Ancient Warfare

The new edition of The Cambridge History of Warfare, written and updated by a team of eight distinguished military historians, examines how war was waged by Western powers across a sweeping timeframe beginning with classical Greece and Rome, moving through the Middle Ages and the early modern period, down to the wars of the 21st century in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Greek and Roman warfare was unlike that of any other culture before or since. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practiced a "Western Way of War", in which the aim is an open, decisive battle - won by courage instilled, in part, by discipline. Here, Harry Sidebottom looks at how this Western Way of War was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans and why this concept is so prevalent today.

Weapons of biological and chemical warfare have been in use for thousands of years, and Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs, Adrienne Mayor's fascinating exploration of the origins of biological and unethical warfare, draws extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern methods of war and terrorism.

A fresh account of some of history's greatest warriors. The Vikings had an extraordinary and far-reaching historical impact. From the eighth to the 11th centuries, they ranged across Europe - raiding, exploring, and colonizing - and their presence was felt as far away as Russia and Byzantium. They are most famous as warriors, yet perhaps their talent for warfare is too little understood.

Roman warfare was relentless in its pursuit of victory. A ruthless approach to combat played a major part in Rome's history, creating an empire that eventually included much of Europe, the Near East and North Africa. What distinguished the Roman army from its opponents was the uncompromising and total destruction of its enemies. Yet this ferocity was combined with a genius for absorbing conquered peoples, creating one of the most enduring empires ever known. In Roman Warfare, celebrated historian Adrian Goldsworthy traces the history of Roman warfare.

In 431 BC, the long simmering rivalry between the city-states of Athens and Sparta erupted into open warfare, and for more than a generation the two were locked in a life-and-death struggle. The war embroiled the entire Greek world, provoking years of butchery previously unparalleled in ancient Greece. Whole cities were exterminated, their men killed, their women and children enslaved.

Learn the unbelievable true history of the great warrior tribes of Mexico. More than 13 centuries of incredible spellbinding history are detailed in this intriguing study of the rulers and warriors of Mexico. Dozens of these charismatic leaders of nations and armies are brought to life by the deep research and entertaining storytelling of Peter Tsouras. Tsouras introduces the reader to the colossal personalities of the period.

It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.

Following the fall of Rome, the sea is increasingly the stage upon which the human struggle of western civilization is played out. In a world of few roads and great disorder, the sea is the medium on which power is projected and wealth sought. Yet this confused period in the history of maritime warfare has rarely been studied; it is little known and even less understood. Charles Stanton uses an innovative and involving approach to describe this fascinating but neglected facet of European medieval history.

For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume. Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death.

The voices of children are no longer heard in the streets of Jericho. Its patron goddess, Asherah, claims the newborns, its king profits and lives in the city’s palace, crime is never more than a step around the corner, and Ladies of the Night are often found dead by morning. For Rahab, this has become her life. She is a harlot, and she is convinced this is her mothers’ fault. Now a nomadic people known as the Israelites have conquered two kings nearby, just east of the Jordan River Valley. At first, Rahab takes only mild notice. But then two spies enter Jericho and break into her house...

This book is the sequel to “Harboring the Spirit of Jezebel – Caught in the web of Destruction.” In that book I explained the principal targets, suspects and retaliatory responses of Jezebel when she is exposed. In this book, my purpose is to expose some of Jezebels strategies, methods and operations specifically within the church. Together, we will explore Jezebels counterfeiting methods, her theatrical performances, perverse characteristics and unique tactics she implements in establishing a stronghold. Most people in the Church can identify some of Jezebels characteristics. Two of ...

In VOLUME II of THE TENTH, the men of the Tenth Section, First Century, Second Cohort of Julius’ Caesar’s new 10TH Legion have survived the grueling training of the Roman Legions, and embark on Caesar’s campaign against the rebelling tribes of Hispania. As Titus Pullus and his new comrades will learn, as harsh and unforgiving as their training was, nothing can prepare them for the trial of combat, while experiencing the horrors and pain of losing comrades, witnessing the many gruesome ways there are to die in their world. Almost as disorienting for some is what it means to be the ...

Mastering the West offers a thoroughly engrossing narrative of this century of battle in the western Mediterranean, while treating a full range of themes: the antagonists' military, naval, economic, and demographic resources; the political structures of both republics; and the postwar impact of the conflicts on the participants and victims.

In its darkest hour, courage alone can save the Republic. But will there be enough? In the turbulent wake of Rome's most harrowing defeats at Lake Trasimene and Cannae, the once indomitable Republic finds itself teetering on the brink of despair. Rings of Iron is a tale woven through the mudof battlefields and the marble corridors of power, where destiny is shaped by the iron will of those who dare to reshape a crumbling world. Scipio, a young Roman noble, emerges from the shadows of his storied lineage, driven by a desire to forge his own path amidst the ruins left by Carthage's genius ...

War's Fury Builds. With the Sprawling barbarians finished, Martius and the victorious Fifteenth Legion are called south to the grand capital of Belgada. The great gryphon Avorian and his rider both dream of further glory against the empire's distant enemies, but trouble brews far closer to home. As chaos rips through the imperial palace, can the Fifteenth Legion march quick enough to save the empire? Or will further twists of the Infinities doom the people of Belgada to eternal hardship and war? The smashing sequel to The Talon's Fury is here. Grab your copy to continue the epic adventure ...

One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, Mere Christianity has sold millions of copies worldwide. This audiobook brings together C. S. Lewis' legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to "explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times."

The history of warfare cannot be fully understood without considering the technology of killing. In Firepower, acclaimed historian Paul Lockhart tells the story of the evolution of weaponry and how it transformed not only the conduct of warfare, but also the very structure of power in the West, from the Renaissance to the dawn of the atomic era.

Few people today realize that this earth is the primary battle zone of a cosmic war that erupted years ago. But, after listening to this book, you will know why it is being fought, how and when it will end. The Great Controversy begins at the dawning of the Christian era, traces the rise and fall of nations and religious powers down to our day, then plunges ahead to preview the future. And what this book sees coming is not based on guesswork.

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia.