The Shape of Battle

What can six battles across a thousand years of history tell us about the nature of warfare? Probably not a lot, as Allan Mallinson himself admits. In his latest book, he is not so much out to make a point but to ‘let the events speak for themselves’. In other words, leave the reader to draw their own conclusions. The Shape of Battle obviously went to press before Afghanistan fell to the Taliban this summer, because Mallinson does not mention that event in his chapters here on Operation Panther’s Claw. This was a British-led operation in July 2009 to secure a key area of the country’s Helmand province ahead of local elections. It was a success, but how grim it is to now read of th