In 48 BC, the stage was set for the final clash of the two titans of the Roman world and the odds were heavily in Pompey's favour, with 45,000 men against Caesar's 22,000. Having the dice loaded against him, however, seems to have stimulated Caesar's guile and genius for battle: guessing that Pompey[...]

"He who relies on militia leans upon a broken cane." (George Washington)

Osprey's survey of militiamen of the War of 1812. The great military effectiveness of semi-trained local militia is one of the enduring myths of American military history. In this book Ed Gilbert reveals the truth b[...]

The 100th title in "The Fortress Series", this book describes and examines the Fuhrerhauptquartiere - the 14 or so headquarters built for Hitler. Revealing their locations and how they were used to direct the Nazi war apparatus, this is a fascinating insight into a range of historical sites from Ber[...]

"Forts of the American Frontier 1776-1891: California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska".

Some consider Guderian to be the founding father of blitzkrieg warfare, and he certainly brought the whole concept to public attention and prominence, chiefly through the publication of his book "Achtung Panzer" in 1937. He commanded the XIX (Motorized) Army Corps in the 1939 Polish campaign, and Pa[...]

Zhukov was the dominant figure in the Red Army during World War II even though his actual job title varied from day to day. Serving as a senior General Staff representative from the Stavka, Zhukov moved from one critical sector to the next, serving as advisor, coordinator and de facto front commande[...]

"Apache Tactics 1830-86".

In 1917 Poland was recognised as a state by Russia, but the Bolshevik coup threatened this. The Polish leader Marshal Pilsudski hurried to build an army around Polish World War I veterans, and in 1918 war broke out for Poland's independence, involving the Poles, the Red and White Russian armies, at [...]

The Conquest of Mexico is a legendary chapter in the annals of military history. Accounts vary, but all portray the fall of the Aztec Empire as a super-human feat achieved against hordes of superstitious savages by only a few hundred Spaniards armed with superior weaponry and guided by the military [...]

In May 1757 Frederick the Great invaded Bohemia, smashed an Austrian army outside Prague and bottled it up inside the besieged city. The Empress Maria Theresa could not sit by and allow the second city of the Empire to be captured and Marshal Daun was despatched with 60,000 fresh troops to its relie[...]

Sieges played a central role in the many conflicts of the Ancient World and many famous generals, including Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar and Trajan, successfully used siegecraft to gain their objectives. This title explores the range of techniques and tactics which developed during t[...]

Germany's Atlantic Wall was the most ambitious military fortification program of World War II. Following its conquest of Western Europe, Germany had to defend some 5,000km of Atlantic coastline from the Spanish border to the Arctic Circle. The United States' entry into the war and the inevitability [...]