The wars connection to von Clausewitz

Levitt says he has books with him. He is reading Clausewitz's On War. The other men stare at him in disbelief. “Well,” he says, “someone has to know what he’s doing.”   The dugout is fairly luxurious as dugouts go. It has four bunks, stools, a chair and large handmade tables. Rodwell joins them for a meal. Levitt begins discussing Clausewitz: “Clausewitz says the true basis of combat is man to man. He says for that reason an army of artillery is an absurdity.” He says that true battle is like a minuet. Some of the men take some offense to this, but Rodwell smooths it over and shifts the conversation to the animals he has rescued. Rodwell explains that he is an illustrator of children’s books. The men poke some fun at him for this, but Rodwell defends himself. Sleep does not come easily to Robert. Levitt continues to quote Clausewitz (“an excess of artillery leads to a passive character in war”). Robert’s thoughts drift to Harris and Taffler.