What do you think?
Rate this book
Osprey Campaign #22
Qadesh 1300 a.C.: la batalla de los reyes guerreros
Madrid. 25 cm. 96 p. il. Encuadernación en tapa blanda de editorial. Colección 'Batallas de la historia', numero coleccion(29). Versión castellana, Bernardo Rincón. Traducción Qadesh 1300 BC. Batalla de Qadesh, 1300 a. C. Ejércitos y batallas. 59. Batallas de la historia. 29 .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario. 8478385320
96 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1995
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 8, 2021
"Qadesh 1300 BC" is an interesting book for various reasons. To quote the author, "Qadesh is the earliest battle in the history of mankind whose course can be reconstructed in detail." For this reason spoilers will be included after a brief description of this book.
Number 22 in the Campaign Series of Osprey books not only covers the battle in detail but also provides colorful artwork, maps, photos of present day terrain (which hasn't changed too much in the course of some 3000 years), illustrations from temple walls, and fine photographs of massed Egyptian chariots being led by Rameses II, courtesy of Yul Brynner in the movie "The Ten Commandments." Also, as with other of the early books in the series, information is given on recreating the battle on table tops with miniature figures, which was a big hobby before computer games came on the scene. Why would I mention this? Reading this part explains why armchair generals with their legions of historical figures, and some historians, shouldn't do or say certain things!
SPOILERS
As in ancient and medieval times, kings led their armies into battle. Rameses II, Pharaoh of Egypt was going to war with King Muwatallish of the Hittite Empire over the land that is now known as Syria. Rameses II, who sounded a little cocky, nearly walked into a trap. You see, in ancient times one followed protocol. You sent a message stating where you would meet for battle, and when. This was usually after the harvest was in. It took time to travel to the agreed upon spot. For instance, a baggage donkey could carry a maximum load of about 100 pounds at about 2 mph. Try telling that to my donkey! So the army that arrived first was usually at an advantage because they had a chance to rest and make any final preparations.
What happened was that the Hittities arrived first and Muwatallish, through the cunning use of spies and scouts, lured Rameses II into thinking he arrived first. At the last minute Rameses found out the truth so he sent for the rest of his army. The next day a strong force of Hittite chariots stumbled into one of the Egyptian columns and scattered it. Instead of finishing them off they attacked Pharaoh's camp in search of loot. With considerable bravery Rameses counterattacked with his small force and routed the enemy. Muwatallish, watching from a distant hill, tried to save his army by attacking with his only reserve. It was his escort and the accompanying tribal chiefs who had sworn their allegiance, and probably thought they would not have to fight. The Egyptians rallied and another Egyptian column arrived on the scene. It was a disaster for the Hittites. However, by winning the battle Rameses lost the war!
If you read the book, even with my spoilers, you will surely be entertained by the details. And you will learn something as well!
Number 22 in the Campaign Series of Osprey books not only covers the battle in detail but also provides colorful artwork, maps, photos of present day terrain (which hasn't changed too much in the course of some 3000 years), illustrations from temple walls, and fine photographs of massed Egyptian chariots being led by Rameses II, courtesy of Yul Brynner in the movie "The Ten Commandments." Also, as with other of the early books in the series, information is given on recreating the battle on table tops with miniature figures, which was a big hobby before computer games came on the scene. Why would I mention this? Reading this part explains why armchair generals with their legions of historical figures, and some historians, shouldn't do or say certain things!
SPOILERS
As in ancient and medieval times, kings led their armies into battle. Rameses II, Pharaoh of Egypt was going to war with King Muwatallish of the Hittite Empire over the land that is now known as Syria. Rameses II, who sounded a little cocky, nearly walked into a trap. You see, in ancient times one followed protocol. You sent a message stating where you would meet for battle, and when. This was usually after the harvest was in. It took time to travel to the agreed upon spot. For instance, a baggage donkey could carry a maximum load of about 100 pounds at about 2 mph. Try telling that to my donkey! So the army that arrived first was usually at an advantage because they had a chance to rest and make any final preparations.
What happened was that the Hittities arrived first and Muwatallish, through the cunning use of spies and scouts, lured Rameses II into thinking he arrived first. At the last minute Rameses found out the truth so he sent for the rest of his army. The next day a strong force of Hittite chariots stumbled into one of the Egyptian columns and scattered it. Instead of finishing them off they attacked Pharaoh's camp in search of loot. With considerable bravery Rameses counterattacked with his small force and routed the enemy. Muwatallish, watching from a distant hill, tried to save his army by attacking with his only reserve. It was his escort and the accompanying tribal chiefs who had sworn their allegiance, and probably thought they would not have to fight. The Egyptians rallied and another Egyptian column arrived on the scene. It was a disaster for the Hittites. However, by winning the battle Rameses lost the war!
If you read the book, even with my spoilers, you will surely be entertained by the details. And you will learn something as well!
December 26, 2011
This is another of Osprey Publishing’s informative historical overview books, but unlike the first book of theirs which I tried – about the Middle Kingdom Egyptian soldiery – this piece on the famous Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptian forces under Ramesses II the Great and the Hittites led by Muwatallis transcends informative and educational to become a genuinely interesting and pretty in depth examination. Healy explains the battle manoeuvres in detail yet clearly, but also discusses the events leading up to the conflict and why Kadesh was so strategically important. The book is chock full of photographs, illustrations, and battle tactics maps which go a long way in illuminating possibly the most well-known confrontation of world powers in the Bronze Age outside of the siege of Troy – the status of which as myth of history still remains up for grabs.
Moreover, Healy doesn’t just summarise and explain, but critically analyses the evidence and past interpretations of the battle to present the version of events that he believes to have been most likely and why – against more commonly held versions – and he’s very convincing! The one thing I didn’t agree with was Healy’s higher chronology – in my Egyptology degrees the lower chronology has always been presented to us as more likely, however Healy was writing in 1993, and also I keep in mind that current research into the Battle of Kadesh may have moved on since then – however that doesn’t in my mind, unless more recent research has proven otherwise, invalidate his convincingly argued interpretations and conclusions about the way the Battle of Kadesh really unfolded. The book is still fairly short and no doubt more could be said – if I were researching the battle in depth, I’d consult many more texts, however this is an excellent starting place, and provides not only summary but well-argued interpretation as well.
8 out of 10.
Moreover, Healy doesn’t just summarise and explain, but critically analyses the evidence and past interpretations of the battle to present the version of events that he believes to have been most likely and why – against more commonly held versions – and he’s very convincing! The one thing I didn’t agree with was Healy’s higher chronology – in my Egyptology degrees the lower chronology has always been presented to us as more likely, however Healy was writing in 1993, and also I keep in mind that current research into the Battle of Kadesh may have moved on since then – however that doesn’t in my mind, unless more recent research has proven otherwise, invalidate his convincingly argued interpretations and conclusions about the way the Battle of Kadesh really unfolded. The book is still fairly short and no doubt more could be said – if I were researching the battle in depth, I’d consult many more texts, however this is an excellent starting place, and provides not only summary but well-argued interpretation as well.
8 out of 10.
January 14, 2017
Recently I've become more interested in the Bronze Age and in doing that I've slowly come to the battle of Qadesh (Kadesh), histories earliest documented campaign. I've found that Ospreys campaign series is usually a good summary of a campaign, especially from the perspective of a wargame. In this case Mr. Healy does an excellent job presenting a slightly different perspective of the battle for Qadesh than typically presented; viewing it more as a meeting engagement than as a planned ambush by the Hittites. Mr. Healy does an excellent job presenting his case for this (the lack of the total destruction of P'Re) but I also feel he limits his analysis when he assessing the Hittite chariots falling on Pharroh's camp and fails to really address the lack of action by the Hittite infantry or to estimate the size of the Hittite chariot "probe" (since P'Re wasn't destroyed by the charge its my opinion that a few hundred Hittite chariots were involved rather than the entire force. The charge to the camp would be better explained as failing if only a few hundred were involved). I also feel that Mr. Heal limited his assessment of the documentation of Qadesh as propaganda by Pharroh to bolster his position. When merging Mr. Healy's writing with the drawings, pictures and maps the book becomes a very solid 4 star book for providing a quick overview.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2018
Summary: Ramses II marches north with the idea of conquering Hittite territory. But Hittite chariots, while engaged in a reconnaissance-in-force, inadvertently blunder into an Egyptian corps (the P'Re) while both are on the march. The Egyptian corps is routed. Taken by surprise, Ramses II throws a fit, sends messages to the rest of his forces to quickly concentrate, and he manages to recover the field when more of his corps arrive in time to damage the remaining Hittites forces (not yet concentrated themselves) enough so that the Hittites think it better to sue for peace.
The next day, Ramses throws an even bigger fit, executes various 'rebels' as an example (some of his own routed troops), and agrees to a peace treaty with the Hittite king. But having 'won' the battle, Ramses loses the peace. His forces, too damaged to carry on, can't do anything except go home. This leaves the Hittites in possession of the battlefield of Qadesh. As Ramses passes through the Egyptian-held Canaan, his forces are mocked and jeered by the locals. Canaan rises in revolt after they pass through, and Ramses has to spend much time trying to reconquer his own territory. He had failed to conquer any Hittite territory and lost some of his own in the process. He orders workmen to carve an account of his great victory all over the place, commissions the creation of a poem singing his praises, and thus the art of spin-doctoring is born.
The next day, Ramses throws an even bigger fit, executes various 'rebels' as an example (some of his own routed troops), and agrees to a peace treaty with the Hittite king. But having 'won' the battle, Ramses loses the peace. His forces, too damaged to carry on, can't do anything except go home. This leaves the Hittites in possession of the battlefield of Qadesh. As Ramses passes through the Egyptian-held Canaan, his forces are mocked and jeered by the locals. Canaan rises in revolt after they pass through, and Ramses has to spend much time trying to reconquer his own territory. He had failed to conquer any Hittite territory and lost some of his own in the process. He orders workmen to carve an account of his great victory all over the place, commissions the creation of a poem singing his praises, and thus the art of spin-doctoring is born.
September 22, 2020
Qadesh was the first large battle of the ancient era (chariot era to wargamers) between Egypt and the Hittite Empires. In this Campaign book series Mark Healy presents information on the Qadesh (1300BC). His reading of the sources (Egyptian) provides a version of the events which may not be the one some readers have previously read, but Healy provides good explanations of other theories and why he presents this version as the likely truth.
September 1, 2009
An archeological look at the campaign which culminated in the Battle of Qadesh circa 1300 BC, with the defeat of the Hittite army under the wheels of Pharaoh Ramses II's chariots.
January 6, 2017
Unlike other Osprey titles this one makes an argument about the accepted narrative of the battle. I for one think it was a Hittie victory in essence.
May 21, 2024
Hablar del sello editorial de Osprey Military, es hablar de una excelencia en cuanto a historiografía militar y bélica. Sus obras son magníficas, y en España hemos tenido aquella famosa publicación por Ediciones del Prado en la colección "Ejército y Batallas". Tuve la suerte de hacer tres cuartas partes de la extensísima colección, y son joyas actualmente, que han vuelto a reeditarse en otro formato y edición para suerte de los coleccionistas y amantes de la historia militar.
He elegido la obra de "Qadesh" de Mark Healey, porque a mi juicio es de las más brillantes. Esa batalla, probablemente la más importante de la Antigüedad, y sin embargo poco conocida, entre el Imperio egipcio y el hitita, marcó el devenir de todo Oriente Medio, y sobre todo propició el primer Tratado de Paz de la historia de la humanidad, que duró vigente más de 80 años.
La obra, como es habitual, tiene una introducción, te sitúa en el contexto histórico-político, presenta a los ejércitos, tiene unos dibujos y reproducciones magníficas de los carros de combate y los ejércitos, material fotográfico y arqueológico abundante, y además desarrolla la batalla y las consecuencias de forma perfecta. Incluso siempre en el anexo, te simula los juegos de guerra.
Cualquier publicación de Osprey Military merece la pena, son expertos en hacer buenos libros didácticos y pedagógicos sobre la historia militar. Y Mark Healey es uno de los grandes nombres de la colección, con un estilo muy claro y conciso, pero con total rigor.
Gran libro sobre una batalla conocida como la de los tuertos y ciegos, por la cantidad de soldados que perdieron la vista por el inmenso número de flechas que volaron en esa crucial batalla, probablemente la mayor de la historia.
He elegido la obra de "Qadesh" de Mark Healey, porque a mi juicio es de las más brillantes. Esa batalla, probablemente la más importante de la Antigüedad, y sin embargo poco conocida, entre el Imperio egipcio y el hitita, marcó el devenir de todo Oriente Medio, y sobre todo propició el primer Tratado de Paz de la historia de la humanidad, que duró vigente más de 80 años.
La obra, como es habitual, tiene una introducción, te sitúa en el contexto histórico-político, presenta a los ejércitos, tiene unos dibujos y reproducciones magníficas de los carros de combate y los ejércitos, material fotográfico y arqueológico abundante, y además desarrolla la batalla y las consecuencias de forma perfecta. Incluso siempre en el anexo, te simula los juegos de guerra.
Cualquier publicación de Osprey Military merece la pena, son expertos en hacer buenos libros didácticos y pedagógicos sobre la historia militar. Y Mark Healey es uno de los grandes nombres de la colección, con un estilo muy claro y conciso, pero con total rigor.
Gran libro sobre una batalla conocida como la de los tuertos y ciegos, por la cantidad de soldados que perdieron la vista por el inmenso número de flechas que volaron en esa crucial batalla, probablemente la mayor de la historia.
July 30, 2026
An interesting, detailed quick read on the first battle for which such a book is possible. As Campaign #22, it is now several decades old, and a newer volume (Campaign 430!) just came out - as in today - my copy just arrived. Thew newer volume is by a different author with different illustrations, show it should prove an interesting adjunct. After reading the 2nd book, I will be wargaming the battle using a simple set of rules and cardstock miniatures.
July 26, 2025
Fantastic review of the battle at Qadesh (Kadesh). The writing on this series is variable, but Healy's is first class and he weaves the battle into a cohesive and exciting story. The illustrations are fantastic and clear on battle that lead to peace in the area for over a century.
August 6, 2025
Fantastic review of this ancient battle. Definitely gives a new perspective on the battle that is insightful and thoughtful. As always with this series the maps documenting the battle are fantastic.
February 11, 2024
Decent coverage of the earliest battle that we have good records for. The accompanying illustrations and images are of varying quality. Some plates taken from previous volumes are great for visualizing the different forces, while photographs of reliefs and carvings are nigh incomprehensible. Good context is provided leading up to and during the battle, but the coverage of the action itself is less involved than the preceding chapters, which go on in great length about the politics of the region.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews