Our Ancient Wars

Author : Victor Caston
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 0472121596
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Our Ancient Wars written by Victor Caston and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many famous texts from classical antiquity—by historians like Thucydides, tragedians like Sophocles and Euripides, the comic poet Aristophanes, the philosopher Plato, and, above all, Homer—present powerful and profound accounts of wartime experience, both on and off the battlefield. These texts also provide useful ways of thinking about the complexities and consequences of wars throughout history, and the concept of war broadly construed, providing vital new perspectives on conflict in our own era. Our Ancient Wars features essays by top scholars from across academic disciplines—classicists and historians, philosophers and political theorists, literary scholars, some with firsthand experience of war and some without—engaging with classical texts to understand how differently they were read in other times and places. Contributors articulate difficult but necessary questions about contemporary conceptions of war and conflict. Contributors include Victor Caston, Page duBois, Susanne Gödde, Peter Meineck, Sara Monoson, David Potter, Kurt Raaflaub, Arlene Saxonhouse, Seth Schein, Nancy Sherman, Hans van Wees, Silke-Maria Weineck, and Paul Woodruff.

Author : Dr John Rich
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113480783X
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.33/5 ( download)

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Download or read book War and Society in the Greek World written by Dr John Rich and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-10-12 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of warfare is central to our understanding of the ancient Greek world. In this book and the companion work, War and Society in the Roman World, the wider social context of war is explored. This volume examines its impact on Greek society from Homeric times to the age of Alexander and his successors and discusses the significance of the causes and profits of war, the links between war, piracy and slavery, and trade, and the ideology of warfare in literature and sculpture.

Author : Harry Sidebottom
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191577979
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.70/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction written by Harry Sidebottom and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2004-11-25 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greek and Roman warfare differed from other cultures and was unlike any other forms of warfare before and after. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practised a 'Western Way of War', where the aim is an open, decisive battle, won by courage instilled in part by discipline. Harry Sidebottom looks at how and why this 'Western Way of War' was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans, why this concept is so popular and prevalent today, and at whether or not this is an accurate interpretation. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined - from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. He looks at war in the wider context - how wars could shape classical society, and how the individual's identity could be constructed by war, for example the Christian soldier fighting in God's name. He also explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Taking fascinating examples from the Iliad, Tacitus, and the Persian Wars, Sidebottom uses arresting anecdotes and striking visual images to show that the any understanding of ancient war is an ongoing process of interpretation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Bevin Alexander
Publisher : Forum Books
ISBN 13 : 0307421031
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.36/5 ( download)

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Download or read book How Wars Are Won written by Bevin Alexander and published by Forum Books. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even as we head into twenty-first-century warfare, thirteen time-tested rules for waging war remain relevant. Both timely and timeless, How Wars Are Won illuminates the thirteen essential rules for success on the battlefield that have evolved from ancient times until the present day. Acclaimed military historian Bevin Alexander’s incisive and vivid analyses of famous battles throughout the ages show how the greatest commanders—from Alexander the Great to Douglas MacArthur—have applied these rules. For example: • Feign retreat: Pretend defeat, fake a retreat, then ambush the enemy while being pursued. Used to devastating effect by the North Vietnamese against U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. • Strike at enemy weakness: Avoid the enemy’s strength entirely by refusing to fight pitched battles, a method that has run alongside conventional war from the earliest days of human conflict. Brilliantly applied by Mao Zedong to defeat the Chinese Nationalists. • Defend, then attack: Gain possession of a superior weapon or tactical system, induce the enemy to launch a fruitless attack, then go on the offensive. Employed repeatedly against the Goths by the Eastern Roman general Belisarius to reclaim vast stretches of the Roman Empire. The lessons of history revealed in these pages can be used to shape the strategies needed to win the conflicts of today.

Author : Ralph D. Sawyer
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465023347
Total Pages : 576 pages
Book Rating : 4.49/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Chinese Warfare written by Ralph D. Sawyer and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of China is a history of warfare. Rarely in its 3,000-year existence has the country not been beset by war, rebellion, or raids. Warfare was a primary source of innovation, social evolution, and material progress in the Legendary Era, Hsia dynasty, and Shang dynasty--indeed, war was the force that formed the first cohesive Chinese empire, setting China on a trajectory of state building and aggressive activity that continues to this day. In Ancient Chinese Warfare, a preeminent expert on Chinese military history uses recently recovered documents and archaeological findings to construct a comprehensive guide to the developing technologies, strategies, and logistics of ancient Chinese militarism. The result is a definitive look at the tools and methods that won wars and shaped culture in ancient China.

Author : Brian Todd Carey
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1781592632
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Warfare in the Ancient World written by Brian Todd Carey and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2006-01-19 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Warfare in the Ancient World explores how civilizations and cultures made war on the battlefields of the Near East and Europe between the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia in the late fourth millenium BC and the fall of Rome. Through a exploration of twenty-six selected battles, military historian Brian Todd Carey surveys the changing tactical relationships between the four weapon systems - heavy and light infantry and hevay and light cavalry - focusing on how shock and missile combat evolved from tentative beginnings in the Bronze Age to the highly developed military organization created by the Romans. The art of warfare reached a very sophisticated level of development during this three millenia span. Commanders fully realized the tactical capabilities of shock and missile combat in large battlefield situations. Modern principles of war, like the primacy of the offensive, mass, and economy of force, were understood by pre-modern generals and applied on battlefields throughout the period. Through the use of dozens of multiphase tactical maps, this fascinating introduction to the art of war during western civilizationÕs ancient and classical periods pulls together the primary and secondary sources and creates a powerful historical narrative. The result is a synthetic work that will be essential reading for students and armchair historians alike.

Author : Victor Davis Hanson
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0061142085
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.86/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Wars of the Ancient Greeks (Smithsonian History of Warfare) written by Victor Davis Hanson and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2006-12-12 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This brilliant account covers a millennium of Greek warfare. With specially commissioned battle maps and vivid illustrations, Victor Davis Hanson takes the reader into the heart of Greek warfare, classical beliefs, and heroic battles. This colorful portrait of ancient Greek culture explains why their approach to fighting was so ruthless and so successful. Development of the Greek city-state and the rivalries of Athens and Sparta. Rise of Alexander the Great and the Hellenization of the Western world. Famous thinkers—Sophocles, Socrates, Demosthenes—who each faced his opponent in battle, armed with spear and shield. Unsurpassed military theories that still influence the structure of armies and the military today.

Author : Sir John Hackett
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Warfare in the Ancient World written by Sir John Hackett and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oldtidens Krigshistorie; Antikkens krigshistorie; Romerske Kejserrige; Romerske Legioner; Perserkrigene; Alexander den Store; Athen; Grækere; Krigskunst; Militærhistorie; Store Slag og Kampe; Puniske krige; Adrianople; Agesilaus; Amida; Belejringer; Antigonis Monophthalmus; Mracus Antonius; Marc Anthony; Cæsar; Assyrians; Bue og Pil; Bueskytter; Våbensystemer; Våbenhistorie; Oldtidens Våben; Babylon; Augustus; Aurelian; Militære Heste; Militært Brug af Dyr; Ashurbanipal; Armour; Forsvarsværker; Befæstninger; Tidlig Krigsførsel; Kampformer; Kampvåben; Cannae; Karthago; Makedonien; Persien; Thesaloniki; Sparta; Chariots; Kelterne; Claudius; Cohorts; Kohorder; Hæropstilling; Coronea; Etruskerne; Epaminondas; Elefanterne; Ægypten; Demosthenes; Darius; Cyrus the Great; Crassus; Sargon II; Sarissas; Salonika; Rubicon; Rom; Rhodos; Qadesh; Qarqar; Pydna; Ptolemy; Pompei; Plataea; Pila; Plutarch; Polybius; Philip V; Filip II; Phalanx; Lejesoldater; Numantia; Notitia Dignitatum; Nivevh; Nimrud; Milvian Bridge; Mesopotamien; Nebukanesar; Megiddo; Masada; Mantinea; Marius; Marcellimus; Leuctra; Jugurtha; Julian; Josephus; Jerusalem; Jeriko; Issus; Ilipa; Hysiae; Hoplities; Herodotus; Helmets; Hannibal; Hamanu; Hadrian; Granicus; Gaza; Gaugarnela; Fortifikationer; Hastati; Frankerne; Israelerne; Thucydides; Tiglath-pileser; Trajan; Trasimene; Trebbia; Tullius; Tuthmosis; Uratu; Vandalerne; Veii; Velites; Vercingetorix; Xernophon; Zama; Thebes; Takabara; Sværd; Syracuse; Spears; Spyd; Spartacus; Siege Warfare; Skjolde; Sepea; Sennacherib; Signifer; Tribunes

Author : Paul Bentley Kern
Publisher : Indiana University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780253335463
Total Pages : 614 pages
Book Rating : 4.69/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Siege Warfare written by Paul Bentley Kern and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 614 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines how siege warfare was able to unleash unrestrained violence. It shows how the methods of siege warfare devalued the skills of traditional warriors, along with the shared values of honor and prowess that limited the violence of traditional field battles.

Author : Michael Sage
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113476331X
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Warfare in Ancient Greece written by Michael Sage and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-06-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Warfare in Ancient Greece assembles a wide range of source material and introduces the latest scholarship on the Greek experience of war. The author has carefully selected key texts, many of them not previously available in English, and provided them with comprehensive commentaries. For the Greek polis, warfare was a more usual state of affairs than peace. The documents assembled here recreate the social and historical framework in which ancient Greek warfare took place - over a period of more than a thousand years from the Homeric Age to Alexander the Great. Special attention is paid to the attitudes and feelings of the Greeks towards defeated people and captured cities. Complete with notes, index and bibliography, Warfare in Ancient Greece will provide students of Ancient and Military History with an unprecedented survey of relevant materials