THE GUINNESS BOOK OF MILITARY BLUNDERS

From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Falklands War, military history has been marked as much by misjudgements and incompetence as by gallantry and glory. Such blunders have sometimes ended in tragedy, sometimes in farce, and sometimes even in triumph, despite all the odds. This collection not only recounts some remarkable stories, but also examines the kinds of problems that can lead to disaster, ranging from the insanity of commanders (one Prussian general believed he was pregnant with an elephant) to the provision of inadequate equipment (a British force surrounded by fierce African tribesmen broke open ammunition boxes to find that they contained only biscuits). The events are often as horrific as they are humorous.