The Military History Book Big Ideas Simply Explained

The tactics, technologies, and turning points

Discover the key themes and big ideas behind the major events and milestones in the history of warfare – from the dawn of civilization to the 21st century.

Tracing the epic 5,000-year story of warfare from the earliest battles to the War on Terror, The Military History Book explores and explains the causes and consequences of each, offering a new angle on military history. Individual entries analyse the key social and political driving forces, the arms and armaments, and the technologies and tactics of war over the last 7,000 years – from the tactics of early infantry and siegecraft to the rise of naval combat steel, steam, and shellfire, and from trench warfare and aerial dogfights to chemical weapons and cyber warfare.

Combining authoritative text and memorable quotes with photographs, maps, illustrations, and infographics, each episode is made accessible and easy to understand, brining military history to life like never before.