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This impressive collection of 100 of the most decisive and important sieges spans human history and covers conflicts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.This engaging reference work provides readers with detailed coverage on the sieges that have had the biggest impact on world history. In addition to providing basic factual information, this encyclopedia delves into the historical context and significance of each siege. Readers will be able to identify relationships between entries and observe both the gradual evolution of siege warfare over time, and compare and contrast siege characteristics within and among different historical time periods. The encyclopedia's expansive scope will broaden readers'understanding of military history.The book begins with a preface and an introductory essay that offers a detailed overview of siege warfare throughout history. This is followed by 100 chronological entries on the most significant sieges, beginning with the Siege of Troy (1194–1184 BCE) and ending with the Siege of Mosul (October 17, 2016–July 9, 2017). Each siege entry has a Further Reading section that directs readers to additional information about the siege. Numerous illustrations and maps accompany the text.

This work covers major weapons throughout human history, beginning with clubs and maces; through crossbows, swords, and gunpowder; up to the hypersonic railgun, lasers, and robotic weapons under development today.Weapons and Warfare is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and highly informative overview of weapons and their impact on the course of human history. In addition to providing basic factual information, this encyclopedia will delve into the greater historical context and significance of each weapon. The chronological organization by time period will enable readers to fully understand the evolution of weapons throughout history.The work begins with a foreword by a top scholar and a detailed introductory essay by the editor that provides an illuminating historical overview of weapons. It then offers entries on more than 650 individual weapons systems. Each entry has sources for further reading. The weapons are presented alphabetically within six time periods, ranging from the prehistoric and ancient periods to the contemporary period. Each period has its own introduction that treats the major trends occurring in that era. In addition, 50 sidebars offer fascinating facts on various weapons. Numerous illustrations throughout the text are also included.

This sweeping reference work covers every aspect of the Cold War, from its ignition in the ashes of World War II, through the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.The Cold War superpower face-off between the Soviet Union and the United States dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century and still reverberates around the world today. This comprehensive and insightful multivolume set provides authoritative entries on all aspects of this world-changing event, including wars, new military technologies, diplomatic initiatives, espionage activities, important individuals and organizations, economic developments, societal and cultural events, and more. This expansive coverage provides readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex conflict.The work begins with a preface and introduction and then offers illuminating introductory essays on the origins and course of the Cold War, which are followed by some 1,500 entries on key individuals, wars, battles, weapons systems, diplomacy, politics, economics, and art and culture. Each entry has cross-references and a list of books for further reading. The text includes more than 100 key primary source documents, a detailed chronology, a glossary, and a selective bibliography. Numerous illustrations and maps are inset throughout to provide additional context to the material.

Offers detailed coverage of every country that played a significant role in World War I, from key participants including France, Germany, Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States, to smaller nations such as Bulgaria, Montenegro, and New Zealand.World War I: A Country-by-Country Guide is a comprehensive reference exploring the role various nations played in this devastating conflict. Each of the 22 country sections provides detailed background information, the reasons behind the country's entry into the war, a summary of its combat effort in the war, a discussion of the home front experience, and a description of the war's impact on that nation. Illuminating sidebars offer an interesting war anecdote involving each country, while essays survey each country's military branches and key military and political leaders. Finally, a timeline for each nation covers all of the important events involving that country during World War I. In addition to the country coverage, a battles section offers entries on 18 of World War I's most important engagements and a separate section on weapons and tactical changes is included. The book also features dozens of maps and images throughout the text that serve as important visual aids that help readers to understand all aspects of the conflict.

A thorough study of significant wars throughout history and their influence on world affairs-from the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmore III's Campaigns during 479–459 BCE through the Iraq War of 2003–2011.For hundreds of years, wars have played a determining role in history and have decided the rise and fall of civilizations. Many believe that understanding the causes and consequences of warfare may move humankind towards world peace. This selection of the 50 most consequential wars, compiled by award-winning military historian Spencer C. Tucker, presents each conflict in chronological order and discusses its causes, its course, and its significance in world history.Through thoughtful essays and supporting visual evidence, this reference work examines the types of weapons systems employed and their effects in the field; the roles played by individual leaders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, and Adolf Hitler; and the impact of geography and economics on the battlefield. The work includes fascinating information about warfare, addressing subjects such as how transportation and logistics changed the face of war over time, what invention marked the ascendancy of infantry over cavalry, why World War I remains the most important war in the 20th century, and which war killed nearly half of the population of Germany. Each essay includes the latest interpretations of strategy, agendas, and consequences of the featured event.

A fascinating and informative analysis by a distinguished military historian of the 100 most influential battles in American history, presented in an accessible, ready-reference format.The Battle of Okinawa (April–June 1945) resulted in more U.S. Navy casualties than all of the navy's previous wars combined; these heavy casualties influenced the decision to employ the atomic bomb against Japan that August. This is just one of many instances in American military history when the outcome of a battle helped to establish the course of history—the focus of this latest encyclopedia from esteemed historian Spencer C. Tucker. The 100 battles spotlighted in this work—which include defeats as well as victories—are deemed to have had the greatest impact on American history. Spanning more than 500 years of military events, the book begins its coverage with the Battle of Mabila in 1540 during the Age of Discovery and ends with the Second Battle of Falluja during the Iraq War/Insurgency in 2004. Expertly written, informative, and thoughtful, this analysis will be insightful and interesting for all high school, undergraduate, and general readers.

A fascinating look at the insurgencies and counterinsurgencies throughout history with a concentration on the 20th and 21st centuries.This encyclopedia examines insurgencies—and the counterinsurgency efforts they prompt—through history, addressing military actions and the techniques and technologies employed in each conflict, significant insurgency leaders, and the leading theorists, with emphasis on the'small wars'of the 20th century and most recent decades. The clear, concise entries provide a breadth of coverage that ranges from the Maccabean Revolt in 168–143 BCE and the Peasants'Revolt in Germany in the 1500s to the American Revolutionary War and the ongoing insurgency in Syria. Readers will gain a solid understanding of how insurgency warfare and counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy has played a key role in the U.S. conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 21st century, and grasp how this important military strategy has evolved during modern times.