A Guide To Battles: Decisive Conflicts in History (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Oxford Quick Reference) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192806548 ISBN 13: 9780192806543

Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A., 2005

Synopsis

A Guide to Battles tells the stories of 300 of the world's most dramatic, memorable, and important clashes, from battles in ancient Egypt to the Second Gulf War. Organized chronologically and by region it provides tactical, technological, and historical context. It is highly accessible to the general reader and invaluable for the specialist.

About this title

Review

Review from previous edition Highly recommended (Military History)

Highly recommended (Book of the Month) (Military Illustrated)

For the armchair general beleaguered by military history books, this arrives like Blucher's army at Waterloo. Well presented and clear. (The Scotsman)

The editors acknowledge current debates and research; their personal and incisive comments make this book more than a reference tool - it will serve as a valuable introduction to the study of military history for beginners and a starting-point that will inspire further reading. Recommended for all libraries. (Library Journal)

An invaluable reference for the student of military history and the general reader alike (John Ellis)

[An] excellent account...Battlefield offers a fascinating overview of military conflict up to the second Gulf war. (The Guardian)

this book will fascinate not only the dyed-in-the-wool military buffs and scholars, but many of those fringe spectators who are fans of the best popular historian of our time (Soldier)

Synopsis

This fascinating book tells the stories of the most dramatic, memorable, and important conflicts in world history, from Agincourt, Lepanto, and Trafalgar, to Gettysburg, Stalingrad, and the Somme. It begins with the battle of Megiddo fought by the ancient Egyptians and takes the reader through to the Second Gulf War of 2003. On the way it encompasses almost 300 battles from around the world - from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, to Europe and the Americas. All the battles are grouped within chapters which tell the wider story of a particular era or region, for instance the ancient world or the Americas. Each chapter includes an informative introduction that sets out the historical, tactical, and technological context, and looks at current debates. Individual battles are placed clearly within the wars and campaigns of which they formed a part, making it possible for the reader to follow the details of the battle, and at the same time to understand its military and historical implications. Battlefield summarizes the very best of contemporary scholarship on battles and war in an accessible, engaging narrative.Detailed maps portray the course of famous battles and campaigns, and a range of illustrations - many from contemporary sources - bring the narrative to life.

An extensive index gives the reader quick access to historical figures, locations, battle formations, and much more. This is an indispensable guide for history students, military enthusiasts, and professionals working in the field, and an ideal book for anyone with an interest in what Winston Churchill called 'punctuation marks in history'.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0192806548
• ISBN 13: 9780192806543
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 448
• Editor: Holmes Richard