Battles that Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict

This encyclopedic collection of more than 200 of the most decisive and important battles throughout world history gets a fresh interpretation by a noted military historian.The mythic and doomed stand of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae; the siege of Carthage in 149-146 BCE which ended with Rome destroying the city and enslaving the entire remaining Carthaginian population; the Battle of Hastings in 1066 arguably the most important battle ever on English soil; the Battle of Trenton that saved the American Revolutionary cause and established the military reputation of General Washington; the firebombing of Tokyo on the night of March 9-10 1945 that destroyed one quarter of the city.All of these conflicts―and hundreds more―played a crucial role in defining the direction of history and the evolution of human society. This text provides high school-level readers with detailed descriptions of the battlefield actions that have played the greatest parts in shaping military history and human existence. Special attention is paid to the greater historical context and significance of each battle especially in relation to other events.Chronological organization of topics allows readers to quickly locate individual battles and place them within the larger continuum of history Numerous illustrations drawings maps and photographs depict pivotal battles and make the book visually appealingEvery essay dedicated to a specific battle has a bibliography of references for further readingA fact box at the top of each entry provides essential information and statistics in one easy-to-access location