A sweeping, vividly told journey through the clashes that reshaped warfare and the course of history, from renowned military historian Iain MacGregor
Across three millennia, the ways we’ve waged war have changed beyond recognition. The bow stretched killing range and reshaped battle formations; gunpowder enabled armies to turn chemical energy into firepower; steel and oil increased mobility and protection; engines and airframes lifted combatants to new dimensions; radar made the invisible visible; computers have rendered information no less lethal than bullets. But the heart of a battle is still human, and the story of warfare is one of human brilliance and courage.
In Battle, military historian Iain MacGregor takes readers on a guided tour of warfare, recounting 40 battles that changed conflict forever and continue to shape our world today. Divided into five categories—morale, leadership, innovation, subterfuge, and timing and numbers—he draws lessons from familiar battles like Stalingrad and Chancellorsville, as well as from others that may not be known by as many readers, like the 1565 Siege of Malta. From Marathon in 490 BCE to Kiev in 2022, this is a richly detailed, powerful, accessible, and thoroughly engrossing work.
Praise
“Battle shows MacGregor at his very best—fluent, incisive, and utterly engaging. This is a compulsively readable, fascinating sweep through military history. A narrative that should be on every history buff's bookcase.”
—ALEX KERSHAW, New York Times bestselling author of The Liberator
“Battle is gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely. People and politicians alike have forgotten the timeless meaning of war. The wisdom distilled in MacGregor’s book will bring it home to them with stunning and disturbing clarity.”
—PATRICK BISHOP, Sunday Times bestselling author of Paris 1944, Fighter Boys, and Bomber Boys
“Iain MacGregor’s elegantly crafted new book offers far more than a grand parade of great battlefield dramas. Based on prodigious scholarship and written with an eye for telling detail, Battle provides a host of fresh insights which illuminate the common characteristics that have made the difference between victory and defeat in struggles which, down the centuries, have shaped the course of human history.”
—JONATHAN DIMBLEBY, author of Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War
“A majestic survey. MacGregor transports us from the Iron Age to the Nuclear Age, from jungle to desert; mountain to ocean. Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world.”
—DAN SNOW
