50 Battles That Changed the World

by William Weir

An informative look at the military conflicts that most altered the course of history and civilization, from ancient times to the modern world.

Rather than celebrating warfare,  50 Battles That Changed the World  looks at the clashes the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Ranked in order of their relevance to the modern world, these struggles range from the ancient past to the present day and span the globe many times over.

Some of the battles in this book are familiar to us all—Bunker Hill, which prevented the American Revolution from being stillborn, and Marathon, which kept the world’s first democracy alive. Others may be less familiar—the naval battle at Diu (on the Indian Coast), which led to the ascendancy of Western Civilization and the discovery of America, and Yarmuk, which made possible the spread of Islam from Morocco to the Philippines.

With remarkable accounts of both famous and lesser-known clashes,  50 Battles That Changed the World  provides impressive insight into the battles that shaped civilization as we know it.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, War, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Reference

553 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Selección más que discutible, pero el autor sabrá.-

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. Narración breve y generalista de las cincuenta batallas que, en la opinión personal del autor, han sido más influyentes en el devenir de nuestra historia.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I question the premise of the book. It doesn't appear to be the battles that changed the world, but battles that the author found most important in producing and protecting western civilization.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that overall I would recomend to anyone who loves history. Though there are some things that I didn't like: 1 he (William Weir) didn't organize the battles chronologically and 2 he was constantly attributing unexplainable miracles to luck, chance, fate, fortune, etc. I on the other hand give the glory to God not chance.

However, the information is excelent and it is a book wholly worth reading in my opinion.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reveals its problems even before it is opened. Instead of a positive review on the back, it just has a quote from the book-- written in William Weir's awful prose. The combination of historical inaccuracies, bizarre choices (The Nika Rebellion is the second most important battle of all time), and atrocious writing all make this book one to avoid.

[Zachary Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finished reading “50 battles that Have Changed the World” by William Weir.
The premise of this book is simple; to list 50 battles from throughout the world in each chapter and make the case for why they were decisive. Each chapter is usually a game of two halves; the author lays out the historical background to the battle the chapter is about, then the author describes how the battle happened. The chapters leap through eras, necessitating the author to carefully but concisely explain how warfare works in the different eras.

The chapters mainly do a good job of colouring vivid pictures of the historical eras, then giving usually convincing portrait biographies of important figures from those eras. In one or two historical eras that I thought I was quite familiar with I admit to having learned a bit more than I thought I would. Although in places there were some strange omissions or shortenings of important backgrounds. For instance, the Battle of Midway chapter, in my opinion, didn’t give enough credit to US code breakers who allowed the US Pacific Fleet to essentially lay a trap for the Japanese aircraft carriers.

In the descriptions about battles, a broad brush of battlefield military strategy is given. If I am honest, there are some chapters where I felt that there was too much of an emphasis on the historical background than on the battles themselves. This felt like an anti-climax that seemed to fritter away the tension in certain chapters. In fairness to the author however, there were many battles where I did find myself excited and caught up in the tension.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting read, but I found the book was not without it’s flaws. There seemed scant mention of important and decisive battles in the post war period. For instance, none of the battles from the wars involving Israel were mentioned, which seemed like a glaring oversight. I would have nominated the Battle of China Farm, during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The Battle of Goose Green effectively ended the Falklands War definitively with a British victory. The land campaign during the Gulf War effectively ended Saddam Hussein’s ability to call the shots in his region. There were also notable and decisive battles that took place during the de-colonisation period.

However, what I felt was a bit of a shame was how Euro-centric the battlefield list was. Recent historical scholarship has opened up to the West much of the fascinating martial and Naval histories of nations from the Asia-Pacific region. Consider the epic land battles during the Chinese Warring States Era. There are also some tense Naval battles such as those under Korea’s Nelson, Yi-Sun-Sin. I also felt that, as important as they were, this book was a just a bit too much Roman-centric.

Those imperfections aside, I found this to be a very engaging book which is a good study in, concise and informative history writing.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating exploration of some of the most significant battles in human history. Weir expertly delves into the details of each battle, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the key players, strategies, and outcomes that shaped the course of civilization. One of the most compelling aspects of this book is the way in which Weir connects each battle to its broader historical context, showing how these conflicts were not isolated events, but rather pivotal moments that had far-reaching consequences. From the Battle of Marathon to the Siege of Stalingrad, Weir covers a wide range of battles from different time periods and regions, offering readers a diverse and engaging look at the impact of warfare on the course of history. What sets "50 Battles" apart from other books on military history is Weir's writing style and ability to make complex historical events relatable to a wide audience. Whether you are a seasoned history buff or a casual reader interested in learning more about the impact of battles on the world, this book is sure to captivate and enlighten. Overall, Weir's book is a must-read/easy read for anyone interested in the intersection of warfare and history.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weir provides an interesting account of fifty major battles and attempts to explain why they were important to the development of the world. He also tries to break out of the purely western point of view that so many of these books have. He doesn't really succeed in this last aim, but he makes an effort. Each chapter also provides the historical context within which the battle took place and many of these summaries were quite interesting. In general, Weir convinced me he knew what he was talking about. I had my doubts early on when he confidently refers to the historical King Arthur and his son Mordred, but I'm hoping that was more of a joke designed to help people understand the time period in which the Nike Revolt occurred in Constantinople.

This is not a book you want to read in one sitting. I mostly read one chapter a day and then went on to other books if I had more time to read. If you enjoy military history, you'll enjoy this book.

[Bobby H · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a history buff whose knowledge of military history is slight outside of my own country I enjoyed the brief accounts of the battles. The author does a good job of setting up the context of the battle, the major players and the long term repercussions of it. On a personal note, as a Texan I was happy to see the Alamo and San Jacinto included.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of historical summaries of key battles from ancient history to the contemprary era including World War 2 and into the Cold War era. If you want an overall view of world history and the critical battles that changed history without any great depth, then this is the book for you.

[Eithan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The biggest problem in this book is obviously the selection of the battles, i think there are at least 5 fought by the Americans.... is anyone surprised Weir is an American? on the other hand the 5,000 old Chinese Civilization i think gets 1 or tops 2 battles, someone else thinks it's skewed?
The description of the battles is fair but nothing too good to shout about

[Craig Schlossin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history though we do not seem to learn much from it. This was a very good read divided like short stories of men and battles that we know and some that are hardly remembered but made a difference. Amazingly well written and researched, I really enjoyed this book.

[Dan Wann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better reference than a read

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book but anytime someone writes any kind of list many objections arise

[Max Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and detailed anthology of decisive battles throughout human history, including the modern repercussions of those past contests. A fun and enjoyable read for the armchair warrior!

[wally walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual the politics behind the battle are very interesting

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Marathon, 490 BC 10 --
2. Nika Rebellion, 532 AD 16 --
3. Bunker Hill, 1775 AD 21 --
4. Arbela, 331 BC 26 --
5. Hattin, 1187 AD 31 --
6. Diu, 1509 AD 36 --
7. Britain, 1940 AD 42 --
8. Constantinople, Part 1, 1205 AD 46 --
9. Tsushima, 1905 AD 51 --
10. Saratoga, 1777 AD 55 --
11. Valmy, 1782 AD 60 --
12. Adrianople, 378 AD 63 --
13. Midway, 1942 AD 67 --
14. Hastings, 1066 AD 72 --
15. Tenochtitlan, 1520-21 AD 77 --
16. Stalingrad, 1942-43 AD 88 --
17. Busta Gallorum, 552 AD 94 --
18. Lechfeld, 955 AD 100 --
19. Dublin, 1916 AD 104 --
20. Emmaus, 166 BC 113 --
21. Yarmuk, 636 AD 117 --
22. Batte of the Atlantic, 1939-45 AD 121 --
23. Cannae, 216 BC 127 --
24. Malplaquet, 1709 AD 135 --
25. Carrhae, 53 BC 140 --
26. Constantinople, Part 2, 1453 AD 145 --
27. The Armada, 1588 AD 150 --
28. The Marne, 1914 AD 156 --
29. Rhodes, 1522 AD 161 --
30. Tours, 732 AD 170 --
31. Tanga, 1914 AD 174 --
32. Chalons, 451 AD 180 --
33. Las Navas de Toloso, 1212 AD 185 --
34. Gupta, 1180 AD 191 --
35. Chickamauga, 1863 AD 196 --
36. Lepanto, 1571 AD 205 --
37. New Orleans, 1814 AD 210 --
38. Petrograd, 1917 AD 218 --
39. France, 1918 AD 222 --
40. The Alamo, 1836 AD 229 --
41. Wu-sung, 1862 AD 234 --
42. Waterloo, 1815 AD 240 --
43. Kadisiyah, 637 AD 245 --
44. Kazan, 1552 AD 249 --
45. Lutzen, 1632 AD 255 --
46. Manila Bay, 1898 AD 264 --
47. Tet Offensive, 1968 AD 270 --
48. Rome, 390 BC 275 --
49. Sedan, 1870 AD 279 --
50. Poltava, 1709 AD 286.

[Praj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A war fought for either selfish or any altruistic reason, is detrimental to mankind. The perils of any war is not only horrendous but changes the course of history.This book portrays the exact sentiments on how an active battle-front can influence the working of human life. This book periodically categorizes 50 influential battles ever fought from 'The Marathon'(490BC) to the 'Battle of Atlantic'(1935-45AD). William Weir puts forth a highly detailed encyclopedia of conflicts while meticulously extracting every influential technique of the war front.A brilliant and informative read especially for an individual like myself, who is a novice of the war literature.

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written book that consists of brief accounts of decisive battles in the history of the world. The author is not shy about his criteria for selecting battles. However, he omits the last great siege of Vienna while including the prior one. But this is a minor point as he explains why this was a mere also ran in his appendix. The descriptions of the battles are succinct, slangy, and well designed. He places the battles in historical context and gives his reasons for their importance.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as this book was, I didn't find it all that insightful. Maybe I'd need to find deeper information about some of the individual battles and their lasting effects. But it seemed like they kept covering battles from very similar/same eras and so the whole "changed the world" aspect lost something. It should have been "Wars that changed the world." But whatever, the author brought up some battles I had never heard of in my life. Those seemed to be the most interesting of all.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One my favorite books. Offers great little pieces of history -some familiar, some not at all. The descriptions are quite cynical and opinionated, and that's where it gets fun! I can't give it a top rating however, due to some grammatical shortcomings, and the lack of both maps and quality illustrations. This book needs a reprint!

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books seems like it would have been much better if I'd read it rather than listening to the audiobook. It also seems like it would be much easier to understand if diagrams were included. I enjoyed the historical backgrounds given to explain why a certain battle was influential. I also thought the detail about how the battles were fought was neat, though hard to follow in an audiobook.

[Elle Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read. It discusses 50 historic battles that the author sees had a great impact on democracy.

The book reads like a high school history textbook in that it’s not overly tedious in information for every battle.

Overall it was a informative read that many might enjoy.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entries are so brief that it's hard to understand the historical context. At least it's hard for me . . . and somebody with more knowledge of history than I have probably doesn't need a book this basic.

Great idea for a book, though.

[Liatris Cottam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for the first half, but then started getting confused because the battles were not reviewed in chronological order. If I had been taking notes, or had a better world history timeline in my head I would have enjoyed it more.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love to study battle this is a great book. It carefully details the political causes for each battle and gives a good overview of the campaign leading to it. The battles themselves are well described and accompanied by diagrams.

[Matthew Sparling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Some interesting facts. I liked the information about very old and obscure battles. With regards to "modern" battles in which I have good knowledge of, the authors information and conclusions are suspect. Overall an ok book for highlights.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the battles described are placed in context well, and bring insight to how world events were shaped. But there are a few that are not explained so well, and I am not sure why they were included.

[Benjamin Scribner]

Very good read, but confusing as the author puts them in order of importance, so first you're in ancient times, then you might be in the civil war the next chapter, or world war 2. I hated having to refer back, or forwards, to other battles. got tired and quit at battle 44.

[Mel Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the modern world was shaped because of these decisive battles. Makes you wonder that if these battles went the other way, the world would have been different today

[Naves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ótimo livro que explica o motivo de que algumas batalhas forjaram nossa cultura e civilização.