The Art of War,

Machiavelli’s classic, if now rarely read, The Art of War was probably the single most popular military treatise in Eu- rope prior to Jomini—Clausewitz was a professed admirer. At first sight, this book, with its appar- ent attempt to revive the infantry- centered military organization of the imperial Roman legions, seems hope- lessly irrelevant to present concerns. Even within its historical setting (it was originally published in 1521), Machiavelli’s work is often dismissed today for its alleged failure to appreci- ate the social and technological trends—particularly the growing im- portance of gunpowder—underpinning the “revolution in military affairs” of the sixteenth century