What is the nature of war itself? How can success in war be achieved? Carl von Clausewitz's On War has been called, 'not simply the greatest, but the only truly great book on war.' It is an astonishing attempt to construct an all-embracing theory of how war works. Its coherence and ambition are unmatched by other historical military literature. On War is filled with sharp observation, biting irony, and memorable phrases, the most famous being, 'War is a continuation of politics by other means.