History - Military

The 50 military leaders who changed the world weren't necessarily the best leaders the most innovative strategists craftiest tacticians or even the bravest smartest or most admirable people. They were however the men and women who for good or ill entered the field of battle and left the world much changed upon their exit. You will easily recognise some of the names - George Washington Napoleon Bonaparte Charlemagne Horatio Nelson and Ulysses S. Grant among others. And you may be stumped by those that only a historian could claim to know like Yi Sun Shin Tuhril Beg Chandragupta and Sargon of Akkad. Some like Genghis Khan were brilliant. Others like Ivan the Terrible were mediocre generals at best. While Joan of Arc is officially a saint Adolf Hitler is universally considered a monster Attila the Hun raped pillaged and brutally killed thousands and Mao Zedong killed millions - more than even Hitler. But each and every of them changed history. You may remember some or most of the men and women in this book. You may honour some and revile others. But after reading 50 MILITARY LEADERS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD you won't deny that these are the leaders who made the greatest impact on our brief history on this planet. You may be equally interested in those who were relegated to honourable mentions (military leaders who changed the world...but not enough) including Hannibal William Wallace and Fidel Castro. And those who were omitted from the list entirely - including Robert E. Lee Stonewall Jackson George S. Patton Dwight D. Eisenhower George C. Marshall and Douglas MacArthur.

The Civil War has shaped the culture and national identity more than any other event in the history of the United States. It polarised the country pitting brother against brother family against family and state against state. It continues to exert a profound influence on the lives and society nearly a century and a half after it ended. CIVIL WAR UP CLOSE is a thoroughly researched book that features numerous essays on fascinating aspects of the war that have been pretty much overlooked by modern historians. It re-examines accepted theories with a fresh new outlook and brings hard hitting analysis to several age-old questions such as: · Who were the best generals to emerge from the war? · Who were the worst? · Which battles and campaigns were the most influential? · What were the most important military and political decisions made by President Abraham Lincoln? Exploring aspects of the war where generally only the surface has been scratched you'll discover: · How close the Confederacy come to European recognition · Meet the unlucky men of the Civil War hall of shame · Which wartime governors actually hindered the war effort ·

Fought on an unprecedented scale-in the sky on the land and in the water - the First World War marked the end of the old military order and the beginning of truly mechanised warfare. Expected to be a short almost surgically-neat war it did not turn out so - nor was it 'the war to end all wars.' Although the participants could not have anticipated it at the beginning World War One was to prove a cataclysmic experience for nations and individuals alike. THE GREAT WAR surveys the period that began with Bismarck's Prussia and ended with the creation of the League of Nations. It analyses the development of modern-day military theory and practice the geopolitical factors that fuelled the conflict and the devastating weaponry used by both sides. It provides a thorough examination of the significant campaigns of a war that changed the path of history. The original maps provided in the WEST POINT ATLAS FOR THE GREAT WAR both highlight the conflict's key military battles and provide dates and unit numbers whilst also illustrating the importance of the terrain demonstrating the vastness of space in certain campaigns and showing the ebb and flow of battle.

THE WARS OF NAPOLEON takes the reader from the early years of Napoleon Bonaparte's military career to his meteoric rise to power to the Emperor's defeat at Waterloo. Here is a brilliant analysis of Napoleon's military strengths and weaknesses as well as his many opponents' failures in the face of battle. The narrative provides insight into the technology tactics logistics strategy and outstanding general-ship that created an empire stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Russian Steppes from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. It also offers a penetrating examination of the military and political mistakes that led to Napoleon's forced abdication and final exile to the island of St. Helena. Complementing the text is a beautiful large-format full-colour campaign atlas. These original maps not only highlight Napoleon's key battles but also provide dates unit numbers troop deployments and movements of opposing forces as well as critical geographical information. The atlas is designed to be used either alone or as a companion volume to the text.

This ongoing series was developed and written by the faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Weaving the complexities of individual historical conflicts into a broader perspective, these volumes chronicle the turbulent periods of civilization. Utilizing their expertise as scholars and soldiers, the authors shed light on the crucial events and factors that shaped the execution of the world's great military campaigns. Photographs, illustrations, and maps of the campaign -- thoroughly researched for historical accuracy -- are either included in the books or available as companion atlases. Each volume focuses on a specific era of warfare, bringing you into the thick of battle with a clear and accurate picture of men at war.
The American Civil War begins with an in-depth view of the political, social, and military organization of pre-Civil War America. It then follows the events of the war with an analysis of the military tactics used, the weaponry that was available, and the generalship employed by military leaders on both sides of a conflict that helped change the face of warfare.
While The American Civil War covers all major battles, the text focuses particular attention on those battles that were instrumental in developing the rules of military engagement and tactics. From the charge of the cavalry to the early development of trench warfare, and from the use of single-shot rifles to the deployment of devastating machine guns, the reader is given a unique view of the American Civil War through the eyes of the men who teach Military History at West Point.
Complementing this text is a beautiful large-format full-color campaign atlas. These original maps not onlyhighlight the American Civil War's key military battles, but also provide dates, unit numbers, troop deployments, and movements of opposing forces, as well as critical geographical information. Blueprints of what later became our designated national battlefields, these maps can be used

With the invasion of Poland by the German Army in the autumn of 1939 the world was plunged into war on a scale never before witnessed in human history. The European theatre of operations would stretch from the icy waters of the Atlantic to the rough terrain of Russia's Ural Mountains. Military strategies and tactics on both sides would adjust to meet the quickly shifting demands of battle--in the air on land and at sea. THE SECOND WORLD WAR: EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN was designed to analyse and explain this conflict as it applies to military history and science. From the development of innovative technologies to the impact of skilled and charismatic leaders to the use of pragmatic new military theories this work puts politics social influences and events into proper perspective. And unlike many other works this volume highlights the battles and individuals that were instrumental in changing the face of warfare. Each part of this sixteen volume series focuses on a specific era of warfare bringing you into the thick of battle with a clear and accurate picture of men at war. Utilising their expertise as scholars and soldiers the authors shed light on the crucial events and factors that shaped the execution of the world's great military campaigns. Photographs illustrations and maps of the campaigns--thoroughly researched for historical accuracy--are included in the books and atlases.

This ongoing series was developed and written by the faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Weaving the complexities of individual historical conflicts into a broader perspective these volumes chronicle the turbulent periods of civilisation. Utilising their expertise as scholars and soldiers the authors shed light on the crucial events and factors that shaped the execution of the world's great military campaigns. Photographs illustrations and maps of the campaigns - thoroughly researched for historical accuracy - are either included in the books or available as companion atlases. Each volume focuses on a specific era of warfare bringing you into the thick of battle with a clear and accurate picture of men at war. Complementing the text of this series is a large-format full-colour campaign atlas. These original maps not only highlight Napoleon's key military battles but also provide dates unit numbers troop deployments and movements of opposing forces as well as critical geographical information. This atlas is designed to be used either alone or with the text of THE WARS OF NAPOLEON.