The Blind Strategist

John Boyd and the American Art of War

Published by Exisle Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

From the acclaimed author of Panzer Commander Hermann Balck and False Flags comes an in-depth, critical evaluation of the maneuver warfare revolution that has transformed the American military.

Colonel John Boyd, a maverick fighter pilot, revolutionized the American art of war through his ideas on conflict and the human mind. Boyd claimed that victory is won by the side which transitions through 'decision cycles' faster than the enemy, mentally checkmating them with minimal violence. Maneuver warfare concepts became military doctrine during the 1980s but this revolution accidently undermined American security.

When formulating his theories on conflict, Boyd relied upon fraudulent accounts of WWII written by Wehrmacht veterans who fabricated historical evidence to disassociate their reputations from Germany's defeat and cover up their willing participation in Nazi war crimes. Boyd fell for this deception and unknowingly injected dangerous misinformation into the American military mind. Maneuver warfare has accordingly corrupted the art of war and resulted in catastrophic decisions made in Iraq and Afghanistan during 21st century conflict.

The Blind Strategist separates fact from fantasy and exposes the myths of maneuver warfare through a detailed evidence-based investigation. A must-read for anybody interested in American military history.

About The Author

Stephen Robinson has a First Class degree in Asian history and politics and has graduated from Australian Command and Staff College. He has worked at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, as a policy officer in the Department of Defence, and has now written three books about the art of war.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Exisle Publishing (April 1, 2021)
  • Length: 360 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781925820348

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Raves and Reviews

"In this important, engaging and meticulously researched study, Stephen Robinson presents a compelling corrective to the maneuverist myth and Boyd worship affecting large parts of the US defense establishment and other Western militaries. For all the undoubted influence of Boyd's purportedly revolutionary ideas, their uncritical embrace has fostered forms of doctrinal dogmatism, and the resulting operational tunnel vision helps explain recent failures in American strategy. In exposing the flawed foundations of maneuver warfare, this book will hopefully go some way to releasing Boyd's followers from their blind devotion to the blind strategist."

– Thomas Waldman, Senior Lecturer in International Security Studies, Macquarie University

“a bold assault on nearly fifty years of military thinking”

– Australian Defence Magazine

“I'm in awe of Stephen Robinson, single handedly he has made himself the most influential military theorist of the 21st Century, Not a bad outcome for an Aussie public servant and Australian Army Reservist. A totally outstanding effort.”

– Australian New Zealander Defender

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