Immortalized through their exploits at the battle of Thermopylae under the legendary Leonidas, as well as countless other victories throughout the classical period, the Spartans were some of the best trained, organized and most feared warriors of the ancient world. The small state of Sparta, known t[...]

Siege machinery first appeared in the West during the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily in the late 5th century BC, in the form of siege-towers and battering rams. After a 50-year hiatus they re-appeared in the Macedonian armies of Philip II and Alexander the Great, a period that saw the height of the[...]

With the vast expansion of the Roman Empire came a need for more and more fortifications to defend it. The borders of the Empire stretched through wildly different terrains which demanded a huge variety of different fortifications, depending on the local conditions and the threats faced by the diffe[...]

Snap up this special reprint of a popular bestseller. It includes glittering and colourful bicones, buttons, drops and rhinestones. It presents an extensive section on basic techniques that includes stringing, knotting and more. Snap up this special reprint of a popular bestseller, now repackaged wi[...]

The catapult (katapeltikon) was developed around 400 BC by engineers and craftsmen assembled by Dionysius I of Syracuse. Catapults are mentioned in Athens in the 360s and 350s BC, and by the 330s young men were routinely trained in their use. During these years, artillery appears to have been consid[...]

Unlikely Allies examines the history of the Anglo-American diplomatic, political, economic and cultural relationship during the long nineteenth century, from the Napoleonic Wars to the First World War. When people speak of the special relationship between the two English-speaking peoples on either s[...]