If you're interested in this kind of thing I also recommend "Science, Strategy, and War" principally about John Boyd's EM theory of flight combat.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Strategy-War-Strategic-Histor...

Frans Osinga's book would be more insightful for anyone who was interested in this article. There is a small cottage industry that has grown around Boyd's work (every year there is a conference dedicated to his ideas held at Quantico every year.)

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Strategy-War-Strategic-History...

The reason the military guys got this so fast was that they already knew what he was talking about.

the idea he is really talking about is John Boyd's OODA cycle[1]. It's a conceptual idea for decision making - a fast iterative feedback and decision cycle.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop

EDIT: Oh. I just got to the part where he simply says "This is based on the OODA loop by a fighter pilot named John Boyd..."

This is an /excellent/ book on the subject. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Strategy-War-Strategic-History...

What this article describes is mostly Boydian martial philosophy. Though clausewitz, sun tzu and Genghis Kahn comes into play also.

John Boyd was a US air force colonel who essentially reinvented modern warfare. Instead of attacks based on massive force, his philosophy was based on controlling the flow and tempo of battle. Controlling your adversaries ability to understand and react to the ever changing world - eventually folding himself inside out as the basketball coach did.

Similarly the wargame scenario is classic boyd too. Change the game, keep adversary off balance, you win.

Everyone should absolutely read "A discourse on winning and losing.". Everything the current dotcom wunderkids/bloggers are saying on blogs is covered in more detail and more clearly in boyd's writings.

Probably the best book on the subject currently. Not an easy read though. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Strategy-War-Strategic-History...