1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History

1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History traces the history of warmongering, from the small-scale battles of the ancient world to the devastation of modern conflicts. It provides a comprehensive record of the armed combats that have shaped the political and cultural landscape of the world and is fully illustrated with images ranging from ancient triumphal stone carvings through to the very latest war photography. This is much more than a straightforward military history title; it reveals the fascinating, and sometimes surprising, ways in which key military events have shaped the world in which we live. From the earliest recorded conflicts, involving just a few thousand foot soldiers, to the horrors of modern, chemical warfare, 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History looks at the reasons why people go to war and both the short- and long-term consequences of battles of all sizes. To understand modern conflicts, people need to know what has gone before. This book traces the changing face of warfare around the globe, from the Battle of Troy, the Fall of Babylon, and the Siege of Antioch to the Battle of Gettysburg, the bombing of Guernica, the Siege of Leningrad, and the Battle of Fallujah.