THE CONVERSATION: Clausewitz, Music, and the Real Art of War

Michael Walsh20 Jun, 2025 < 1 Min Read
Austerlitz: when everything went right.

How strange the change from major to minor. Earlier this month I was honored to present a talk at the Institute of World Politics in Washington D.C., regarding principles of intelligence work, diplomacy, and statecraft as viewed through the prism of Claus von Clausewitz and his concept of Friktion. These are topics treated at length in my new book, A Rage to Conquer, which opens with a chapter on the Prussian theoretician of warfare and concludes with my controversial observations about the failure of American military leadership since 1945, especially our defeat by a handful of Saudi Arabian and other Muslims at the Battle of 9/11. Here it is:

Michael Walsh is a journalist, author, pianist, and screenwriter. He was for 16 years the music critic and a foreign correspondent for Time Magazine. His works include the novels As Time Goes By, And All the Saints, and the bestselling “Devlin” series of NSA thrillers; as well as the nonfiction bestseller, The Devil’s Pleasure Palace and its sequel, The Fiery Angel. His new book of military history, A Rage to Conquer, was published in late January. He divides his time between rural New England and even more rural Ireland. Follow him on X @theAmanuensis and on Substack: "Michael Walsh at the Pipeline."

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