Today in the world of 24-hour news, we cannot help but be aware of the brutality and human cost of war. It is difficult to imagine the festive atmosphere of parades and cheering as local regiments marched off to fight in the American Civil War, or even in the early days of World War I. Yet in spite of our lack of illusion about the reality of war, the idea of war still holds an enduring fascination. Cable television has an entire channel devoted to military history. Popular video game series are built around scenarios of both real and imagined warfare. Tens of thousands of participants take part in battle recreations from medieval up through modern times. Surely a significant part of this interest is because we understand how the outcomes of individual battles have changed the course of history and
how often those outcomes seem to hinge on critical decisions about strategy, tactics, or logistics.