The constants of warfare
In his new book, Iain MacGregor examines some of the most significant battles of the past 3,000 years. Here, he reveals the five key factors that shaped victory, from Marathon to Midway.
historical analysis
War Classics – The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy’s The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World was so significant a book in its day that it would have sat in the libraries of middle-class households alongside the Bible, Shakespeare’s Complete Works, and Milton’s Paradise Lost.
In Brief
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history releases.
When Europe went to war: five steps to catastrophe
‘No part of the Great War compares in interest with its opening,’ wrote Winston Churchill of the world changing events that took place 110 years ago this summer, as Europe’s ‘Great Powers’ found themselves sliding inexorably towards a new type…
Famine and Feast in Ancient Egypt
REVIEW BY ANNA GARNETT The Cambridge Elements: Ancient Egypt series delves into wider Egyptological themes and debates in fresh ways, beyond traditional approaches. Specialist authors collate primary source materials to illustrate complex themes in a way that readers can easily…
Gettysburg: the five key myths
The greatest battle in American history took place 160 years ago this summer, in July 1863. Fred Chiaventone identifies some common misunderstandings about this crucial engagement.
Sister-Queens in the High Hellenistic Period: Kleopatra Thea and Kleopatra III (Routledge Studies in Ancient History)
Review by Sarah Griffiths There are so very few books on female Ptolemaic rulers (with the exception of Cleopatra VII) that I was excited to see a new volume dedicated to two of the lesser-known and yet immensely important Cleopatras…
War Classics – The Guns of August
Tuchman aims to explore how a series of political and military decisions, often based on personal factors, faulty intelligence, or naïve assumptions, gradually escalated tensions to the outbreak of war.’
Ashoka and the Maurya Dynasty: the History and Legacy of Ancient India’s Greatest Empire
Review by Robert Harding The ancient Mauryan Empire and its third emperor Ashoka (c.304-232 BC) represent a striking departure for Colleen Taylor Sen. The author’s reputation rests on her series of food books, most notably Curry: a global history. Nevertheless,…
This week: Military disasters
It is hard to disagree with the observation, made by the distinguished military historian John Keegan (1934-2012), that ‘all battles are in some degree… disasters’. But if the brutal nature of warfare means that all such conflicts end in calamity,…
Military Disasters Quiz
At which battle in 216 BC did Hannibal lure a much larger Roman army into a deadly trap?
The myth of decisive battle
Ashley Cooper and Stephen Cooper question the hallowed notion of decisive battle.
This week: Pearl Harbor
It was, according to a famous speech made by US President Franklin D Roosevelt the following day, 'a date which will live in infamy'. Shortly before 8am on Sunday 7 December 1941 – 80 years ago next month – 360 aircraft launched in two waves from carriers belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) made a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
Never Greater Slaughter: Brunanburh and the birth of England
Assembling an extensive patchwork of evidence, Livingston tries to recreate the ‘facts’ of the Battle of Brunanburh – the major battle between King Æthelstan’s English forces and an alliance of Vikings and Scots in AD 937. While he makes some…
The Pacific War at Sea: the Battle of Midway, 4 June 1942
Neil Faulkner analyses the strategic situation in the Pacific in early 1942 and the military balance of forces.
The Battle for Hastings: searching for the truth about 1066
Controversy has recently flared over the location of the Battle of Hastings. In an exclusive Channel 4 special, Time Team investigates, undertaking the first ever dig on the traditional site and assessing the rival claimants, as Assistant Producer Alex Rowson reports.