Conflicts that Changed the World: 3,000 years of war – Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Crusades, Vikings, War of the Roses, American Civil War, WWI, WWII, Iraq, War on Terror

by Rodney Castleden

Conflict and warfare is perpetual in the world today. It has always been like that. The history of the human race is the history of conflict. Conquest and glory versus death and destruction. Who takes us to war and why? This book traces world history through the conflicts that changed the world. From the Battle of Megiddo in 1479 BC to the Wars of the Roses of the Middle Ages and the American Civil War of the 19th century. From World Wars I and II to the Iraq War and the ongoing war against terror. Some conflicts are not only turning points in war but in history itself.

Contents include Persian invasion of Greece, wars of Alexander the Great, the slave rebellion of Spartacus, Julius Caesar's Gallic wars, Boudicca's rebellion, the birth of Islam, Viking raids, the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, fall of Constantinople, the wars of the Roses, Spanish conquest of Peru, the Anglo-Spanish wars, rebellion in Ireland, British Civil War, Jacobite rising, French revolution, Napoleonic wars, the Zulu war, Crimean war, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Falklands war, the Gulf war, the war on Terror.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical

430 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2000

Reviews

[Mohammed P Aslam · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘Conflicts that Changed the World’ by Rodney Castleden

Rodney Castleden’s book ‘Conflicts that Changed the World’ is a pleasant book to read. It was recently given to me as a gift because of my interest in international conflicts and consequently I was very thrilled to read it. The periods that the book covered started as early as the ‘Ancient civilisation (1285 BC) up to the present day in the Middle east that are described as Post-Cold War Conflicts. Naturally, Post-Cold War events were more than the significant quarrels of the Middle east but it appears those events in Bosnia, Chechenia, African conflicts and many more seem to have passed Castleden by.

Castleden’s work is by all accounts an interesting analogue of events. However, I must admit that once I got into the book I was more displeased than charmed, it was a little like the starter was great but by the time I reached the desert I was underwhelmed by the sheer brevity of the storyline. It was as though I had been cheated into paying for the restaurant bill before I had consumed my final course. Probably not the best analogy of how I felt but quite honestly it was hard to describe my experience in any other way. After reading several of the historical events I was disheartened to find that I could actually find more detail from Wikipedia than Rodney’s historical catalogue.

The book contains 512 pages of which 511 pages represented historical facts and with barely an introduction or conclusion to mention. The history of conflicts covers nine distinct periods each conflict covering on average 10 pages. Some as few as only 5 pages. Not much meat on the bones but certainly a lot of gravy to keep you searching.

This book was designed more for the beach goer in Tunisia and certainly not for the serious ‘gumshoe’ investigating historical facts. Now that I have shared my relative insight on the work of Rodney Castleden, I will add that it is not a badly written piece of work, it is easy to read, it offers a flavour, albeit a brief series of events that took place across time. A good conversation maker but probably not an enough to get you on university challenge.

Not a recommended read

[Emer Mccarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read but offers no new insights