Great Battles of All Time

by Jeremy Black

Twenty-five military historians from around the world describe the decisive conflicts that shaped history from the fifth century BCE to the present. Cannae and Agincourt, Waterloo and Gettysburg, Stalingrad and Midway, this compact volume collects the most influential battles and conflicts in history. Covering the past twenty-five centuries, editor Jeremy Black analyzes the effects these events have had on the development of states and civilizations. Organized chronologically in seven parts, the chapters feature ancient and medieval worlds as well as the wars of the past hundred years, including recent conflicts in the Middle East. The contributors analyze land battles as well as sieges such as Constantinople (1453) and Tenochtitlan (1521); naval battles such as Actium (31 BCE), Trafalgar (1805), and Tsushima (1905); and the crucial conflicts in the air during the Battle of Britain (1940) and the American attack on Japan (1945). The Great Battles in History ’s coverage is truly worldwide in scope, from the battle in Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE, where the Germans defeated the Romans, to Hakata Bay in 1281, where the Japanese defeated the Mongols, and the first battle of Panipat in 1526, where the Mughals conquered Hindustan. Black presents a masterly overview of advances in military technology, and of the changing tactics and strategy of battlefield commanders from Hannibal to Napoleon Bonaparte, Bernard Montgomery, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. This compendium is essential reading for anyone interested in military history. 70 illustrations

Genres: History, Military History, Military Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published August 9, 2022

About the author

Jeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extensive set of short, very short descriptions of major battles by a wide variety of distinguished historians. My impression is that this originated as a heavily illustrated coffee-table book with skimpy adjoining text and was repackaged in this format using only the text and a few small maps in photo inserts. Might make good bathroom reading but in this small, unillustrated format is inadequate as anything more than an introduction to these battles.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Western chauvinist listicle disguised as a book.