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A History of War in 100 Battles
The object of this book is to introduce readers to a whole range of military history which has all the drama, dangers, horrors and excitement that we associate with Stalingrad or the Somme. Battles are acute moments of history whenever and wherever they have been fought. Through them we can understand how warfare and world history have evolved. Choosing just one hundred battles from recorded human history is a challenge. Not just because it is necessary to cover almost 6,000 years of history, but because men have fought each other almost continuously for millennia. Anyone who knows anything about the history of war may be disappointed at what has had to be left out. However, each of the 100 memorable battles described shows both how the nature of armed combat has changed over human history, and also how, despite changes in technology, organisation or ideas, many things have remained the same. It is an old adage that you can win a battle but lose a war. The battles featured here almost always resulted in victory for one side or another, but the victor did not necessarily win the war. Some battles are decisive in that broader historical sense, others are not.
The further back in time, the more likely it is that an enemy could be finished off in one blow. The wars of the modern age, between major states, have involved repeated battles until one side was battered into submission. Some of the great generals of the recent past -- Napoleon, Robert E Lee, Erich von Manstein -- have been on the losing side but are remembered nonetheless for their generalship. Some on the winning side have all but disappeared from the history books or from public memory. Equally, in many battles, the issue is not victory or defeat, but what the battle can tell us about the history of warfare itself. New weapons, new tactics, new ways of organising armed forces can have a sudden impact on the outcome of a battle. But so too can leadership, or the effects of a clever deception, or raw courage. That is why the book has been divided up into clear themes which apply equally to the battles of the ancient world as they do to the battles of today. As Professor Richard Overy laments: "Battle is not a game to plug into a computer but a piece of living history, messy, bloody and real. That, at least, has not changed in 6,000 years."
The further back in time, the more likely it is that an enemy could be finished off in one blow. The wars of the modern age, between major states, have involved repeated battles until one side was battered into submission. Some of the great generals of the recent past -- Napoleon, Robert E Lee, Erich von Manstein -- have been on the losing side but are remembered nonetheless for their generalship. Some on the winning side have all but disappeared from the history books or from public memory. Equally, in many battles, the issue is not victory or defeat, but what the battle can tell us about the history of warfare itself. New weapons, new tactics, new ways of organising armed forces can have a sudden impact on the outcome of a battle. But so too can leadership, or the effects of a clever deception, or raw courage. That is why the book has been divided up into clear themes which apply equally to the battles of the ancient world as they do to the battles of today. As Professor Richard Overy laments: "Battle is not a game to plug into a computer but a piece of living history, messy, bloody and real. That, at least, has not changed in 6,000 years."
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
75 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Richard Overy
148 books352 followersRichard James Overy is a British historian who has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich.
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 17, 2015
A must have for your history library.
Overy is a historian of some reknown and certainly knows his stuff amply shown by his ability to explain succinctly the key aspects of battles from 331 BC to the 20th century.
I have treasured copy of Creasy's 15 Decisive Battles written in
1851 and Overy has not tried to create an updated version. Instead he has intelligently segmented the battles into five decisive factors that delivered victory to one of the sides.
Overy distills the essence of those battles into a few pages and as
such to the military history purist this book may seem too lightweight, however I do consider myself a military history purist and this book fired interest for me in historical periods that I would never have touched previously.
For those who are less hardcore this book provides a great intro into the great battles of history and should fire their interest into the fascinating genre of military history.
A must have for your history library military or otherwise.
Overy is a historian of some reknown and certainly knows his stuff amply shown by his ability to explain succinctly the key aspects of battles from 331 BC to the 20th century.
I have treasured copy of Creasy's 15 Decisive Battles written in
1851 and Overy has not tried to create an updated version. Instead he has intelligently segmented the battles into five decisive factors that delivered victory to one of the sides.
Overy distills the essence of those battles into a few pages and as
such to the military history purist this book may seem too lightweight, however I do consider myself a military history purist and this book fired interest for me in historical periods that I would never have touched previously.
For those who are less hardcore this book provides a great intro into the great battles of history and should fire their interest into the fascinating genre of military history.
A must have for your history library military or otherwise.
May 12, 2018
A decent premise -- talking about 100 battles and how they influenced the world, as distinct from how wars or other conflicts influenced the world -- but unfortunately less than ideal execution. The author is essentially a historian, not a military commander, and didn't seem to really understand or explain the details of the salient tactics or technological innovations (and due to format/length, no real chance to put them in context anyway). He did a decent job of describing events and some minimal context for the conflicts the battles were part of.
January 22, 2024
Okay.
The book started out very good, it was exciting and informative. But reading about battle after battle with little to no background information and little to connect them all got stale pretty quickly.
The organization of the book is a bit problematic. The first chapter focuses on leadership and each and every battle revolves around this theme. The method works well with the second chapter as well, 'against the odds'. But it goes downhill from there. Inovation, deception, pure courage and timing are not illustrated as well as leadership in narrating the tens of battles in the four chapters. So their relevance and importance are not emphasized well enough. Add that to the eurocentric approach that Overy adopts, and you get a sort of mediocre book.
The main issue is, why are there 100 battles? Why not, I don't know, 50? Why six chapters? Why are the six themes that battles are collected around this important? What's the overall theme of the book? The introduction tries to contextualize it all, but the book itself loses steam pretty early on.
I think the whole idea of this book was a nice one, but the concept needed more time in the oven. Different chapters, fewer battles maybe, could've turned this into an excellent book. As it is, it's enough to read the introduction and be done with it.
The book started out very good, it was exciting and informative. But reading about battle after battle with little to no background information and little to connect them all got stale pretty quickly.
The organization of the book is a bit problematic. The first chapter focuses on leadership and each and every battle revolves around this theme. The method works well with the second chapter as well, 'against the odds'. But it goes downhill from there. Inovation, deception, pure courage and timing are not illustrated as well as leadership in narrating the tens of battles in the four chapters. So their relevance and importance are not emphasized well enough. Add that to the eurocentric approach that Overy adopts, and you get a sort of mediocre book.
The main issue is, why are there 100 battles? Why not, I don't know, 50? Why six chapters? Why are the six themes that battles are collected around this important? What's the overall theme of the book? The introduction tries to contextualize it all, but the book itself loses steam pretty early on.
I think the whole idea of this book was a nice one, but the concept needed more time in the oven. Different chapters, fewer battles maybe, could've turned this into an excellent book. As it is, it's enough to read the introduction and be done with it.
May 27, 2020
Richard Overy’s “War” is an attempt to tell of the history of warfare over the course of 100 battles throughout recorded history. To that end, Overy achieves his goal. However, the goal itself was my biggest issue with the book. It is impossible to distill the history of perhaps humanity’s most extreme and primal phenomenon, warfare, into 100 battles.
So much about this book seems arbitrary. Why 100 battles? Why did he choose to cover the battles that he did? Why does Professor Overy decide to spend no more and no less than 3-4 pages on each battle? So many of the formatting choices made in “War” seem contrived. It’s as if a publisher came to Overy and asked for a pop-history about war. I fail to see why a battle such as the Battle of Stalingrad, the turning point on the Eastern Front in World War II, is devoted the same amount of attention as the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a Custer-esque last stand by British Colonialists in South Africa during the 19th century. These two events don’t even compare in terms of historical importance. Overy attempts to categorize these 100 battles into six themes: Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, Courage in the Face of Fire, and In the Nick of Time. Again, I found the categorization of “War” to be rather arbitrary.
If you’ve read this far into the review then you may be wondering why I’ve given a book that I have railed on 3/5 stars. Well, I actually did, mostly, enjoy the book! If you leaf through the list of books I’ve read and my want to read list on this website, then you’ll notice numerous works of military history. It’s a topic I love to read about, and ultimately why I picked up “War” at Dussman bookshop in Berlin, despite having never heard of the book or Richard Overy before. A book that discusses the evolution of warfare and that The Spectator so excitedly described as “highly readable”? That’s right up my alley!
Richard Overy’s “War”, at the end of the day, is a good book. Overy is a prolific historian who flexes his supreme knowledge of military history and there is ample information presented. But the book is a letdown. I feel as though it has been distilled down in order to be more marketable to the general layman. And this has caused the overall quality of the novel to be diminished. My copy of the book was a little bit over 400 pages. To truly break down the history of warfare, one would need to write a book far longer. I’d still recommend “War” to those interested in military history, and perhaps as a jumping off point to more exhaustive works in the genre. But don’t pick up this book expecting to have a real, solid understanding of warfare after reading it.
I suppose that I’m not mad at “War”, I’m just disappointed.
So much about this book seems arbitrary. Why 100 battles? Why did he choose to cover the battles that he did? Why does Professor Overy decide to spend no more and no less than 3-4 pages on each battle? So many of the formatting choices made in “War” seem contrived. It’s as if a publisher came to Overy and asked for a pop-history about war. I fail to see why a battle such as the Battle of Stalingrad, the turning point on the Eastern Front in World War II, is devoted the same amount of attention as the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a Custer-esque last stand by British Colonialists in South Africa during the 19th century. These two events don’t even compare in terms of historical importance. Overy attempts to categorize these 100 battles into six themes: Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, Courage in the Face of Fire, and In the Nick of Time. Again, I found the categorization of “War” to be rather arbitrary.
If you’ve read this far into the review then you may be wondering why I’ve given a book that I have railed on 3/5 stars. Well, I actually did, mostly, enjoy the book! If you leaf through the list of books I’ve read and my want to read list on this website, then you’ll notice numerous works of military history. It’s a topic I love to read about, and ultimately why I picked up “War” at Dussman bookshop in Berlin, despite having never heard of the book or Richard Overy before. A book that discusses the evolution of warfare and that The Spectator so excitedly described as “highly readable”? That’s right up my alley!
Richard Overy’s “War”, at the end of the day, is a good book. Overy is a prolific historian who flexes his supreme knowledge of military history and there is ample information presented. But the book is a letdown. I feel as though it has been distilled down in order to be more marketable to the general layman. And this has caused the overall quality of the novel to be diminished. My copy of the book was a little bit over 400 pages. To truly break down the history of warfare, one would need to write a book far longer. I’d still recommend “War” to those interested in military history, and perhaps as a jumping off point to more exhaustive works in the genre. But don’t pick up this book expecting to have a real, solid understanding of warfare after reading it.
I suppose that I’m not mad at “War”, I’m just disappointed.
February 22, 2019
Ini bukanlah kali pertama saya membaca buku yang topik utamanya menyenaraikan pertempuran-pertempuran dunia yang dianggap signifikan atau muktamad dalam menentukan perjalanan sejarah manusia. Namun begitu,apa yang membuatkan buku ini unik berbanding buku-buku yang seumpamanya yang pernah saya baca,penulis buku ini membahagikan perbincangannya kepada enam (6) bahagian atau bab iaitu:
a) Leadership
b) Against the Odds
c) Innovation
d) Deception
e) Courage in the Face of Fire
f) In the Nick of Time
Di dalam setiap bab,penulis akan terlebih dahulu menerangkan maksud dan kriteria yang melayakkan sesuatu pertempuran itu dimasukkan di dalam mana-mana kategori yang dinyatakan di atas.
Nama-nama pertempuran yang disenaraikan kebanyakannya tidaklah asing pada saya. Tetapi,pembahagian sebegini membuatkan saya lebih memahami apa yang dibincangkan. Bukan itu sahaja,saya akui cara ini membuatkan pemahaman saya bertambah baik dan memberikan perspektif baharu kepada saya yang mungkin sebelumnya saya abaikan atau terlepas pandang. Cuma malangnya,penulis tidak menyediakan peta mini di dalam setiap pertempuran yang dibincangkan.
a) Leadership
b) Against the Odds
c) Innovation
d) Deception
e) Courage in the Face of Fire
f) In the Nick of Time
Di dalam setiap bab,penulis akan terlebih dahulu menerangkan maksud dan kriteria yang melayakkan sesuatu pertempuran itu dimasukkan di dalam mana-mana kategori yang dinyatakan di atas.
Nama-nama pertempuran yang disenaraikan kebanyakannya tidaklah asing pada saya. Tetapi,pembahagian sebegini membuatkan saya lebih memahami apa yang dibincangkan. Bukan itu sahaja,saya akui cara ini membuatkan pemahaman saya bertambah baik dan memberikan perspektif baharu kepada saya yang mungkin sebelumnya saya abaikan atau terlepas pandang. Cuma malangnya,penulis tidak menyediakan peta mini di dalam setiap pertempuran yang dibincangkan.
July 8, 2024
Ne vrijedi poricati da su nasilje i ratovanje prirodne ljudske funkcije, gotovo srodne fiziološkoj potrebi, međutim u izvjesnom eseju Roberta Grejvsa autor navodi misao svog poznanika, T.E. Lorensa (Lorensa od Arabije), koji je izjavio da je rat prestao da biva ljudski onog trena kad su na bojištu kod Kresija, avgusta 1346, Englezi prvi put upotrijebili artiljeriju. Htjeli to priznati ili ne, danas se s tim možda možemo i saglasiti. U tom momentu, vojni genij je postao kontradiktorna fraza, jer se vrsnim taktičarem mogao nazvati svaki desetar kom bi palo na pamet da pravovremeno otruje bunar protivničkog grada.
Overijeva knjiga je zanimljiva upravo zbog izbora bitaka sličnog kova, gdje bi jedna strana bezmalo uvijek izvukla deblji kraj, premda to nije značilo da bi s bitkom izgubila i rat. Neke od bitaka čak oskudijevaju i u najosnovnijim taktikama (Kambrej, 1917; Kvebek, 1759), dok su druge djelimično opskurne (Alam Halfa, 1942; Lehfeld, 955; treća bitka kod Edirne, 1913; Čudsko jezero, 1242).
Ipak, u nizu bitaka objedinjenih u poglavlju „Inovacija“, nije pomenut slučajni „katastarski incident“ između Rusije i Japana 1939, na stepskoj tromeđi Mongolije, Mandžurije i Kine; incident je ubrzo prerastao u višemjesečne bitke kod Halkin-Gola. Ne samo što je ruskim snagama rukovodio general Žukov (Rusija je tada brižnije čuvala granice prema Japanu, nego prema Njemačkoj, a to će se pokazati kao presudna stvar prilikom Bitke za Moskvu), već je to bio prvi sukob dvije brojne armije gdje se, između ostalog, koristila masovna koordinisana taktika tenkova i aviona.
Ta malo poznata bitka imaće značajne posljedice na tok i ishod Drugog rata koji će ubrzo uslijediti. Overi je podijelio svoj katalog bitaka u šest tematskih poglavlja, gdje svaka od 100 bitaka potpada pod jednu od kategorija: komandovanje; protiv svake vjerovatnoće; inovacija; obmana; hrabrost u boju; u posljednjem trenu. On uspijeva da najosnovnije fakte svede na par stranica, ali kako sukobi nisu striktno zapadnocentrični, ovakva knjiga i te kako može da podstakne čitaoca da se dublje upusti u određena vojevanja za koja možda nikada nije čuo. Kao, recimo, za opsadu Beograda, 1456. godine, tri godine poslije pada Konstantinopolja, takođe povedenu od strane Mehmeda II.
Podnevno zvono na katoličkim crkvama i danas odzvanja zbog prvog španskog pape, Kalista III, koji je u XV vijeku naredio da se tim gestom obilježava pobjeda hrišćanstva nad svenadirućim Islamom. Kod tog ključnog grada na putu ka hrišćanskoj centralnoj Evropi, oko 4,000 regularnih mađarskih vojnika pod vođstvom ugarskog kralja Janoša Hunjadija, pojačanih beogradskom milicijom i krstaškim seljacima franciskanskog opata Kapistrana (sveukupno 40,000 poluvojnika), suprotstavilo se i zaustavilo je 30-60,000 Osmanlija i nadmoćniju artiljeriju.
Kad se radi o artiljeriji i nepotrebnosti ikakve taktike, mitraljez „maksim“ je nekad imao udarnu moć današnjeg drona. To pokazuje i bitka kod Šanganija, gdje su se vojnici koje je upošljavala (Roudsova) Britanska južnoafrička kompanija za eksploatisanje minerala, sukobili s vojskom matabelskog kraljevstva na tlu današnjeg Zimbabvea. Prototip „maksima“, mitraljeza s povratnim djelovanjem što je mogao ispucati 600 metaka u minuti, pojavio se 1889. godine, a svoje prave mogućnosti je pokazao 1892, baš kod Šanganija. Sve što je britanskim ekspedicionim snagama bilo potrebno za osvajanje jednog afričkog kraljevstva jeste da sa sobom povedu pet „maksima“ protiv deset puta brojnije vojske.
Oko hiljadu bijelih vojnika, njihovih pomoćnika i nosača, povelo je četvorosatnu bitku protiv 5-6,000 izuzetno hrabrih matabelskih ratnika naoružanih i puškama, ali većinom kopljima.
U tom prvom sukobu poginuo je samo jedan britanski vojnik, a u narednom, dvostruko kraćem – sada protiv 7-8,000 Matabelaca – ubijena su četiri Britanca; sedmoro je ranjeno.
S druge strane, moćni Rimljani mogu parirati Matabelcima. Najveći poraz Rimljana zbio se kod Kane, avgusta 216. godine prije Hrista, kad je ih je po stotinu ginulo svakog minuta. Hanibalovo prisustvo kod Kane i njegov taktički genij objašnjava ishod koji je, isto tako, mogao imati i drukčiji rezultat. Došavši do Alpa sa 50,000 plaćenika, sa sobom je već tada imao za polovinu ljudi manje nego kad je krenuo na tu odiseju. U Italiju je naposljetku stigao sa samo 20,000 pješadinaca i 6,000 konjanika, i neprijatelju odmah počeo da nanosi gubitke, šireći metastazirajuću paniku.
Rimljani su odlučili da mu se suprotstave kod Kane i u to ime su skupili blizu 80,000 vojnika, ali sa vrlo malo iskusnih konjanika. Hanibalova odbrana je bila školski primjer kako vojevati borbu sa brojnijim oponentom, čiji su odredi na nekim mjestima nosili i po 70 redova ljudi. Pješadiji je naredio da jurne na neprijatelja u vidu izbočine, ne bi li rimska vojska počela da se širi sa strana; tu bi onda njegova libijska krila opkolila neprijatelja i doslovno ga uhvatila u stegu odakle nije bilo bijega. Sabijen jedan uz drugog, do članaka u blatu od krvi i iznutrica, neprijatelj se najedanput našao u kartaginjanskoj miješalici. Preživjelo je samo 14,500 Rimljana. Hanibal je izgubio 6,000 vojnika.
Navalni poraz, međutim, nikada nije bio gromoglasniji od ruskog u bici kod Tsušime, 1905. godine. Pobjedu su odnijeli japanci, čija je imperijalna mornarica tada bila stara jedva tri decenije.
Treba znati da je do sredine XIX vijeka Japan bio samoizolovani šogunat, bez kontakta sa spoljnim svijetom, no kad je sâm sebi nametnuo hitnu industrijalizaciju, ne bi li se uključio u svjetske tokove, po pitanju mornarice odlučio je da podražava Britance i da svoja plovila izgrađuje u njihovim brodogradilištima. Poslije susreta sa Zapadom, ta zemlja je najedanput postala militaristički nastrojena i, kao uostalom i carska Rusija, bacila je oko na obližnju Mandžuriju i Koreju.
Okolnosti što su se desile prije bitke u tsušimskom moreuzu, komične i u isti mah apsurdne, nemoguće je opisati u jednom pasusu i razumljivo zavrijeđuju da dobiju vlastite knjige. Ruski car Nikola II poslao je bezmalo čitavu svoju baltičku flotu – 50 ratnih brodova svih vrsta – da napokon skrši u potpunosti potcijenjenu japansku mornaricu, koja je u rusko-japanskom ratu prethodne godine napala Port Artur (danas Li Šan, u Kini) i nanijela velike gubitke njihovoj pacifičkoj floti.
Možda je glavnici britanske flote iz Portsmuta trebalo šest sedmica da stigne do Foklandskih ostrva, ali je zato ruskoj carskoj floti – 80 godina ranije – putovanje od 30,000 km uzelo daleko više od pukih osam mjeseci na moru. Samoubistva zbog depresije, pobune, kvarovi, nasukavanja... bili su redovna pojava tokom ove epske plovidbe. Zapravo, posada je tako loše bila trenirana da je u Lamanšu, nazrijevši u magli par ribarskih brodica, pomislila da su to japanska plovila i otvorila vatru, umalo pokrenuvši rat i protiv Engleske.
Famozni japanski admiral Togo, školovan u Britanskoj kraljevskoj mornarici, sačekao je napaćenu armadu u moreuzu pokraj korejske obale. Da je posada bila iole kompetentnija, zbrisala bi dobar dio japanske mornarice, jer je Togo pred tolikom silom izveo tzv. T-manevar identičan Nelsonovom kod Trafalgara, 1805.
Ovako, uz nešto bolju nišansku opremu, radio-veze i naoružanje, Togo je uspio da potopi dvije trećine ruske flote (5,000 mrtvih), pritom izgubivši samo tri torpedne brodice i 117 ljudi.
Štaviše, poraz kod Tsušime započeo je socijalne nemire u Rusiji kulminirajući Revolucijom, 1917. Prvi metak u Revoluciji ispaljen je upravo na Aurori, jednoj od rijetkih ruskih krstarica koja je preživjela boj sa japanskim brodovima.
2014
Overijeva knjiga je zanimljiva upravo zbog izbora bitaka sličnog kova, gdje bi jedna strana bezmalo uvijek izvukla deblji kraj, premda to nije značilo da bi s bitkom izgubila i rat. Neke od bitaka čak oskudijevaju i u najosnovnijim taktikama (Kambrej, 1917; Kvebek, 1759), dok su druge djelimično opskurne (Alam Halfa, 1942; Lehfeld, 955; treća bitka kod Edirne, 1913; Čudsko jezero, 1242).
Ipak, u nizu bitaka objedinjenih u poglavlju „Inovacija“, nije pomenut slučajni „katastarski incident“ između Rusije i Japana 1939, na stepskoj tromeđi Mongolije, Mandžurije i Kine; incident je ubrzo prerastao u višemjesečne bitke kod Halkin-Gola. Ne samo što je ruskim snagama rukovodio general Žukov (Rusija je tada brižnije čuvala granice prema Japanu, nego prema Njemačkoj, a to će se pokazati kao presudna stvar prilikom Bitke za Moskvu), već je to bio prvi sukob dvije brojne armije gdje se, između ostalog, koristila masovna koordinisana taktika tenkova i aviona.
Ta malo poznata bitka imaće značajne posljedice na tok i ishod Drugog rata koji će ubrzo uslijediti. Overi je podijelio svoj katalog bitaka u šest tematskih poglavlja, gdje svaka od 100 bitaka potpada pod jednu od kategorija: komandovanje; protiv svake vjerovatnoće; inovacija; obmana; hrabrost u boju; u posljednjem trenu. On uspijeva da najosnovnije fakte svede na par stranica, ali kako sukobi nisu striktno zapadnocentrični, ovakva knjiga i te kako može da podstakne čitaoca da se dublje upusti u određena vojevanja za koja možda nikada nije čuo. Kao, recimo, za opsadu Beograda, 1456. godine, tri godine poslije pada Konstantinopolja, takođe povedenu od strane Mehmeda II.
Podnevno zvono na katoličkim crkvama i danas odzvanja zbog prvog španskog pape, Kalista III, koji je u XV vijeku naredio da se tim gestom obilježava pobjeda hrišćanstva nad svenadirućim Islamom. Kod tog ključnog grada na putu ka hrišćanskoj centralnoj Evropi, oko 4,000 regularnih mađarskih vojnika pod vođstvom ugarskog kralja Janoša Hunjadija, pojačanih beogradskom milicijom i krstaškim seljacima franciskanskog opata Kapistrana (sveukupno 40,000 poluvojnika), suprotstavilo se i zaustavilo je 30-60,000 Osmanlija i nadmoćniju artiljeriju.
Kad se radi o artiljeriji i nepotrebnosti ikakve taktike, mitraljez „maksim“ je nekad imao udarnu moć današnjeg drona. To pokazuje i bitka kod Šanganija, gdje su se vojnici koje je upošljavala (Roudsova) Britanska južnoafrička kompanija za eksploatisanje minerala, sukobili s vojskom matabelskog kraljevstva na tlu današnjeg Zimbabvea. Prototip „maksima“, mitraljeza s povratnim djelovanjem što je mogao ispucati 600 metaka u minuti, pojavio se 1889. godine, a svoje prave mogućnosti je pokazao 1892, baš kod Šanganija. Sve što je britanskim ekspedicionim snagama bilo potrebno za osvajanje jednog afričkog kraljevstva jeste da sa sobom povedu pet „maksima“ protiv deset puta brojnije vojske.
Oko hiljadu bijelih vojnika, njihovih pomoćnika i nosača, povelo je četvorosatnu bitku protiv 5-6,000 izuzetno hrabrih matabelskih ratnika naoružanih i puškama, ali većinom kopljima.
U tom prvom sukobu poginuo je samo jedan britanski vojnik, a u narednom, dvostruko kraćem – sada protiv 7-8,000 Matabelaca – ubijena su četiri Britanca; sedmoro je ranjeno.
S druge strane, moćni Rimljani mogu parirati Matabelcima. Najveći poraz Rimljana zbio se kod Kane, avgusta 216. godine prije Hrista, kad je ih je po stotinu ginulo svakog minuta. Hanibalovo prisustvo kod Kane i njegov taktički genij objašnjava ishod koji je, isto tako, mogao imati i drukčiji rezultat. Došavši do Alpa sa 50,000 plaćenika, sa sobom je već tada imao za polovinu ljudi manje nego kad je krenuo na tu odiseju. U Italiju je naposljetku stigao sa samo 20,000 pješadinaca i 6,000 konjanika, i neprijatelju odmah počeo da nanosi gubitke, šireći metastazirajuću paniku.
Rimljani su odlučili da mu se suprotstave kod Kane i u to ime su skupili blizu 80,000 vojnika, ali sa vrlo malo iskusnih konjanika. Hanibalova odbrana je bila školski primjer kako vojevati borbu sa brojnijim oponentom, čiji su odredi na nekim mjestima nosili i po 70 redova ljudi. Pješadiji je naredio da jurne na neprijatelja u vidu izbočine, ne bi li rimska vojska počela da se širi sa strana; tu bi onda njegova libijska krila opkolila neprijatelja i doslovno ga uhvatila u stegu odakle nije bilo bijega. Sabijen jedan uz drugog, do članaka u blatu od krvi i iznutrica, neprijatelj se najedanput našao u kartaginjanskoj miješalici. Preživjelo je samo 14,500 Rimljana. Hanibal je izgubio 6,000 vojnika.
Navalni poraz, međutim, nikada nije bio gromoglasniji od ruskog u bici kod Tsušime, 1905. godine. Pobjedu su odnijeli japanci, čija je imperijalna mornarica tada bila stara jedva tri decenije.
Treba znati da je do sredine XIX vijeka Japan bio samoizolovani šogunat, bez kontakta sa spoljnim svijetom, no kad je sâm sebi nametnuo hitnu industrijalizaciju, ne bi li se uključio u svjetske tokove, po pitanju mornarice odlučio je da podražava Britance i da svoja plovila izgrađuje u njihovim brodogradilištima. Poslije susreta sa Zapadom, ta zemlja je najedanput postala militaristički nastrojena i, kao uostalom i carska Rusija, bacila je oko na obližnju Mandžuriju i Koreju.
Okolnosti što su se desile prije bitke u tsušimskom moreuzu, komične i u isti mah apsurdne, nemoguće je opisati u jednom pasusu i razumljivo zavrijeđuju da dobiju vlastite knjige. Ruski car Nikola II poslao je bezmalo čitavu svoju baltičku flotu – 50 ratnih brodova svih vrsta – da napokon skrši u potpunosti potcijenjenu japansku mornaricu, koja je u rusko-japanskom ratu prethodne godine napala Port Artur (danas Li Šan, u Kini) i nanijela velike gubitke njihovoj pacifičkoj floti.
Možda je glavnici britanske flote iz Portsmuta trebalo šest sedmica da stigne do Foklandskih ostrva, ali je zato ruskoj carskoj floti – 80 godina ranije – putovanje od 30,000 km uzelo daleko više od pukih osam mjeseci na moru. Samoubistva zbog depresije, pobune, kvarovi, nasukavanja... bili su redovna pojava tokom ove epske plovidbe. Zapravo, posada je tako loše bila trenirana da je u Lamanšu, nazrijevši u magli par ribarskih brodica, pomislila da su to japanska plovila i otvorila vatru, umalo pokrenuvši rat i protiv Engleske.
Famozni japanski admiral Togo, školovan u Britanskoj kraljevskoj mornarici, sačekao je napaćenu armadu u moreuzu pokraj korejske obale. Da je posada bila iole kompetentnija, zbrisala bi dobar dio japanske mornarice, jer je Togo pred tolikom silom izveo tzv. T-manevar identičan Nelsonovom kod Trafalgara, 1805.
Ovako, uz nešto bolju nišansku opremu, radio-veze i naoružanje, Togo je uspio da potopi dvije trećine ruske flote (5,000 mrtvih), pritom izgubivši samo tri torpedne brodice i 117 ljudi.
Štaviše, poraz kod Tsušime započeo je socijalne nemire u Rusiji kulminirajući Revolucijom, 1917. Prvi metak u Revoluciji ispaljen je upravo na Aurori, jednoj od rijetkih ruskih krstarica koja je preživjela boj sa japanskim brodovima.
2014
February 4, 2015
I have always been interested in the history of war as an insight into the human heart, destructive as it can be.
The book is a very fine overview of battles scattered throughout history with some introductions on the main elements of war, deception, technology, luck, etc.
But I was surprised by my own emotional reaction as I finished the book. This is appalling history -- the waste of resources, the hatreds, the spinning in circles that is engendered by violence. There had better be more than this...
The book is a very fine overview of battles scattered throughout history with some introductions on the main elements of war, deception, technology, luck, etc.
But I was surprised by my own emotional reaction as I finished the book. This is appalling history -- the waste of resources, the hatreds, the spinning in circles that is engendered by violence. There had better be more than this...
October 17, 2023
I'm not entirely sure how a writer and historian as prolific as Richard Overy could create a coffee table book on the most important battles in military history that is structured inefficiently and at times simply not engaging, yet here I am. Perhaps my error is attempting to read a coffee table book like a regular book and expecting things to be coherent and interesting when the actual real-world usees for coffee table books are as mere living room set pieces that are meant to be casually flipped through if touched at all.
But that should not excuse the time it took to finish this book on a topic I am very well read in! Military history takes up a significant chunk of my physical and digital library, and it does include very entertaining "collections" books (books that, for example look at the 10 most interesting or 50 worst things, perhaps there is a term for those). Badass Ultimate Deathmatch by Ben Thompson (which looks at the subjectively most badass battles in world history and is very funny if cringey at times) and World War 4 by Douglas Cohn (which examined the most likely scenarios in which the next world war would start) are two examples of this type of book.
Overy made the understandable choice to divide the 100 battles described in this book into six main chapters covering different aspects of what contributes to victory in battle: leadership, "against the odds", innovation, deception, courage in the face of fire, and "in the nick of time". While I can see that this is a method of providing some continuity to an otherwise disjointed series of war stories, in effect it complicated my consumption of this book. First off, the battles covered are only in chronological order within chapters, so you are sent back in time to the next chapter. Second, and most puzzling to me, EVERY BATTLE will have elements of some of the attributes that each chapter purports to specialize in. Overy even admits this himself in the chapter intros. For example, the Battle of Gettysburg showcases elements of leadership of both the Confederate and Union generals, shows courage in the face of fire of the soldiers both sides, and has elements of arriving just in the nick of time when certain reinforcements arrive, particularly around the fighting at Little Round Top.
I think the book would have worked better as a pure chronologial overview of the 100 battles, which Overy could then mark and color in with these six elements that showed up in each. Or perhaps if he wanted to keep continuity in a different way, he could have covered each continent or geographic region in a chapter and shown the evolution of warfare across the years there. I just feel there is a better way to structure this type of book.
But a larger problem looms here: the material itself is just somehow not engaging to me. I'm not even entirely sure what it could be. Overy's writing style which is classic but rather straightforward and bland? Perhaps I just wasn't interested in particular time periods? The fact that I couldn't fully engage with any one conflict because Overy could only use a page or two to establish the political, geographic, economic, and social contexts of why a battle was being fought? I can't quite put my finger on it, but reading through this was a bit of a chore. It took me almost five months to get through this because I wanted to read other things.
When I was able to pay attention, I did enjoy getting quick crash courses on certain battles, and the art depicted on the pages from paintings of various battles was beautiful and interesting. But it just wasn't that enjoyable of a reading experience.
I don't recommend this book unless you REALLY are a huge military history fanatic or you just want a random coffee table book.
But that should not excuse the time it took to finish this book on a topic I am very well read in! Military history takes up a significant chunk of my physical and digital library, and it does include very entertaining "collections" books (books that, for example look at the 10 most interesting or 50 worst things, perhaps there is a term for those). Badass Ultimate Deathmatch by Ben Thompson (which looks at the subjectively most badass battles in world history and is very funny if cringey at times) and World War 4 by Douglas Cohn (which examined the most likely scenarios in which the next world war would start) are two examples of this type of book.
Overy made the understandable choice to divide the 100 battles described in this book into six main chapters covering different aspects of what contributes to victory in battle: leadership, "against the odds", innovation, deception, courage in the face of fire, and "in the nick of time". While I can see that this is a method of providing some continuity to an otherwise disjointed series of war stories, in effect it complicated my consumption of this book. First off, the battles covered are only in chronological order within chapters, so you are sent back in time to the next chapter. Second, and most puzzling to me, EVERY BATTLE will have elements of some of the attributes that each chapter purports to specialize in. Overy even admits this himself in the chapter intros. For example, the Battle of Gettysburg showcases elements of leadership of both the Confederate and Union generals, shows courage in the face of fire of the soldiers both sides, and has elements of arriving just in the nick of time when certain reinforcements arrive, particularly around the fighting at Little Round Top.
I think the book would have worked better as a pure chronologial overview of the 100 battles, which Overy could then mark and color in with these six elements that showed up in each. Or perhaps if he wanted to keep continuity in a different way, he could have covered each continent or geographic region in a chapter and shown the evolution of warfare across the years there. I just feel there is a better way to structure this type of book.
But a larger problem looms here: the material itself is just somehow not engaging to me. I'm not even entirely sure what it could be. Overy's writing style which is classic but rather straightforward and bland? Perhaps I just wasn't interested in particular time periods? The fact that I couldn't fully engage with any one conflict because Overy could only use a page or two to establish the political, geographic, economic, and social contexts of why a battle was being fought? I can't quite put my finger on it, but reading through this was a bit of a chore. It took me almost five months to get through this because I wanted to read other things.
When I was able to pay attention, I did enjoy getting quick crash courses on certain battles, and the art depicted on the pages from paintings of various battles was beautiful and interesting. But it just wasn't that enjoyable of a reading experience.
I don't recommend this book unless you REALLY are a huge military history fanatic or you just want a random coffee table book.
January 12, 2019
This is a fantastic book for the history buff or for the person that is just wanting to know the importance of battles in history and how they may have shape the course of time. The author gives short details that are through and concise of the main players of each battle, the how’s and why’s and goes into the terrain when necessary. This was how many armies were defeated by a smaller force because the leader of the smaller force was able to use the land as another defensive tool and weather it would be high ground, or being able to push the opposing army into water these would all come into play. All of these are explained and done so in a way that makes for each battle to give you the reader enough information and then to move on to the next story. The one battle that really intrigue me was the battle of Solferino-SAN Martino 24 June 1859, it was this battle that Henri Dunant a Swiss businessman who arrived in the aftermath of the battle and seeing all of the thousands of wounded soldiers lying untended on the field. He put into action a plan and four years later in Geneva on August 22, 1864 the Red Cross was formed. It should be noted that after the battle he did stay and organized the villages around to help him treat the wounded men. It is stories like these that you will find in this book the small little bits of history that you don’t read about. This is an excellent book and very much worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 7, 2025
This absorbing exploration of military history through a prudently curated selection of battles spans from ancient to modern times. Rather than just reporting battlefield maneuvers, Overy provides perceptive analysis into the strategic, technological, and tactical innovations that shaped each battle. The book’s structure, presenting battles in a concise yet educational manner, makes it accessible to both casual readers and history fanatics. Overy balances well-known battles, such as Waterloo and Stalingrad, with lesser-known yet correspondingly noteworthy engagements. His writing is clear and engaging, offering not just a restating of events but an understanding of why they mattered. While the book is a charming read, some may find the battle selections subjective, and the shortness of each account means deeper analysis is sometimes sacrificed. However, for those looking for an engaging survey of military history, A History of War in 100 Battles is a valuable and thought-provoking read. Give it a go.
May 2, 2020
By necessity - 100 battles in one book - those that are covered are done so only very briefly - 2-3 pages per battle at most - so act more as teasers to further reading that one should look to. However, despite this, there is good coverage, and the themes for used as the anchors for the battles covered work well. The huge variance in time frames covered for each theme, also adds weight to the authors argument that, broadly the nature of warfare has not really changed that much over thousands of years, even with the significant technical advancements recently. In fact, technology, plays a relatively small role, the information age being so recent.
Ultimately this book left me wanting more on many of the battles covered, leaving me unsatisfied here, but eager to learn more - in that sense this can be considered a win for the book. Written in an accessible style, the amateur will also appreciate this, and it is perfect for dipping in and out of as much as reading in "one sitting"
Ultimately this book left me wanting more on many of the battles covered, leaving me unsatisfied here, but eager to learn more - in that sense this can be considered a win for the book. Written in an accessible style, the amateur will also appreciate this, and it is perfect for dipping in and out of as much as reading in "one sitting"
June 23, 2025
This is the type of book that one reads a few sections at a time. The book is divided into six sections: Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, Courage in the Face of Fire, and In The Nick of Time. Each section begins with a short essay about what each section will be illustrating. The sections are explained by a selection of battles from as early as The Battle of Kadesh in 1285 BCE to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Each battle is explained in about two pages and how that battle is relevant to the section it’s in. Many of the battles are written with a new perspective from an author whose expertise is second to none. It was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in military history.
September 8, 2022
I wish there had been more emphasis on the historical causes and outcomes of the battles listed (and the wars they featured in) as opposed to the focus here on military manoeuvres and stratagems. Without AV aids, there is only so much the lay mind can visualize about flankings and retreats and encirclements before it all becomes as muddled as an actual battlefield. But I think the author set out to write a book on military history and he has achieved that goal in great style. A good, impartial collection across time and geography and he is able to justice to most of them in the very limited space available.
February 5, 2020
An anthology of a 100 battles, Richard Overy’s War is a book like no other I’ve read. I’ll admit that I was initially lost on how to navigate it as I was mostly reading it as an e-book and then an audio book, but Richard Overy’s War is actually best kept on your book-shelf, a reference for some of the best epics in history and a constant companion when you want a fresh breath of inspiration. When you come to read about a 100 different battles, pacing is everything.
Read more here: https://magicinthespacebetween.wordpr...
Read more here: https://magicinthespacebetween.wordpr...
June 27, 2017
I bought this book due to its scope - it covers battles from ~1000 BCE to today, and from all areas of the world. It gives a brief overview of many of the most important, influential and intriguing battles that have occurred over the past few millennia. As a result of mostly summarising the key events of each battle, it can be a little dry in places. Overall I enjoyed this book though and recommend it to anyone who is interested in how much, and how little, war has changed over the centuries.
September 10, 2017
A short potted history of 100 battles that were historic and important in their own way. The book is divided into themes, such as leadership and luck in citing decisive factors influencing the outcome. I enjoyed this book, I'm now looking into several of the battles for more detail.
April 20, 2018
Talvez uma das maiores decepções deste ano . Apesar de ter um formato de álbum e boa apresentação , as batalhas são colocadas de forma resumidas , escritas as vezes de forma confusa e com claros erros de tradução
November 21, 2017
Interessante mas um tanto repetitivo
January 3, 2019
7/10-put aside at page 250.
Want to read
April 14, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 4, 2021
FANTASTICCCCC read for history buffs - a masterful overview of civilizations and cultures of all eras, engagingly laid out by stratagem instead of a standard chronology. A must-read.
January 1, 2015
First of all, I'd like to thank Oxford University Press for my ARC via NetGalley.
Military history is fascinating, that much is certain, especially when related in a vivid, engaging way that appeals to the well-initiated and to the novice alike.
One of the greatest advantages of this volume is the division of the selected battles into six themes according to the factor considered to contribute to victory the most: leadership, courage in the face of fire, deception, innovation etc. Along with the introductions to each theme and an outline detailing the ways in which the factor in question can secure victory for one side, this arrangement allows for room to reflect on some universal truths related to the psychology of battle. This, in turn, provides a solid background and ensures understanding that battles are fought by people, and that analysis of these people's behaviour is tantamount to comprehending the reasons for fighting, the course of the battle, as well as the outcome.
Naturally, it is not the case that a single aspect of warfare was sufficient to win the battle (e.g. only the aptitude of the leader or the innovative strategy or weaponry alone), but the focus on those points facilitates, nay, encourages the recognition of those aspects and the role they play in every battle, so that understanding and critical appreciation of events come subtly and beautifully.
All of this perfectly justifies the choice of such a layout over the expected uninterrupted chronology (which naturally exists within the chapters). Starting from the earliest battle in the chapter and moving on to the most recent, and then doing so over and over again makes for a certain smoothness and flow in the reading process, so that the reader is refreshed each time and attention never wavers. Furthermore, the arrangement also highlights the core similarities and differences, the things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same in the 4000 years of conflict in recorded history that are covered in this book.
The choice of the battles included is another aspect that has evidently been decided on with a lot of care. Geographically and chronologically, the span of the sample is unbelievably high: it covers almost all continents from the first recorded battle at Kadesh in 1285 BC, to Operation Desert Storm just over two decades ago. So then, we encounter not only names of battles we have been familiar with since our earliest history classes at school, but such conflicts that are to this day immersed in controversy and seldom studied.
The writing itself is very pleasant and as objective as possible (even though the author does not hesitate to point out misconceptions, misattributions, the mistakes of certain commanders that led to their downfall, and instances of politics interfering with what really happened). The background and aftermath to each conflict is described as briefly, but as efficiently as possible, so that hardly any previous knowledge is required in order to follow the course of events with sufficient understanding. Facts and numbers are always included, even when their accuracy is a matter of speculation, but they are, of course, essential to grasping the magnitude of the conflict, imagining the battlefield, and, of necessity, judge the scope of human (and often animal) life lost.
Another very commendable thing is the effort to include at least one photograph for every battle detailed, the merit of which is obvious.
All in all, this is a valuable reference for anybody interested in military history for any reason and on any level.
Military history is fascinating, that much is certain, especially when related in a vivid, engaging way that appeals to the well-initiated and to the novice alike.
One of the greatest advantages of this volume is the division of the selected battles into six themes according to the factor considered to contribute to victory the most: leadership, courage in the face of fire, deception, innovation etc. Along with the introductions to each theme and an outline detailing the ways in which the factor in question can secure victory for one side, this arrangement allows for room to reflect on some universal truths related to the psychology of battle. This, in turn, provides a solid background and ensures understanding that battles are fought by people, and that analysis of these people's behaviour is tantamount to comprehending the reasons for fighting, the course of the battle, as well as the outcome.
Naturally, it is not the case that a single aspect of warfare was sufficient to win the battle (e.g. only the aptitude of the leader or the innovative strategy or weaponry alone), but the focus on those points facilitates, nay, encourages the recognition of those aspects and the role they play in every battle, so that understanding and critical appreciation of events come subtly and beautifully.
All of this perfectly justifies the choice of such a layout over the expected uninterrupted chronology (which naturally exists within the chapters). Starting from the earliest battle in the chapter and moving on to the most recent, and then doing so over and over again makes for a certain smoothness and flow in the reading process, so that the reader is refreshed each time and attention never wavers. Furthermore, the arrangement also highlights the core similarities and differences, the things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same in the 4000 years of conflict in recorded history that are covered in this book.
The choice of the battles included is another aspect that has evidently been decided on with a lot of care. Geographically and chronologically, the span of the sample is unbelievably high: it covers almost all continents from the first recorded battle at Kadesh in 1285 BC, to Operation Desert Storm just over two decades ago. So then, we encounter not only names of battles we have been familiar with since our earliest history classes at school, but such conflicts that are to this day immersed in controversy and seldom studied.
The writing itself is very pleasant and as objective as possible (even though the author does not hesitate to point out misconceptions, misattributions, the mistakes of certain commanders that led to their downfall, and instances of politics interfering with what really happened). The background and aftermath to each conflict is described as briefly, but as efficiently as possible, so that hardly any previous knowledge is required in order to follow the course of events with sufficient understanding. Facts and numbers are always included, even when their accuracy is a matter of speculation, but they are, of course, essential to grasping the magnitude of the conflict, imagining the battlefield, and, of necessity, judge the scope of human (and often animal) life lost.
Another very commendable thing is the effort to include at least one photograph for every battle detailed, the merit of which is obvious.
All in all, this is a valuable reference for anybody interested in military history for any reason and on any level.
September 5, 2017
Definitely the best sum up of the most important battles in military history as well as the historical circumstances, technological conditions and the human factors with the zeitgeist which conditioned them.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have a grasp of military history through the normal everyday terminology which is the trademark of the author.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have a grasp of military history through the normal everyday terminology which is the trademark of the author.
December 3, 2015
These types of survey/anthology books are often difficult to pull off. Fortunately with A History of War in 100 Battles, this was not the case. The history of war and warfare is often a difficult subject to tackle, but Richard Overy has done it expertly. Not only would this book be a great primer for students and scholars, but also as a one stop shop for quick overviews of key battles in military history.
Rather than provide a straight chronology from the 1200s BC through today, Overy divides his history using six different aspects of war then presents the battles chronologically within each. Those aspects are:
1. "Leadership" -- focusing on the skills of the general or field head in securing victory
2. "Against the Odds" -- looks at those battles where the forces superior in number and strength were dealt defeat
3. "Innovation" -- those battles where new technologies or tactics influenced the outcome
4. "Deception" -- the use of subversion to change the outcome of the battle
5. "In the Nick of Time" -- how last minute changes to plans or reinforcements at the right moment can change history
6. "Courage in the Face of Fire" -- a focus on the bravery of the common foot soldiers as they overcome their fears to secure victory.
Each of these chapters allow for the reader to focus on that one aspect of war and look at each battle through that lens, seeing how it was influential in history. This not to say that there could be overlap with some engagements, but it is clearly a well thought out and organized layout. I found the inclusion of both land and naval battles to be refreshing, allowing for all aspects of war to be included. The battle selections are often Euro-centric, but each has a full explanation as to why they are included in the 100 and these reasons are sound. Battles from Asia, Africa, and the Americas are very well represented as well.
As for the descriptions of the battles themselves, they are very accessible to the casual reader as well as the researcher. Each is about 3-4 pages in length, and while there is a supposition of previous knowledge in some cases for the majority of the 100 battles enough background and detail is provided to give the reader a thorough understanding of the action that took place as well as the impact on history. As is often the case with anthologies of this nature, however, is that we only get the basic information for each battle. Any more would require a volume five times this size.
I had only two real criticisms of A History of War in 100 Battles. The first is that sources were not linked or included within the text itself, making it difficult for someone interested in further researching only one battle to find reference material. Also, there are no maps present within the text. Each battle has one or two images, photos, paintings, or illustrations that accompany them, but there is not a single map in the lot. A minor criticism for sure, but I would have liked to have seen them for some, if not all the battles.
Rather than provide a straight chronology from the 1200s BC through today, Overy divides his history using six different aspects of war then presents the battles chronologically within each. Those aspects are:
1. "Leadership" -- focusing on the skills of the general or field head in securing victory
2. "Against the Odds" -- looks at those battles where the forces superior in number and strength were dealt defeat
3. "Innovation" -- those battles where new technologies or tactics influenced the outcome
4. "Deception" -- the use of subversion to change the outcome of the battle
5. "In the Nick of Time" -- how last minute changes to plans or reinforcements at the right moment can change history
6. "Courage in the Face of Fire" -- a focus on the bravery of the common foot soldiers as they overcome their fears to secure victory.
Each of these chapters allow for the reader to focus on that one aspect of war and look at each battle through that lens, seeing how it was influential in history. This not to say that there could be overlap with some engagements, but it is clearly a well thought out and organized layout. I found the inclusion of both land and naval battles to be refreshing, allowing for all aspects of war to be included. The battle selections are often Euro-centric, but each has a full explanation as to why they are included in the 100 and these reasons are sound. Battles from Asia, Africa, and the Americas are very well represented as well.
As for the descriptions of the battles themselves, they are very accessible to the casual reader as well as the researcher. Each is about 3-4 pages in length, and while there is a supposition of previous knowledge in some cases for the majority of the 100 battles enough background and detail is provided to give the reader a thorough understanding of the action that took place as well as the impact on history. As is often the case with anthologies of this nature, however, is that we only get the basic information for each battle. Any more would require a volume five times this size.
I had only two real criticisms of A History of War in 100 Battles. The first is that sources were not linked or included within the text itself, making it difficult for someone interested in further researching only one battle to find reference material. Also, there are no maps present within the text. Each battle has one or two images, photos, paintings, or illustrations that accompany them, but there is not a single map in the lot. A minor criticism for sure, but I would have liked to have seen them for some, if not all the battles.
March 1, 2017
The author has lived upto his reputation. He has selected 100 battles and given us an interesting history of warfare from the beginning. The battles have been divided into convenient chapters. As a work of reference it's exceptional. His incisive comments starting from the introductory chapter are erudite and wise. Recommend it for all those who make a study of warfare
March 17, 2015
I grew up as a fairly bloodthirsty kid, with a prerequisite set of soldiers and blocks to build fortresses. This book lets us see the nature of war across mankind's violent history. It is coldly objective, detailing the destruction of American troops during the Tet Offensive, the bravery of the Russians and French in the Battle of Borodino, and the cleverness of the Greeks in the battle of Marathon. In about three pages a battle, we learn about deception, bravery, leadership, and other qualities necessary to kill your fellow man effectively. I enjoyed the book.
The Conquerors by Phyllis McGinley
Poem Text
It seems vainglorious and proud
Of Atom-man to boast aloud
His prowess homicidal
When one remembers how for years,
With their rude stones and humble spears,
Our sires, at wiping out their peers,
Were almost never idle.
Despite his under-fissioned art
The Hittite made a splendid start
Toward smiting lesser nations;
While Tamerlane, it's widely known,
Without a bomb to call his own
Destroyed whole populations.
Nor did the ancient Persian need
Uranium to kill his Mede,
The Viking earl, his foeman.
The Greeks got excellent results
With swords and engined catapults.
A chariot served the Roman.
Mere cannon garnered quite a yield
On Waterloo's tempestuous field.
At Hastings and at Flodden
Stout countrymen, with just a bow
And arrow, laid their thousands low.
And Gettysburg was sodden.
Though doubtless now our shrewd machines
Can blow the world to smithereens
More tidily and so on,
Let's give our ancestors their due.
Their ways were coarse, their weapons few.
But ah! how wondrously they slew
With what they had to go on.
The Conquerors by Phyllis McGinley
Poem Text
It seems vainglorious and proud
Of Atom-man to boast aloud
His prowess homicidal
When one remembers how for years,
With their rude stones and humble spears,
Our sires, at wiping out their peers,
Were almost never idle.
Despite his under-fissioned art
The Hittite made a splendid start
Toward smiting lesser nations;
While Tamerlane, it's widely known,
Without a bomb to call his own
Destroyed whole populations.
Nor did the ancient Persian need
Uranium to kill his Mede,
The Viking earl, his foeman.
The Greeks got excellent results
With swords and engined catapults.
A chariot served the Roman.
Mere cannon garnered quite a yield
On Waterloo's tempestuous field.
At Hastings and at Flodden
Stout countrymen, with just a bow
And arrow, laid their thousands low.
And Gettysburg was sodden.
Though doubtless now our shrewd machines
Can blow the world to smithereens
More tidily and so on,
Let's give our ancestors their due.
Their ways were coarse, their weapons few.
But ah! how wondrously they slew
With what they had to go on.
September 6, 2014
Whether you're a fiction or a nonfiction reader, the books you read are replete with references to famous battles. For years, I've skipped over references to Midway, the Somme, Bannockburn, Actium, Agincourt, Little Big Horn and more, telling myself I'd look them up someday. Well... that day has come!
Author Richard Overy examines 100 seminal battles in history, starting from BCE to the present. Each battle is examined in two or three pages, its significance summed up in a closing paragraph. Battles are divided into six categories according to a defining characteristic: Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, Courage in the Face of Fire and In the Nick of Time. For example, Normandy is examined in light of the elaborate deceptive measures that kept Hitler from knowing exactly where the Allied assault would be launched. Hannibal's leadership abilities and his battlefield prowess are expounded on in the section on the Battle of Cannae.
This is an exhaustively researched book presented in understandable language for the lay reader and the war strategist alike. The text is enlivened with photos and artwork. In some cases, I might have been able to visualize the battle better if there were maps, and better understood its significance -- how it defined or turned the tide of history -- if it were summed up briefly before plunging into the details. But the author's focus lies elsewhere, so I'm not complaining. As he says in his introduction, "The issue is not victory or defeat, but what the battle can tell us about the history of warfare itself."
Author Richard Overy examines 100 seminal battles in history, starting from BCE to the present. Each battle is examined in two or three pages, its significance summed up in a closing paragraph. Battles are divided into six categories according to a defining characteristic: Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, Courage in the Face of Fire and In the Nick of Time. For example, Normandy is examined in light of the elaborate deceptive measures that kept Hitler from knowing exactly where the Allied assault would be launched. Hannibal's leadership abilities and his battlefield prowess are expounded on in the section on the Battle of Cannae.
This is an exhaustively researched book presented in understandable language for the lay reader and the war strategist alike. The text is enlivened with photos and artwork. In some cases, I might have been able to visualize the battle better if there were maps, and better understood its significance -- how it defined or turned the tide of history -- if it were summed up briefly before plunging into the details. But the author's focus lies elsewhere, so I'm not complaining. As he says in his introduction, "The issue is not victory or defeat, but what the battle can tell us about the history of warfare itself."
November 10, 2015
Richard Overy seeks to provide a summary history of war through the ages by focusing on one hundred battles. He opens with a introductory chapter (The Truth of Battle) and then dives into the battles, placing each in one of five categories (Leadership, Against the Odds, Innovation, Deception, and In the Nick of Time). For each battle, he provides a summary of the battle, concentrating on one of the "winning" strategies, and provides a piece of artwork that illustrated the battle or the general.
In each category, Overy cherry-picks the battles that he feels best illustrates the "winning" strategy. He uses the summary to point out how that strategy lead to victory for one side or the other. He uses battles from ancient to modern times which brings up the question of sources. He provides a bibliography of sources used, but does not document which book was used for individual battles. Some of the sources are summaries of campaigns which he mines for quotes rather than battle histories. He includes some errors of fact in the summaries (for instance the Argentine naval warship General Belgrano being listed as a troopship). He also equates a campaign and/or war with a battle in regard to The Battle of the Atlantic, The Six Day War, and The Battle of the Falklands.
Despite the above caveats, A History of War in 100 Battles provides a decent, readable, general history of these one hundred battles. You do not need to agree with Overy's premises or conclusions to understand the battles found in this book.
In each category, Overy cherry-picks the battles that he feels best illustrates the "winning" strategy. He uses the summary to point out how that strategy lead to victory for one side or the other. He uses battles from ancient to modern times which brings up the question of sources. He provides a bibliography of sources used, but does not document which book was used for individual battles. Some of the sources are summaries of campaigns which he mines for quotes rather than battle histories. He includes some errors of fact in the summaries (for instance the Argentine naval warship General Belgrano being listed as a troopship). He also equates a campaign and/or war with a battle in regard to The Battle of the Atlantic, The Six Day War, and The Battle of the Falklands.
Despite the above caveats, A History of War in 100 Battles provides a decent, readable, general history of these one hundred battles. You do not need to agree with Overy's premises or conclusions to understand the battles found in this book.
August 23, 2014
An interesting book. It is organized around a series of issues related to how battles are shaped and what factors can affect the outcomes of combat. Overall, I like to work. The major problem, from my perspective, is that individual battles do not have much detail provided. In some ways, that may, of course, be an almost inappropriate point. Longer discussions would have to be translated, probably, into fewer battles covered. What are the costs and benefits of either approach?
Factors covered: (1) Leadership. Here, battles illustrating the impact of leadership on the outcome include Cannae, Bannockburn, and Austerlitz. (2) Against the odds. Included here? Thermopylae and Salamis, Agincourt, and Rorke's Drift. (3) Innovation (whether technology or strategy or tactics): Crecy, Koniggratz, Battle of Britain. (4) Deception. Illustrative conflicts include Troy, Blenheim, and Bagration. (5) Courage in the face of fire: Borodino, Gettysburg, and the Polish charge at Monte Cassino. (6) "In the nick of time," when something happens just in the nick of time to save the day, such as reinforcements. Waterloo, Tannenberg, and Kursk.
All in all, a nice approach to the study of battle. One could, of course, suggest other themes as well. But this book does a nice job of showing a variety of factors affecting the conduct of battle.
Factors covered: (1) Leadership. Here, battles illustrating the impact of leadership on the outcome include Cannae, Bannockburn, and Austerlitz. (2) Against the odds. Included here? Thermopylae and Salamis, Agincourt, and Rorke's Drift. (3) Innovation (whether technology or strategy or tactics): Crecy, Koniggratz, Battle of Britain. (4) Deception. Illustrative conflicts include Troy, Blenheim, and Bagration. (5) Courage in the face of fire: Borodino, Gettysburg, and the Polish charge at Monte Cassino. (6) "In the nick of time," when something happens just in the nick of time to save the day, such as reinforcements. Waterloo, Tannenberg, and Kursk.
All in all, a nice approach to the study of battle. One could, of course, suggest other themes as well. But this book does a nice job of showing a variety of factors affecting the conduct of battle.
April 14, 2015
Despite how relatively short each chapter is, it takes a while to read through. And this isn’t like most books of its kind where half of it is taken up by notes and bibliography.
With my preferences it was obvious “Deception” was going to be my favorite par—Trojan Horse, anyone?—and it was. Overall there were two types of occurrences that made me enjoy this: finding out about battles I was unaware of, and reading a new version, sometimes with a completely different take, of those I did know. The author must be commended for including not just the ancient world, such as Greece and Egypt, but something as out of the box as the fall of Tenochtitlan to the Spanish in the 1500s. A must read for fans of history who know that war isn’t always won by superior numbers.
With my preferences it was obvious “Deception” was going to be my favorite par—Trojan Horse, anyone?—and it was. Overall there were two types of occurrences that made me enjoy this: finding out about battles I was unaware of, and reading a new version, sometimes with a completely different take, of those I did know. The author must be commended for including not just the ancient world, such as Greece and Egypt, but something as out of the box as the fall of Tenochtitlan to the Spanish in the 1500s. A must read for fans of history who know that war isn’t always won by superior numbers.
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