"A new English-language translation of Études sur le combat: ancienne et moderne by French army officer Charles Ardant du Picq (1821-1870). A classic of military thought that merits space in the same pantheon occupied by Clausewitz's On War, it was first published posthumously in Paris in 1880 by Hachette & Dumaine. Newly translated, introduced, and annotated by military historian Roger Spiller, it should effectively supplant the still-current translation first published in 1921 by Macmillan (then by other publishers), attract a new generation of scholars and military professionals, and be tabbed for course adoption in the military education system."--Provided by publisher.