The Great Battles of Antiquity PDF Download

Author: Richard A. Gabriel
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 752

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Book Description
Beginning with Megiddo, the first battle in history for which there is a relatively detailed account of strategy and tactics, Gabriel and Boose provide a systematic survey of major battles, wars, and campaigns.

Author: Richard A. Gabriel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313012695
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455

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Book Description
Gabriel examines 18 ancient army systems, examining the organizational structure and weapons employed and the degree to which cultural values and imperatives shaped the form and application of military force. The tactical doctrines and specific operational capabilities of each army are analyzed to explain how certain technical limitations and societal/cultural imperatives affected the operational capabilities of ancient armies. Cross-cultural and cross-historical connections ground the analysis in the larger historical context of the ancient world. •Sumer and Akkad •The Armies of the Pharaohs •The Hittites •The Mitanni •Armies of the Bible •The Iron Army of Assyria •Chinese Armies •Persia and the Art of Logistics •The Greeks •Carthaginian Armies •Armies of India •Rome •The Iberians, Celts, Germans, and Goths •The Army of Byzantium •The Vikings •The Arab Armies •The Japanese Way of War •The Mongols •The Ottomans This book also provides an introductory overview of war in the ancient world, from 2500 B.C.E. to 1453 C.E., as well as an examination of the evolution of modern warfare from 1453 to 2002 C.E.

Author: Philip Sabin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0826422004
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 527

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Book Description
From the author's introduction: Ancient battles seize the modern imagination. Far from being forgotten, they have become a significant aspect of popular culture, prompting a continuing stream of books, feature films, television programs and board and computer games... there is a certain escapist satisfaction in looking back to an era when conflicts between entire states turned on clear-cut pitched battles between formed armies, lasting just a few hours and spanning just a few miles of ground. These battles were still unspeakably traumatic and grisly affairs for those involved - at Cannae, Hannibal's men butchered around two and a half times as many Romans (out of a much smaller overall population) as there were British soldiers killed on the notorious first day of the Somme. However, as with the great clashes of the Napoleonic era, time has dulled our preoccupation with such awful human consequences, and we tend to focus instead on the inspired generalship of commanders like Alexander and Caesar and on the intriguing tactical interactions of units such as massed pikemen and war elephants within the very different military context of pre-gunpowder warfare. Lost Battles takes a new and innovative approach to the battles of antiquity. Using his experience with conflict simulation, Philip Sabin draws together ancient evidence and modern scholarship to construct a generic, grand tactical model of the battles as a whole. This model unites a mathematical framework, to capture the movement and combat of the opposing armies, with human decisions to shape the tactics of the antagonists. Sabin then develops detailed scenarios for 36 individual battles such as Marathon and Cannae, and uses the comparative structure offered by the generic model to help cast light on which particular interpretations of the ancient sources on issues such as army size fit in best with the general patterns observed elsewhere. Readers can use the model to experiment for themselves by re-fighting engagements of their choice, tweaking the scenarios to accord with their own judgment of the evidence, trying out different tactics from those used historically, and seeing how the battle then plays out. Lost Battles thus offers a unique dynamic insight into ancient warfare, combining academic rigor with the interest and accessibility of simulation gaming. This book includes access to a downloadable computer simulation where the reader can view the author's simulations as well create their own.

Author: Alan B. Lloyd
Publisher: Classical Press of Wales
ISBN: 1910589381
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
How do fighting men act and feel in battle? How do they deal with the trauma of conflict? What determines the outcome of battle? Modern research on war, notably that of John Keegan and Victor Hanson, has posed these questions with a new acuteness. In the ancient world, warfare was a constant reality. Much ancient literature deals with it. The present collection of original studies applies the new methods, for the first time, to the warriors of Greece, Rome and Pharaonic Egypt. The contributors demonstrate that the battle-experience of Homer's heroes and of Alexander's infantrymen compares surprisingly with that of Wellington's redcoats.

Author: Edward Shepherd Creasy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Battles
Languages : en
Pages : 588

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Author: Patrick Hunt
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781942614128
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The ancient historian Polybius urged caution regarding writing about places one has not been. Author Patrick Hunt agrees, and this volume on ancient battles is informed by having walked most of the battle sites and having studied archaeological material associated with each of them. Combining expertise in archaeology, geography, military history, and Classical studies, he provides a fresh analysis of twelve conflicts of the ancient world that shaped subsequent history in the West. From the Late Bronze age to the Late Roman Empire and Early Medieval Era, this book examines in chronological order the following battles: ¢¢ Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Ninevah (612 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Marathon (490 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Issus (333 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Trebbia (218 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Cannae (216 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Cartagena (209 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Alesia (52 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Actium (31 BCE) ¢¢ Battle of Masada (73 CE) ¢¢ Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (451 CE) ¢¢ Battle of Tours (732 CE) Chapter formats for each battle include: battle map, background, discussion of topography, major commanders, order of battle of adversaries, battle chronology, unusual decisions, tactics, outcomes, and conclusions as to why each changed history.

Author: Owen Rees
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473889847
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Naval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians.Each battle is set in context. The background, wider military campaigns, and the opposing forces are discussed, followed by a narrative and analysis of the fighting. Finally, the aftermath of the battles are dealt with, looking at the strategic implications of the outcome for both the victor and the defeated. The battle narratives are supported by maps and tactical diagrams, showing the deployment of the fleets and the wider geographical factors involved in battle. Written in an accessible tone, this book successfully shows that Greek naval warfare did not start and end at the battle of Salamis.

Author: Joseph Pietrykowski
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844158381
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
Pietrykowski analyses the Macedonian art of war from its development under Philip II, perfection under Alexander the Great, and further adaptation under the Successor States. Focussing on twenty battles spanning the era of Macedonian primacy, we see the evolving just the forces, strategies and tactics employed by Hellenistic generals and gain an understanding of their successes and ultimate failures when facing new foes such as the Romans. Clear diagrams make the action easy to follow.

Author: C. Jacob Butera
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473889995
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Book Description
“This useful work will appeal to a wide audience, from military buffs to historically minded tourists (and their guides), to students and scholars.” —Choice Greece was the scene of some of the most evocative and decisive battles in the ancient world. This volume brings together the ancient evidence and modern scholarship on twenty battlefields throughout Greece. It is a handy resource for visitors of every level of experience, from the member of a guided tour to the veteran military historian. The introductory chapter outlines some of the most pressing and interesting issues in the study of Ancient Greek battles and battlefields and offers a crash course on ancient warfare. Twenty lively chapters explore battlefields selected for both their historical importance and their inspiring sites. In addition to accessible overviews of each battle, this book provides all the information needed for an intellectually and aesthetically rewarding visit, including transport and travel details, museum overviews, and further reading.

Author: James Howard-Johnston
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019883019X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 495

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Book Description
The last great war of antiquity was fought on an unprecedented scale along the full length of the Persian-Roman frontier. James Howard-Johnston pieces together the fragmentary evidence of this period to form, for the first time, a coherent story of the dramatic events, key players, and vast lands over which the conflict spread.