Great battles mark history's turning points where cultures and ideologies clash. Some battles are won by inspired leaders, some by superior weaponry, while others are won by a sheer dogged refusal to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds. This gripping account introduces 40 battles which changed the course of history, from the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC to the Vietnamese defeat of the French army at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. It includes the extraordinary generalships of Napoleon, Wellington and Marlborough, among others, as well as the victories of ordinary soldiers who, through their courage, determination and sacrifice, changed the course of history. Includes: • Siege of Jerusalem, 79 CE • The Battle of Hastings, 1066 • The Battle of Yorktown, 1781 • The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 • D-Day, 1944 Brought to life by photographs, maps and artwork of the battles, this book gives an expansive account of the most pivotal battles in the history of war and how they were lost or won.

The books in the Essential Bibliographies series include an essay by a noted scholar on the important historiographical issues and a pertinent bibliography for a particular period or theme in military history. They serve as research tools for librarians, researchers, and readers with a professional interest and as a starting point for pursuing further studies. This title, the second in the series by Jeremy Black (War in European History, 1494-1660), fills the relative neglect of the time period between the age of military revolution and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In Europe, both Austria and Russia had driven back the Ottoman Turks, and the fate of their empire--the "Eastern Question"--became an important issue in European power politics. Within Europe, no power in Western or Central Europe, despite major efforts by France and Austria, respectively, could match Russia's rise to dominance in Eastern Europe. By contrast, Britain won the struggle for European maritime superiority, decisively so in 1759, and that led to its success over France in the battle over transoceanic colonies. The War of American Independence (1775-83) eventually ranged around the world as well. Although the British lost the struggle to control the thirteen colonies, which became the independent United States of America, the British survived what, from 1778, also became a war with France, Spain, the Dutch, and leading Indian powers with most of their empire retained. War in European History, 1660-1792, covers it all.

This book explores a new way for students of International Relations to look at war, peace and world orders throughout European history. The contributors argue that the predominant 'realist' paradigm that focuses on states and their self-interest is not applicable to the largest period of European history, because states either did not exist or were only in the making. Instead, they argue, we have to look through the eyes of historical entities to see how they understood the world in which they lived, The authors use a wide range of case-studies, focusing on subjects as diverse as the ancient Greek concept of honour and persecution under Communist regimes during the Cold War to explore the ways in which people in different societies at different times perceived and felt about war and peace in the world around them.

Reproduction of the original.