Tales of War: Great Stories from Military History for Every Day of the Year

New
Paperback
2010
$14.90

This is a powerful collection of stories of history's great battles and the men and women who fought in them, from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans through the bloody twentieth century. From Julius Caesar's victory over Pompey in 48 BC to the first V2 rockets falling on London, Tales of War is a unique tour of the many faces of armed conflict - the camaraderie and bravery as well as the bloodshed and sacrifice in wars and battles that changed history. With a story for every day of the year, Tales of War reveals how Richard the Lionheart died in battle, how Joan of Arc relieved the siege of Orleans and how tanks were used in warfare for the first time at the Battle of the Somme - and much more: 2 January 1492 - the Spaniards capture Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain; 20 April 1918 - the Red Baron shoots down his 79th and 80th enemy planes the day before his own death; 20 June AD 451 - Attila the Hun is defeated at the Battle of Chalons; 15 July 1099 - Crusaders conquer Jerusalem during the First Crusade; 2 August 216 BC - Hannibal annihilates the Romans at the Battle of Cannae; 13 September 1759 - Generals Wolfe and Montcalm are killed at the Battle of Quebec; 19 November 1274 - Kublai Khan's Mongols land at Hakata Bay during first Mongol invasion of Japan; and, 11 December 1950 - US Marines break out from Chinese encirclement at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. Tales of War shows the far-reaching consequences of a single day's action - and the courage of the people who risk their lives to bring them about.

Synopsis

This is a powerful collection of stories of history's great battles and the men and women who fought in them, from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans through the bloody twentieth century. From Julius Caesar's victory over Pompey in 48 BC to the first V2 rockets falling on London, Tales of War is a unique tour of the many faces of armed conflict - the camaraderie and bravery as well as the bloodshed and sacrifice in wars and battles that changed history. With a story for every day of the year, Tales of War reveals how Richard the Lionheart died in battle, how Joan of Arc relieved the siege of Orleans and how tanks were used in warfare for the first time at the Battle of the Somme - and much more: 2 January 1492 - the Spaniards capture Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain; 20 April 1918 - the Red Baron shoots down his 79th and 80th enemy planes the day before his own death; 20 June AD 451 - Attila the Hun is defeated at the Battle of Chalons; 15 July 1099 - Crusaders conquer Jerusalem during the First Crusade; 2 August 216 BC - Hannibal annihilates the Romans at the Battle of Cannae; 13 September 1759 - Generals Wolfe and Montcalm are killed at the Battle of Quebec; 19 November 1274 - Kublai Khan's Mongols land at Hakata Bay during first Mongol invasion of Japan; and, 11 December 1950 - US Marines break out from Chinese encirclement at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. Tales of War shows the far-reaching consequences of a single day's action - and the courage of the people who risk their lives to bring them about.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 768
Edition: 1
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Published: 04 Mar 2010
ISBN 10: 1848310749
ISBN 13: 9781848310742

Media Reviews

`One of the complaints made of history is that it's all about dates, but the authors of this volume take the criticism head on, assembling a series of military events to coincide with each day of the year. The format is admirably straight forward: a lead story enscapulating a battle or other military matter is followed up by a listing of other key moments from that particular day. . . . The book is an exercise in storytelling and there are many good tales to be found within, not least the decisive defeat of the Turks at the gates of Vienna in 1683 (12 September). . . . `Tales of War `would make a good Christmas gift to someone with an interest in military history--or, better still, as a birthday present with the appropriate day flagged for the recipient.' -- War Books Review
`Most history books tend to follow a particular time line, linking events in a chain of cause and effect . . . However, this solid--more than 700 pages--book is much more of a 'dip-in' affair, offering a relatively brief (2-3 pages at most) snapshot of a particular military event that happened on a particular day of the year--selected from 3,500 years of human conflict, from Pharaoh Thutmose III's victory at Megiddo in 1479 (15 May) to the VC-winning action of Private Johnson Behanny in Iraq in 2004 (11June). . . . all in all, this is a fascinating read. And we challenge anyone not to immediately check what happened on their birthday!.' -- Civvy Street

Author Bio

W.B. Marsh was born in New York, and now lives in London. On his birthday - 26 October - Alfred the Great, who famously defeated the Danes on British soil, died in 899. Bruce Carrick has worked in book publishing for many years in New York and London. On his birthday in 1856, the Gazette first published the creation of the Victoria Cross, the highest possible military award in the Commonwealth for valour in the face of the enemy.