Quote of the day: Napoleon pigs out

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 6:53 AM Share

In an essay knocking down the concept of "total war" in the book Arms and the Man, West Point history prof (and rowing coach) Eugenia Kiesling offers this interesting analogy: "If war under the ancien regime was like dining at an elegant restaurant where one paid extravagantly for small, elaborately presented portions, Napoleon took advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet."

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Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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