Overview

Time and again, the course of Western civilization has been forever changed by the outcome of a clash of arms. In this thought-provoking volume, the eminent author and historian Fletcher Pratt profiles 16 decisive struggles from ancient and modern times, ranging from Alexander the Great's defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Arbela to World War II's Battle of Midway, in which U.S. forces halted the Japanese advance. Each of these conflicts, despite considerable variations in locale and warfare techniques, represents a pivotal situation - a scenario in which a different outcome would have resulted in a radically changed world. On history's broad canvas, Pratt paints dramatic portraits of battles fought by Roman legions, French archers, American rebels, and myriad other soldiers and sailors. In addition to gripping accounts of the actual battles, the author describes the full panorama of events leading up to the decisive clashes, as well as their historically important aftermath. Readers will also find fascinating facts and anecdotes about a dazzling cast of personalities associated with these epochal struggles, including Joan of Arc, Frederick the Great, Lord Nelson, Ulysses S. Grant, and many more.Enhanced with 27 maps by Edward Gorey, and recounted with dramatic flair by a born storyteller, these authoritative narratives will appeal to students, historians, military buffs, and all readers interested in the forces that influence the tides of human history.

Full Product Details

Author:   Fletcher Pratt
Publisher:   Dover Publications Inc.
Imprint:   Dover Publications Inc.
Dimensions:   Width: 13.70cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 21.40cm
Weight:   0.390kg
ISBN:  

9780486411293

ISBN 10:   048641129
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   01 February 2000
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   No Longer Our Product
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of Maps A Few Words in Introduction 1. Arbela and the Man Who Would Be God 2. The Red King at Beneventum 3. Fighting in the Streets and the Future of Order 4. Kadisiyah and the Cost of Conquest 5. Las Navas de Tolosa and Why the Americas Were Conquered 6. Jeanne d'Arc and the Non-Conquest of England 7. Vienna and the Failure to Complete the Crescent 8. Leyden and the Foundation of Sea Power 9. Gustavus Adolphus and the End of the Middle Ages 10. Interlude; the Day of Inadequate Decisions 11. Frederick the Great and the Unacceptable Decision 12. ""Quebec, Quiberon, America"" 13. Why the American Revolution Succeeded 14. ""Trafalgar, Austerlitz, and the Fall and Rise of Empire"" 15. The Things Decided at Vicksburg 16. More Than Midway Bibliography for Further Reading Index

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