Development of military thought; organization of armed forces.

Translation of : Arte della guerra. "The Art of war was originally published in 1521."--T.p. verso.

In Cosimo Rucellai's garden, Fabrizio Colonna starts discussing the art of war --8 -- Imitation of the ancients -- 11 -- Honest men should not make war their sole profession -- 14 -- No prince or republic should allow citizens to make war their sole profession -- 17 -- Where the best soldiers are to be found -- 22 -- Should they be recruited from urban or rural areas -- 27 -- Pros and cons of a militia -- 28 -- What sort of men should be in an army -- 33 -- How the Romans raised their legions -- 35 -- Should a militia be large or small -- 37 -- Preventing disorders militias may occasion -- 40 -- Raising and paying a cavalry -- 43 -- Ancients' arms and armor -- 44 -- Contemporary arms and armor; the pike -- 46 -- Which arming methods are better -- 47 -- Arming the infantry; necessity for cavalry -- 50 -- Which is the more dependable -- 52 -- Ancient and contemporary drills -- 56 -- Forming a regiment; its battalions and companies -- 61 -- Three principal means of arranging battalions in battle formation -- 65 -- Regrouping a battalion and making it face about -- 69 -- Formation for a lateral attack -- 70 -- Forming a winged and hollow-square battalion -- 71 -- A battalion's baggage, officers, and music -- 74 -- Digression on military virtue and its rarity today -- 76 -- Number of cavalry necessary for a regiment -- 81 -- Roman battle formation -- 84 -- Macedonian, Roman, and Swiss formations -- 85 -- Advisability of combining Greek and Roman methods -- 86 -- Number of men in Roman army -- 87 -- Recommendation for drawing up a regiment or army -- 88 -- Description of a mock battle -- 92 -- Reasons for its various maneuvers -- 95 -- Army's general exercises -- 105 -- Precautions and devices useful in drawing up an army, during action, and after battle -- 111 -- Two other formations -- 121 -- When a general should engage -- 122 -- Rules generals should observe -- 124 -- Avoiding battles -- 125 -- Inspiring and calming an army -- 126 -- Utility of religion in an army -- 128 -- Making men fight -- 129 -- Roman and contemporary means for marching through enemy territory -- 130 -- Forming and defending an army in battle formation -- 131 -- Giving commands -- 138 -- Provisioning an army -- 139 -- Dividing spoils -- 140 -- Avoiding ambushes -- 142 -- A general's familiarity with terrain: necessity for; means of acquiring -- 143 -- Other marching precautions -- 144 -- Fording a river; avoiding battle while so doing -- 146 -- Avoiding enemy traps in passes -- 147 -- How Greeks and Romans chose camp sites -- 150 -- Setting up camp -- 152 -- Guarding a camp -- 161 -- Ancient military justice -- 163 -- Ancient regulations: women and gambling -- 165 -- Striking camp -- 165 -- Other considerations ancients used in choosing camp sites -- 166 -- Providing against famine -- 167 -- Encamping 2 to 4 regiments -- 168 -- Number of men needed to engage -- 169 -- How some generals escaped an enemy -- 170 -- Creating dissension in enemy ranks -- 173 -- Suppressing mutiny and discord -- 174 -- Advisability of letting the enemy become despondent -- 176 -- Securing a town suspected of disloyalty -- 178 -- Fighting in winter -- 180 -- Building and fortifying towns -- 183 -- Defending a besieged town -- 185 -- Advice to besieged and besieger -- 192 -- Trusting appearances -- 194 -- Drawing out a besieged garrison -- 195 -- Corrupting and suprising a town -- 196 -- Guarding a besieged town -- 197 -- Communicating with the outside -- 198 -- Repairing and defending a breach -- 199 -- Mines and subterranean passages -- 199 -- Not dividing your men -- 200 -- Exposure to an assault -- 201 -- General rules of military discipline -- 202 -- Obtaining sufficient horses -- 205 -- New devices and the general's use -- 205.