War Made New
War Made New

Author: Max Boot

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2006-10-19

Total Pages: 664

ISBN-13: 1101216832

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A monumental, groundbreaking work, now in paperback, that shows how technological and strategic revolutions have transformed the battlefield Combining gripping narrative history with wide-ranging analysis, War Made New focuses on four "revolutions" in military affairs and describes how inventions ranging from gunpowder to GPS-guided air strikes have remade the field of battle—and shaped the rise and fall of empires. War Made New begins with the Gunpowder Revolution and explains warfare's evolution from ritualistic, drawn-out engagements to much deadlier events, precipitating the rise of the modern nation-state. He next explores the triumph of steel and steam during the Industrial Revolution, showing how it powered the spread of European colonial empires. Moving into the twentieth century and the Second Industrial Revolution, Boot examines three critical clashes of World War II to illustrate how new technology such as the tank, radio, and airplane ushered in terrifying new forms of warfare and the rise of centralized, and even totalitarian, world powers. Finally, Boot focuses on the Gulf War, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iraq War—arguing that even as cutting-edge technologies have made America the greatest military power in world history, advanced communications systems have allowed decentralized, "irregular" forces to become an increasingly significant threat.

The Idea of the Castle in Medieval England
The Idea of the Castle in Medieval England

Author: Abigail Wheatley

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1903153611

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Medieval castles have traditionally been examined as feats of military engineering & tools of feudal control. This book presents a different perspective, by exploring the castle as a cultural reflection of the society that produced it, seen through art & literature.

Castles in Medieval Society
Castles in Medieval Society

Author: Charles Coulson

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 455

ISBN-13: 0199273634

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The vast majority of castles in England, Wales, Ireland, and France have virtually no military history' of sieges or physical conflict across the whole panorama of more than five centuries'. This is quite a sobering thought.

Arms, Armies and Fortifications in the Hundred Years War
Arms, Armies and Fortifications in the Hundred Years War

Author: Anne Curry

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780851157559

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`Careful, original and wide-ranging study of many different aspects of late medieval military history.' HISTORY The Hundred Years War embraced warfare in all aspects, from the grand set pieces of Crecy and Agincourt to the pillaged lands of the dispossessed population. What makes this book different from previous studies emphasising the great battles is its use of less familiar evidence, such as administrative records and landscape archaeology, to gain a truer picture of the realities of medieval warfare. From a general review of battle tactics, the book turns to examine (at points enlisting computer analysis) a number of issues: the composition of the English army, the management of affairs in Aquitaine, the response in England at large to the war and the consequent propaganda and hardship, and the impact of warfare on local communities. Close study of surviving artefacts - weapons, fortifications - also allows realistic assessments of military and naval experiences. Contributors: ANDREW AYTON, MATTHEW BENNETT, ANNE CURRY, IAN FRIEL, ROBERT HARDY, MICHAEL HUGHES, MICHAEL JONES, BRIAN KEMP, JOHN KENYON, MARK ORMROD, ROBERT SMITH, MALCOLM VALE.

A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England
A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England

Author: Malcolm Hislop

Publisher: Pen and Sword History

Published: 2024-03-30

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 1399001132

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Spread across the medieval kingdom of England in a network of often formidable strongholds, castles, like cathedrals, are defining landmarks of their age, dominating their settings, in many cases even to this day. By representing an essential aspect of our history and heritage, the interpretation of which is constantly being revised, they demonstrate the value of Malcolm Hislop’s compact, authoritative and well illustrated new guide to English castles. The gazetteer includes an astonishing variety of types, sizes and designs. Individual entries bring out the salient points of interest including historical context, building history and architectural character. The defensive and domestic purposes of these remarkable buildings are explained, as is the way in which their layout and role developed over the course of hundreds of years, from the predominantly earth and timber fortresses of the Normans to the complex stone castles of the later Middle Ages, many of which can be visited today. Hislop’s experience as an archaeologist specializing in medieval buildings, castles in particular, as well as his eye for structural detail, ensure that his guide is a necessary handbook for readers who are keen on medieval history and warfare, and for visitors who are looking for an accessible introduction to these monumental relics of England’s military past.

'The Furie of the Ordnance'
'The Furie of the Ordnance'

Author: Stephen Bull

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1843834030

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Shows how new developments in guns and artillery played a decisive role in the English Civil War.