Essential Histories – serie

In this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Dr Aaron Edwards provides a concise overview of one of the most difficult and controversial actions in recent history.Spanning 38 years of the ‘Troubles’, the British Army’s deployment in Northern Ireland (codenamed Operation Banner) was one of the most difficult and controversial in its recent history. Over 10,000 troops were on active service during much of the campaign, which saw armoured vehicles, helicopters and special forces deployed onto the streets of Ulster. In this book, Dr Aaron Edwards considers the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of Operation Banner, as the Army’s military objectives morphed from high-profile peacekeeping into a covert war against the IRA. Using personal testimony from both sides of the sectarian divide, as well as insights from the soldiers themselves, he presents an authoritative introduction to the Army’s role in the Troubles, providing expert analysis of Operation Banner’s successes and failures.Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and 50 new images, this is an accessible introduction to the complicated yet fascinating history of modern Britain‘s longest military campaign.

Fully illustrated with colour maps and images, this is an accessible introduction to one of history’s most heavily romanticized and mythologized campaigns.Dr Gregory Fremont-Barnes presents a detailed overview of the Forty-five Rebellion, dispelling the myths that have grown up around battles like Culloden and the figures of the Highlanders. Led by the charismatic Bonnie Prince Charlie and fought in the main by clansmen loyal to the Stuarts, the revolt initially saw government forces outmanoeuvred and outfought before the Prince’s march on London halted at Derby. But the following spring, pursued back into the Highlands by the Duke of Cumberland, the Prince’s army made its doomed last stand on the moor of Culloden. Fremont-Barnes examines this key turning point in British history, analysing the dynastic struggle of two royal houses, the Rebellion’s manoeuvres and battles and the tragic aftermath for the Highlands.Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and 30 new images, this is an accessible introduction to the famous campaign which saw the Stuart dynasty’s final attempt to regain the British throne, and the end of the Highland clans’ way of life.

Updated and revised from the popular 2002 edition, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this is a concise study of the American Revolutionary War.The American Revolution, or the American War of Independence, has been characterized politically as a united political uprising of the American colonies and militarily as a guerrilla campaign of colonists against the inflexible British military establishment. In this book, Daniel Marston argues that this belief, though widespread, is a misconception. He contends that the American Revolution, in reality, created deep political divisions in the population of the Thirteen Colonies, while militarily pitting veterans of the Seven Years' War against one another, in a conflict that combined guerrilla tactics and classic 18th-century campaign techniques on both sides. The peace treaty of 1783 that brought an end to the war marked the formal beginning of the United States of America as an independent political entity.With revisions from the author and 50 new images, this illustrated overview of the American Revolution provides an important reference resource for the academic or student reader as well as those with a general interest in the period.

An illustrated overview of the Hundred Years War, the longest-running and the most significant conflict in western Europe in the later Middle Ages. There can be no doubt that military conflict between France and England dominated European history in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Hundred Years War is of considerable interest both because of its duration and the number of theatres in which it was fought. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Hundred Years War expert Professor Anne Curry examines how the war can reveal much about the changing nature of warfare: the rise of infantry and the demise of the knight; the impact of increased use of gunpowder and the effect of the war on generations of people. Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and 50 new images, this illustrated introduction provides an important reference resource for the academic or student reader as well as those with a general interest in late medieval warfare.

This book offers a new interpretation of the period of fighting out of which the United States was born. The American Revolution has been characterized politically as a united uprising of the American colonies and militarily as a guerrilla campaign of colonists against the inflexible British military establishment. In this book, Daniel Marston argues that this belief, though widespread, is a misconception. He contends that the American Revolution created deep political divisions in the population of the thirteen colonies, and that in reality it was a war between rival groups of British veterans of the Seven Years' War.

This book traces the background and course of the French-Indian War, fought out in the forests, plains, and forts of the North American frontier. Despite early French successes against a British army unskilled in woodland fighting, the British learned quickly from their Native American allies and emerged victorious at Louisbourg and Quebec.

The bloody war of 1812 saw British, American, and First Nations forces clash in a conflict that would forever alter North America. This book explains the background to the war and covers the three years of fighting on land and sea, including the battles of Lake Erie and Lake Champlain.

The war with Mexico was the most decisive conflict in American history. It was a bitter, hard-fought war that left the young United States in control of the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This book covers the full course of the war, ending with General Winfield Scott's march from Vera Cruz to Mexico City.

The first of four volumes that together provide a comprehensive account of World War I, this book unravels the complicated and tragic events of the war's Eastern Front. In particular, this book details the history of conflict between Germany and Russia, which proved disastrous for the Russian forces and would ultimately pave the way for the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917.

More than eight decades later, the Great War--particularly the great battles such as the Somme and Verdun--continues to fascinate us and cast long shadows over our world today. In this volume Peter Simkins re-examines the early years of the war's Western Front, shedding interesting new light on the nature, course, and effects of the fighting in France and Belgium from 1914 to 1916.

In this second volume devoted to the Western Front of World War I, Peter Simkins describes the last great battles of attrition at Arras, on the Aisne, and at Passchendaele in 1917. The book moves on to relate the successive offenses launched by Germany during the spring and summer of 1918 in an effort to achieve victory or a favorable peace before American manpower proved decisive. Questioning and debunking several myths and assumptions about the conduct of war on the Western Front, the author also looks at the aftermath and legacy of the war to end wars.

The First World War in the Mediterranean represented much more than just a peripheral theater to the war on the western front. This engaging volume includes detailed descriptions of allied attempts to capture Constantinople; bloody campaigning in northern Italy; the defense of the Suez Canal; the defeat of the Turkish army in Palestine; the Arab revolt; skirmished in North Africa; and the entrapment of an enormous Allied garrison in Greece, described by Germans as the world's biggest prison camp. This theater of war resulted in the fall of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, the birth of nations unknown in 1914, and the inception of new regional conflicts that continue to shape the Middle East to this day.

This volume provides a comprehensive guide to three major theaters of combat: the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. The war at sea was a critical contest, as sea-lanes provided the logistical arteries for British and subsequent Allied armies fighting on the three continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Land forces ultimately won World War II, but the battles at sea fundamentally altered the balance of military power on the ground.

In 1940, fresh from the success in France, Hitler turned his attention to the East. In this volume, Geoffrey Jukes explains what led to Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) and offers an account of the campaign that followed. The Germans expected to conquer Russia in only four months, but at Stalingrad and then at Kursk the Russians held their ground. At a human cost of 27 million Russian lives, Hitler was forced into a humiliating retreat, while the Soviet Union emerged from the war as a global superpower.

This book provides a gripping exploration of the full two decades of the Vietnam War--arguably the most important event, or series of events, of the American Century. The United States entered this brutal conflict certain of its Cold War doctrines and its moral mission to save the world from the advance of communism. But the war was not at all what America expected. Outnumbered and outgunned, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces resorted to guerrilla warfare based on the theories of China's Mao Zedong. This was war reduced to its most basic level--find the enemy and kill him.

The Gulf War of 1991 heralded a new type of warfare characterized by astonishing speed and technology with remarkably few casualties amongst the coalition forces. Just under a million coalition personnel were deployed to the Gulf region to face a variety of threats from extreme temperatures to weapons of mass destruction (biological, chemical, and suspected nuclear), as well as a formidable Iraqi occupation force. This concise volume assesses the defensive Operation Desert Shield (the buildup of coalition forces) and the offensive Operation Desert Storm (the liberation of Kuwait), exploring the strategies and key personalities on both sides. Explaining the reasons behind the war, the book depicts with detail and sensitivity the human element of war amongst sophisticated military technology, providing a context for understanding present-day conflicts in Iraq and the Middle East.

It is a testament to the enduring intrigue of the subject that even today the events of the Peloponnesian War are studied for what they can teach about diplomacy, strategy, and tactics. Philip de Souza's book reveals the darker side of Classical Greek civilization--from the horrific effects of overcrowding and the plague on the Athenian population to the vicious civil strife that often erupted in cities allied with Athens or Sparta. This volume offers vivid and at times disturbing insights into the impact of warfare on the people who are celebrated as the founders of Western civilization.

This book covers one of the defining periods of European history. The series of wars between the Greeks and the Persian Empire produced the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis, as well as an ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Persian king in 400 BC, which helped to inspire the conquests of Alexander the Great. To tell the story of these momentous events--of the lives of great men and women, the societies and cultures that produced them, and how and why they came into conflict--was the aim of Herodotus. Known as the Father of History, Herodotus' account of the wars is the first book to be called a history, and is the principal source for this concise and accessible volume.

The age of Alexander and his conquest of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire, which had existed for over two centuries, represents a watershed in the history of the world. This book offers fascinating insight into the achievements of one of the greatest generals ever known. Alexander's conquests are of profound significance. By perfecting the new weapons and tactics developed by his father and combining them with the use of specialist units and advancements in siege warfare, Alexander enabled the Macedonian kingdom to move beyond the restrictions of city-state armies and on to the stage of world conquest.

Julius Caesar was one of the most ambitious and successful politicians of the late Roman Republic, and his short but bloody conquest of the Celtic tribes led to the establishment of the Roman province of Gaul (modern France). Caesar's commentaries on his Gallic Wars provide us with the most detailed surviving eyewitness account of a campaign from antiquity. In this book, Kate Gilliver makes use of this firsthand account and other surviving evidence to consider the importance of the Gallic Wars in the context of the collapse of the Roman Republic and its slide toward civil war.

In the early third century AD, the Roman Empire was a force to be reckoned with, controlling vast territories and wielding enormous political power from Scotland to the Sahara. Four hundred years later, this mighty empire was falling apart in the face of ongoing problems and the government's failure to deal with them. In this challenging new volume, Michael Whitby tackles the fundamental issues (such as the rise of Christianity) that led to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, and offers a startling reassessment of the performance of the late Roman army.

Byzantium survived for 800 years, yet its dominions and power fluctuated dramatically during that time. In this book, John Haldon tells the full story of the Byzantine Empire--from the days when it was barely clinging to survival, to the age when its fabulous wealth attracted Viking mercenaries and Asian nomad warriors, to its armies whose very appearance on the battlefield was enough to bring enemies to terms. In 1453, the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XII, died fighting on the ramparts, bringing to a romantic end the glorious history of this legendary empire.

The history of the Mongol conquests is a catalog of superlatives. No army in the world has ever conquered so much territory, and few fighting forces have provoked such terror as the Mongol hordes. So vast was the extent of the Mongol Empire that the samurai of Japan and the Teutonic Knights of Prussia had each fought the same enemy while being unaware of each other's existence. This book provides a concise yet thorough account of the Mongol conquests, including the rise of Genghis Khan and the unification of the tribes, with up-to-date information on campaign logistics, tactics, and horse breeding.

The Great Plains cover the central two-thirds of the United States, and during the nineteenth century they were home to some of the largest and most powerful Native American tribes on the continent. The conflict between those tribes and the newcomers from Europe lasted one hundred and fifty years, and required the resources of five nations--Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States--before fighting finally ended in the mid 1890s. This masterly exposition explains the background, causes, and long-term effects of these bitter wars, whose legacy can still be felt today.

In this fully illustrated introduction, leading Vietnam War historian Dr Andrew Wiest provides a concise overview of America’s most divisive war. America entered the Vietnam War certain of its Cold War doctrines and convinced of its moral mission to save the world from the advance of communism. However, the war was not at all what the United States expected. Dr Andrew Wiest examines how, outnumbered and outgunned, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces resorted to a guerrilla war based on the theories of Mao Zedong of China, while the US responded with firepower and overwhelming force. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Wiest examines the brutal and prolonged resultant conflict, and how its consequences would change America forever, leaving the country battered and unsure as it sought to face the challenges of the final acts of the Cold War. As for Vietnam, the conflict would continue long after the US had exited its military adventure in Southeast Asia.Updated and revised, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this is an accessible introduction to the most important event of the “American Century.”

Fully illustrated with colour maps and 50 images, this is an accessible introduction to the most violent, turbulent, cruel and exciting chapter in Japanese history.In 1467 the Onin War ushered in a period of unparalleled conflict and rivalry in Japan that came to be called the Age of Warring States. In this book, Stephen Turnbull offers a masterly exposition of the wars, explaining what led to Japan’s disintegration into rival domains after more than a century of relative peace; the years of fighting that followed; and the period of gradual fusion when the daimyo (great names) strove to reunite Japan under a new Shogun. Peace returned to Japan with the end of the Osaka War in 1615. Turnbull draws on his latest research to include new material for this updated edition, covering samurai acting as mercenaries, the expeditions to Korea, Taiwan and Okinawa, and the little-known campaigns against the Ainu of Hokkaido, to present a richer picture of an age when conflicts were spread far more widely than was hitherto realised.With specially commissioned maps and all-new images throughout, this updated and revised edition provides a concise overview of Japan’s turbulent Age of Warring States.

An accessible illustrated introduction to the brutal conflict in the former Yugoslavia, one of the greatest yet least understood tragedies of the 20th century.In 1991, an ethnically diverse and peaceful region of Europe descended into violence, lawlessness, bitter hatred and chaos, almost overnight to the bewilderment of international observers. Communities fractured along lines of ethnic and religious affiliation, and the ensuing fighting was deeply personal, resulting in horrific brutality, rape, torture and genocide, causing the deaths of thousands of people. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Alastair Finlan examines the internal upheavals of the former Yugoslavia and their international implications, including the failure of the Vance-Owen plan; the first use of NATO in a combat role and in peace enforcement; and the war in Kosovo, unsanctioned by the UN but prosecuted by NATO forces to prevent the ethnic cleansing of the region.Updated and revised, with specially commissioned colour maps and all new images throughout, this is a concise overview of the tragic conflict in former Yugoslavia and its significant consequences.

Illustrated with colour maps and images, this is an introduction to the Franco-Prussian War, a war that marked the beginning of the creation of modern Europe.The Franco-Prussian War started in 1870 when Otto von Bismarck engineered a war with the French Second Empire under Napoleon III, as part of his plan to unite Prussia with the southern German states as a new Germany. Stephen Badsey examines the build-up, battles, and impact of the war, which was an overwhelming Prussian victory with massive consequences. The French Second Empire collapsed, Napoleon III became an exile in Britain, and King Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of the new united Germany. In the peace settlement that followed, Germany gained the eastern French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, areas that were to provide a bone of contention for years to come.Updated for the new edition with revisions from the author and new images throughout, this is an accessible introduction to the largest and most important war fought in Europe between the age of Napoleon and the First World War.

In this fully illustrated introduction, Dr Michael Lynch provides a concise overview of the Chinese Civil War, a defining conflict in world history.Between the end of World War II and the dawn of the Cold War, one of the most important conflicts in modern history reached its climax. In this illustrated history, bestselling historian Dr Michael Lynch examines how the long struggle between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and Mao Zedong’s Communists exploded into an intense, brutal and ruthlessly fought civil war. Delving into the political background and complex ramifications of the conflict, he assesses Mao and Chiang’s millions-strong armies, their strategies and commanders, and the critical campaigns that won and lost China. By 1949 the Nationalist government was defeated and in exile in Taiwan, and the new People’s Republic of China was ready to emerge as a major Cold War power.Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this is a concise study of one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century and its significant repercussions, the issues around which remain unresolved today.