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1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History
1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History traces the history of warmongering, from the small-scale battles of the ancient world to the devastation of modern conflicts. It provides a comprehensive record of the armed combats that have shaped the political and cultural landscape of the world and is fully illustrated with images ranging from ancient triumphal stone carvings through to the very latest war photography. This is much more than a straightforward military history title; it reveals the fascinating, and sometimes surprising, ways in which key military events have shaped the world in which we live. From the earliest recorded conflicts, involving just a few thousand foot soldiers, to the horrors of modern, chemical warfare, 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History looks at the reasons why people go to war and both the short- and long-term consequences of battles of all sizes. To understand modern conflicts, people need to know what has gone before. This book traces the changing face of warfare around the globe, from the Battle of Troy, the Fall of Babylon, and the Siege of Antioch to the Battle of Gettysburg, the bombing of Guernica, the Siege of Leningrad, and the Battle of Fallujah.
960 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
19 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
R.G. Grant
132 books42 followersR.G. Grant is a historian who has written extensively on many aspects and periods of history. Among his more than fifty published books are: Battle, Soldier, and Battle at Sea (2005, 2007, 2008). He was also a major contributor to the ITV Visual History of the Twentieth Century (1999) and consultant for Chronology of World History (1995). He is also a contributor to 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History, where earlier versions of his contributions to Britannica first appeared.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 17, 2013
I have read enough of this to know that this was a good purchase for my reference bookshelf.
From estoreric battles during the Ionian wars to battles of the 30 years war that I've never heard of, to modern, The Battle of Marjah in February 2010. The Ionian battles are not the oldest in this work and for this review just serve as an example. The Hittites even make the cut.
Arranged in chronological order and by campaign or war, this is a history reference than can be read chapter (page or two) or battle by battle as well.
I have seen few works like this and none in this format or size.
The primary weakness inherent to a work of this scope is that there can be little depth in coverage of each incident. While the Boer War for example entries cover all the important information about the listed battles, the incredible background and history of the combatants is missing.
Well worth considering for any military or war history reader that doesn't have some other work or combination of works in such an accessible format. One volume. Hardbound. Slick pages accent text, illustrations and photographs. Well indexed and organized.
A goodread and well worth the 4 stars.
From estoreric battles during the Ionian wars to battles of the 30 years war that I've never heard of, to modern, The Battle of Marjah in February 2010. The Ionian battles are not the oldest in this work and for this review just serve as an example. The Hittites even make the cut.
Arranged in chronological order and by campaign or war, this is a history reference than can be read chapter (page or two) or battle by battle as well.
I have seen few works like this and none in this format or size.
The primary weakness inherent to a work of this scope is that there can be little depth in coverage of each incident. While the Boer War for example entries cover all the important information about the listed battles, the incredible background and history of the combatants is missing.
Well worth considering for any military or war history reader that doesn't have some other work or combination of works in such an accessible format. One volume. Hardbound. Slick pages accent text, illustrations and photographs. Well indexed and organized.
A goodread and well worth the 4 stars.
July 16, 2019
What a fantastic book for reference but as well for information on battles within ancient and modern history. great book
January 9, 2021
This book is exactly the sort of thing for people who enjoy learning about concurrent history.
Are you the sort of person who likes to learn how there were mammoths during the Ancient Egyptian era? While England and Spain were fighting in 1588, Japan's second unifier was just finally cracking down on the last great clan in Kanto?
This book is 1001 battles put into chronological order, so on one page you'll get info about Rome battling the Germanic tribes, and a few down the line the Three Kingdoms will be fighting at Red Cliffs.
The entries are short, so you can't use it for reference, but if something like the Battle of Okehazama piques your interest, you can always do some independent study. It's not a book designed to be read cover to cover, but you can do if you'd like to see a canvas of history and how ages link to one another if you want.
The later battles will obviously have more information than the older ones, as in WWI and onwards we started keeping track of casualties better, etc. But overall the book is great. If what I've said sounds interesting, get a cheap secondhand copy and have a look - or rent it from your library.
Are you the sort of person who likes to learn how there were mammoths during the Ancient Egyptian era? While England and Spain were fighting in 1588, Japan's second unifier was just finally cracking down on the last great clan in Kanto?
This book is 1001 battles put into chronological order, so on one page you'll get info about Rome battling the Germanic tribes, and a few down the line the Three Kingdoms will be fighting at Red Cliffs.
The entries are short, so you can't use it for reference, but if something like the Battle of Okehazama piques your interest, you can always do some independent study. It's not a book designed to be read cover to cover, but you can do if you'd like to see a canvas of history and how ages link to one another if you want.
The later battles will obviously have more information than the older ones, as in WWI and onwards we started keeping track of casualties better, etc. But overall the book is great. If what I've said sounds interesting, get a cheap secondhand copy and have a look - or rent it from your library.
January 5, 2020
A book of basic summaries of the 1,001 most impactful battles in human history.
I found this book to be well organized and educational to read. The summaries did a good job in giving me a basic idea of what happened and why it was important. The point of the book is to help the reader put world history together in the form of famous battles. Ultimately I think it accomplished its goal.
One thing I found very interesting is how the book put battles together in chronological order rather than by war. So battles line up in the book don’t necessarily have anything to do with one another. You find American battles during the War of 1812 mixed with battles from the Napoleonic Wars. People don’t normally mix various wars together while studying so this book opened my eyes.
There were a few battles that I wondered why they were included in the book. The summary pretty much said that a battle happened but everything returned to the way it was after the battle. My thought would be that that particular battle wasn’t that important. Ultimately I think they could have had about 800 battles that really changed the world and about 200 others that are noted in most history books so they were included even though they might not have changed the world.
I used this book as a night stand book. At night when I had a few minutes to spare before I got ready for bed I could get a few battles in every night.
Overall I liked the book and would recommend it to others. You can easily read the book when you have a spare moment and you don’t need to keep a plot or character developments in your head.
I found this book to be well organized and educational to read. The summaries did a good job in giving me a basic idea of what happened and why it was important. The point of the book is to help the reader put world history together in the form of famous battles. Ultimately I think it accomplished its goal.
One thing I found very interesting is how the book put battles together in chronological order rather than by war. So battles line up in the book don’t necessarily have anything to do with one another. You find American battles during the War of 1812 mixed with battles from the Napoleonic Wars. People don’t normally mix various wars together while studying so this book opened my eyes.
There were a few battles that I wondered why they were included in the book. The summary pretty much said that a battle happened but everything returned to the way it was after the battle. My thought would be that that particular battle wasn’t that important. Ultimately I think they could have had about 800 battles that really changed the world and about 200 others that are noted in most history books so they were included even though they might not have changed the world.
I used this book as a night stand book. At night when I had a few minutes to spare before I got ready for bed I could get a few battles in every night.
Overall I liked the book and would recommend it to others. You can easily read the book when you have a spare moment and you don’t need to keep a plot or character developments in your head.
October 25, 2020
Enjoyed the book and learned more about history itself through the centuries. Short descriptions of battles not missing on the highlights. Main body font is small though and gray I suggest to make it black so as to be more readable. Overall I like the book. I can always go back to review some battles.
October 27, 2017
Would definitely say it's more of a reference book.
September 23, 2019
Not only a sort of encyclopedia of the shocking brutality of the human race but also the strategic analysis of warfare decisions.
July 26, 2021
Doesn’t have the battle of Maserfield but other than that a great supplemental history reads.
March 16, 2022
I still cannot find a history book that can beat this book so far. Absolutely goated.
September 29, 2024
Solid reference book for history enthusiasts. Took me a time to read (small print and massive amount of information), but definitely good to have on the shelf.
May 3, 2023
1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History is an essential guide to the most intense, dramatic, important and extraordinary conflicts over the last 5,000 years and the consequences of those clashes on societies around the globe.
The book traces 5,000 years of armed conflict around the globe, revealing the part each battle played in the course of a campaign or war and the wider political or social impact it had on the region or country as a whole.
Illustrated throughout with ancient carvings, detail-filled tapestries, dramatic paintings and evocative photographs, 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History is packed with striking imagery and illuminating text, tracing the changing face of warfare around the globe and throughout history, and highlights the fascinating and often surprising consequences of individual conflicts on the history of the world.
The book traces 5,000 years of armed conflict around the globe, revealing the part each battle played in the course of a campaign or war and the wider political or social impact it had on the region or country as a whole.
Illustrated throughout with ancient carvings, detail-filled tapestries, dramatic paintings and evocative photographs, 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History is packed with striking imagery and illuminating text, tracing the changing face of warfare around the globe and throughout history, and highlights the fascinating and often surprising consequences of individual conflicts on the history of the world.
November 17, 2016
Es una excelente revisión de los eventos cruciales de la Historia mundial, con una muy cuidada revisión y resumen de cada batalla, sin embargo, en aras de lograr las 1001 batallas, se incluyen hasta escaramuzas menores y de escasa importancia, que bien podrían haberse obviado
February 7, 2012
Took me a month to get through it. I liked it, but I was disappointed by the lack of maps and the absence of some modern battles. For instance, the invasion of Grenada is listed but not Panama.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews