Seeds of Victory

Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War

Through discussion of historical battles and leaders, James Ellman describes how the history of the United States at war, from the American Revolution through Korea, is the story of tenacity in the wake of defeat, of flexibility and adaptability on the path to victory.

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.

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