"A comprehensive and heavily illustrated guide to warfare in the ancient world. This essential guide to ancient warfare describes the fighting methods of soldiers in Europe and the Middle East in an age before gunpowder. From a detailed examination of the individual components of an ancient army and their equipment, to a fascinating exploration of ancient battle strategies, siege warfare, and naval battles, it explores the unique tactics required to win battles with the technology available. Using specially commissioned color and black-and-white artwork and 24 full-color tactical maps, this book shows in great detail the methods by which armies, including Assyrians and Roman forces, prevailed over their foes, and why other armies were less successful. This is a must-read for any reader interested in ancient warfare." - Amazon .com

"Armchair conquerors will delight in this encyclopedic and lavishly illustrated compendium of military lore. The authors, academic historians, cover the development of warfare in the Mediterranean world, from its beginnings in Sumeria and Egypt, to the rise of the Greek hoplite phalanx, to Alexander's inauguration of the age of the military genius, to the Roman legion's revolutionary combination of discipline, organization and tactical flexibility. The book is divided thematically into five chapters on infantry, mounted warfare, command and control, siege warfare and naval warfare. There are some drawbacks to this approach; the narratives of some individual battles, for example, are inconveniently broken up between different chapters. But for the most part the book lucidly organizes a huge amount of information that illuminates ancient warfare from many perspectives, from the grand strategy of generals to the minutiae of spear lengths and sword-fighting drills; particularly good are the sections on ancient artillery and the complexities of the centuries-long process of integrating horses into warfare. The excellent, multi-faceted illustrations include reproductions of ancient bas-reliefs, photos of rusty old weapons, diagrams of military units and battlefields and slightly cheesy but instructive full color paintings of battlefield encounters." - Amazon .com

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