Strategy: The Indirect Approach

 Author: B.H. Liddell Hart

Published: 1941

Notable quote: "In strategy the longest way round is often the shortest way there; a direct approach to the object exhausts the attacker and hardens the resistance by compression, whereas an indirect approach loosens the defender’s hold by upsetting his balance."

Strategy is one of the major works of B.H. Liddell Hart (1895-1970), a British military strategist and theorist. In the book, Liddell Hart arrived at the conclusion that an indirect approach strategy is the most rational and effective strategy to win a war after his in-depth studies on more than 280 distinct campaigns over 25 centuries. Liddell Hart pointed out that direct attacks against a strong enemy should never be attempted as they can hardly work. It's important to outwit and outflank the enemy, taking various measures to upset the enemy both physically and psychologically before a real attack is, or can be, successfully launched. His theory is also a truth of philosophy, which is widely applied into various aspects of life. The work enjoys a lofty position in Western military historical research and has been listed as a must-read book for military commanders.

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