The Definitive Visual History Of War

Spanning over 5,000 years of organized armed conflict, this book has 1,112 photographs and well-researched, engaging text that chronicle the history of warfare. Beginning with the first recorded war between the city-states of Sumer in 3000 BC and culminating with the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the book analyzes the causes, major engagements, and political and human toll of each war. Vivid color photographs show the evolution of weaponry and armor, from a late 15th-century Ottoman warrior's chain mail coat to an American self-propelled howitzer. The military strategies that shaped pivotal battles at Waterloo, Gettysburg, Stalingrad, and more are examined by military historians and history professors, and actual letters and diary entries from soldiers provide firsthand accounts of Ancient Rome's sprawling conquests and the British Empire's imperial wars. Critical wartime issues like providing troops with supplies, communication on the battlefield, propaganda, and ethics are analyzed in historical context. Hardcover; 512 pages.