Dimensions
195 x 252 x 26mm
Military history and geography converge in 'Battlegrounds', a compelling analysis of how terrain affects the way battles are fought and ultimately changes the course of world history.
In this book, Michael Stephenson assembles an impressive roster of the world's best military historians and writers, including Dr David Chandler, Richard Holmes, John Warry, and Brendan Morrissey, to discuss the impact of geography on military strategy and history.
This collection of essays, illustrated with vintage and modern maps, offers geographic adventure around the world, across centuries, and through every kind of terrain, shedding new light on famous battles and introducing less well-known - but nevertheless significant - moments in military history.
Throughout military history, battles have often been determined by certain "geographic imperatives" - characteristics of the terrain that significantly affect the nature of the fighting. Confrontations, therefore, have essentially been decided by an army's ability to adapt to geographical features, giving rivers, mountains, and beaches lead roles in the political shaping of the world.
From Alexander the Great's attack across the Granicus in 334BC to the US siege of the mountains of Afghanistan in 2001, geography has been a permanent and crucial factor in battle. This book provides an unprecedented and fascinating look at this most formidable of adversaries throughout the history of warfare.
