglas MacArthur as a Wartime Commander (Stackpole, 2023). He lives in Hawaii.

Reviews for Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War

""Simply stated, Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War by James Ellman is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how battles are lost and won over the past 230 years of American military history... a seminal, groundbreaking, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library American Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.""-- ""Midwest Book Review""