Carl von Clausewitz"s "On War" has been called, "not simply the greatest, but the only truly great book on war". It is an extraordinary attempt to construct an all-embracing theory of how war works. Its coherence and ambition are unmatched by other military literature. "On War" is full of sharp observation, biting irony, and memorable phrases, the most famous being, "war is a continuation of politics by other means".