Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat

by R.G. Grant

Book Overview

The definitive illustrated guide to the history of warfare. Covering the whole scope of military history, Battle provides a detailed overview of the conduct of warfare from ancient times to the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756613604
• ISBN13: 9780756613600
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 4.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 10.2" x 12.1"

Customer Reviews

Rich and Deadly

This is a three in one review on the truly splendid books, Warrior, Weapon, and Battle. Or more formally: Warrior, A visual History of the Fighting Man. Weapon, A visual History of Arms and Armor. Battle, A visual Journey through 5000 Years of Combat. They can be reviewed together because of their kinship in sharing the same visual concept and the same supremely expert author, R. G. Grant. No pilgrim, Grant is the author of over 20 books, most on the subject of conflict, implements of war and the fighting man. All three books are wonderfully delicious for those of us whose DNA inclines us toward the history of arms, armament and the men who have carried them. These books are chock full of photographs, charts, maps and illustrations on every page to beautifully compliment and expand upon a tightly written, no fluff text. And this text is extremely well researched. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that I have not read each of these three books in their entirety. I've had them for only 2 weeks and after scanning them from start to finish, I am now devouring them slowly, page by page, like a monk with a holy book, meting out tasty morsels judiciously. I want this to last a long time. Although, the books overlap to a degree, they are not repetitious in any negative way as they each have their own exclusive focus. Warrior takes on the subject of the individual fighting man from 600 BCE to the present, from the Greek Hoplite, the Samurai, Zulu, Mongol bowman, American rifleman to the modern western infantry and special forces...and almost everything in between. Weapon focuses on just about every kind of implement of a fighting man's arsenal of killing tools from Assyrian spears to the AK 47. In some cases, replicas have been photographed but mostly it's the often crusty, old real thing. The photography is first rate. As in all three books, the text and illustrations are intermingled in such an artful way as to make each page a visual smorgasbord. Battle covers the first recorded major battle which is between the Canaanites and the Egyptians at Meiddo and takes us through conflicts in every age all the way to modern times. Its focus is on the Generals, the strategies, the troops and their weapons. Battle was published by DK in 2005, Weapon in `05 and Warrior in `07. Highly recommended, all three.

Brilliant!

This is an excellent source of military history information. Scholars may not think it complete, but to the novice or anyone interested in military history this is a great reference, learner and interesting read. There are thousands of battles included, each in a concise format familiar to the readers of DK books. Easy reading, without too many superfluous details - just the highlights and parts the average person needs to know. Highly recommended.

Battle

This book is simply outstanding! Our 8 year old is completely fascinated with the history of warfare. He loves to research military attire and weapons used in the various battles. This book is a visual journey through all of the battles worldwide over time. It shows the progression of advancing technology and strategies used. It brings the reader one step closer to understanding the essence of each battle using both visuals and well written explainations. It is a must-have for anyone deeply interested in the evolution of war.

Excellent Book for the Fanatical Historian

This book combines great info with stunning graphics and is a delight for any lover of history (even if your favorite part of history is something other than military history). The only problem with the book is a number of TYPOS that I have found! For example, the maps for NARVA (p. 162) and POLTAVA (p. 163) are switched! There are other mistakes too and it's amazing to me that more careful proofing did not occur before this beautiful book went to print!

One For Your Personal Library

I picked up this book on a lark and didn't put it down for two days. This tome is a comprehensive study of historically significant conflicts, revolutionary battle strategies, and the evolution of weapons. Hundreds of high-quality photographs and detailed maps provide marvelous insight. A must-have for anyone who enjoys military history.