The White Flag Principle

How to Lose a War (and Why)

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Last edited by dcapillae
June 7, 2022 | History

The White Flag Principle

How to Lose a War (and Why)

Second Edition edition
  • 0 Ratings
  • 3 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

Nearly 40 years ago, contemplating a dogfight between Israeli and Syrian jets, Shimon Tzabar got to thinking about how war works. The result is a crystal-clear, at times funny inversion of such classics as Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War. Readers find the facts on why often — almost always, in major conflicts throughout history — victory is not all it’s cracked up to be. Practical advice is offered as well, such as what to do if you’re in danger of winning, and how to surrender in the midst of a firefight. This new illustrated edition of the 1974 original includes updated information on the latest international conflicts, and confirms the timelessness of the White Flag Principle.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
183

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Cómo perder una guerra (y por qué)
Cómo perder una guerra (y por qué): La estrategia para la derrota
2005, Siglo XXI
Tapa blanda in Spanish
Cover of: The White Flag Principle
The White Flag Principle: How to Lose a War (and Why)
February 2003, Four Walls Eight Windows
Paperback in English - Second Edition edition
Cover of: The White Flag Principle
The White Flag Principle: How to Lose a War (and Why)
2002, Four Walls Eight Windows
Paperback in English
Cover of: Sefer torat ha-mapalot veha-tevusot ha-shalem
Sefer torat ha-mapalot veha-tevusot ha-shalem: Ketsad le-natseah bile-hafsid
1995, Am oved
Unknown Binding in Hebrew
Cover of: The White Flag Principle
The White Flag Principle: How to Lose a War and Why
1973, Simon and Schuster
in English
Cover of: The White Flag Principle
Cover of: The white flag principle
The white flag principle: how to lose a war and why
1972, Allen Lane, The Penguin Press
in English

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Book Details


First Sentence

""WAR WAS, AND STILL IS, the most important event in the history of mankind.""

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Why Defeat Page 1
Chapter 2. Defeat and Victory Page 19
Chapter 3. Managing a Bad Foreign Policy Page 31
Chapter 4. Ruining a Flourishing Economy Page 45
Chapter 5. Disuniting a United Society Page 51
Chapter 6. Building Up an Army for Defeat Page 59
Chapter 7. Strategy and Tactics Page 87
Chapter 8. Giving Oneself Up Page 107
Chapter 9. How to Recover from an Accidental Victory Page 121
Chapter 10. The March into Captivity Page 127
Notes Page 143
Bibliography Page 167

Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references and illustrations.
Originally published: London: Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 1972.

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Number of pages
183
Dimensions
8.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Weight
7 ounces

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL8690068M
ISBN 10
1568582595
ISBN 13
9781568582597
Library Thing
1219368
Goodreads
1523298

Work Description

Focuses on the advantages of being defeated in war and explains strategies and tactics designed to insure military disaster.

The White Flag Principle was written in London, in English, in 1968-69, and was published in London (Allen Lane, The Penguin Press), New York (Simon & Schuster), Paris (Denoel) in 1972, and in Italy (Bompiani) in 1975. In his memoirs Shimon writes at length about the inception of the book, the meticulous research he carried out for writing the book in the British Library, the process of writing and its reception.

Unexpectedly, the book had a second life in the 1990s when Gilad Atzmon introduced it to his literary agent (The Susijn Agency). Subsequently the book was translated into several languages and was re-published in USA (2002), Germany (2003), Holland (2004), Greece (2003), Japan (2003), Denmark (2002) and Spain (2005). However, for Shimon, the publication of the book in Hebrew, in Israel, in 1995 was particularly significant. The book (in English) has been purchased by the CIA library, and is on the reading list of at least one US military academy.

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
June 7, 2022 Edited by dcapillae Edited without comment.
August 10, 2010 Edited by IdentifierBot added LibraryThing ID
April 24, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Fixed duplicate goodreads IDs.
April 16, 2010 Edited by bgimpertBot Added goodreads ID.
April 30, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from amazon.com record