Organization: How Armies are Formed for War

"Organization: How Armies are Formed for War" by Hubert Foster is an early 20th-century analysis of the factors that impact how militaries are structured. The book methodically looks at the ideas and frameworks behind military organization, with a focus on how armies get ready for war, and is written to make clear the different units, formations, and administrative systems that make military command and operations work well. The book begins by explaining why the author compiled a thorough account of army organization, because there was not a systematic book already available. Foster highlights the main goals of war organization such as command and administration, while explaining that they are linked and needed for an army to work well and sets the groundwork for later chapters that explore troop organization and the changes in military methods over time by defining basic ideas like the chain of command and troop units.