Military Misfortunes: The Anatomy of Failure in War

The authors address one of the most intriguing questions of warfighting—how do well trained, professional and technologically advanced armies sometimes fail against a lesser opponent? Relying on a number of case studies, Cohen and Gooch highlight the effects of bureaucratic malaise and institutional culture on a force’s ability to anticipate, react and learn. The capacity to fail, they conclude, lurks within even the best military organisations.