Guinness Book of Decisive Battles

by Geoffrey Regan

This is an account of 50 of the most decisive battles of Western history, the decisiveness defined not necessarily in the completeness of victory or defeat, but in the longer-term impact on the course of history. From the Salamis in 480 BC, the book proceeds through the ancient world, the medieval world and the colonial age, to the 20th century, where key engagements of the World Wars are followed by more recent conflicts whose reverberations are still felt, such as Dien Bien Phu, the Six Days War and the battle for Kuwait. The author not only examines the strategic context and long-term outcome of each battle, but discusses the course of the fighting, the commanders and participants, and the significance of innovations in weaponry.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Geoffrey Regan is an English military historian, former senior school teacher and broadcaster.

Reviews

[Nick Boldrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to assess books like this unless you know much about the battles, and I didn't - which is why I read this. They are clearly explained and put into context, and cover everything from Salamis to Dien Bien Phu. Each battle is dealt with in no more than half a dozen pages, but a good amount of detail is contained there for the general reader.