Of interest to the Program or Project Manager, are the various plans put into place and the Managers (Generals) that executed them. There are two major military plans represented in the book–the German "Schlieffen Plan" and the French "Plan 17". Both the plans are covered in detail through their genesis, metamorphosis and execution. Their successes, failures, oversights covered in detail. Both plans were very detailed and had significant mitigation involved. Both missed, though, some key points. Neither plan accounted for egos of the team members (subordinate staff) or that there was need for a defensive strategy. In addition, the Schlieffen Plan did not conceive of insubordination or that variations would be introduced in violation of the core premise of the plan. Plan 17 was had insufficient planning for subcontractor support (allied commitments were not fully in place) and proper communication. The allies had over estimated the Russian forces even though prior conflicts should have shown their poor performance in their infrastructural requirements or logistical needs.

This book is an excellent case study in incomplete planning and the effects of human factors on plans.

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