An English military historian and theorist, being the editor of the encyclopedia Britannica and forced to delve into various periods of military history, came to the conclusion that decisive results in any campaign were achieved only if the actions of the commanders were contrary to the expectations of the enemy, "indirect," as he called them. His strategy of "a long way around," the search for the right military doctrine is investigated in this book on the example of wars that radically influenced the development of world history.