Most studies of ancient warfare focus only on the Greeks and the Romans, but this sweeping study covers the whole of the ancient world from Greece and Rome to the Near East, then eastward to Parthia, India, and China. Bradford transports the reader into the midst of ancient battles behind such great leaders as Thutmose III, Ashurbanipal, Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the First Emperor of China. He details the rise and fall of empires, the role of leadership, and the development of tactics and strategy. One sees the clash of peoples: nomads against agricultural societies, infantry against cavalry, as well as the greatest technological change in history-the combination of the composite bow and the chariot.
This readable account analyzes ancient armies in terms of modern military doctrine, allowing the reader to make comparisons between the combatants. Recruitment, for example, varied tremendously with Romans drawing from a limited pool of recruits for service terms of twenty to thirty years and Chinese planners preferring a large pool with short-term service. While various types of governments prepared for and waged war in significantly different ways, Bradford finds that better organization led to success on the battlefield and that, for the most part, societal innovation was more important than technological innovation. The ongoing discussion of the lessons of ancient warfare around the globe will provide valuable insights for interested general readers and military professionals alike.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Preface
Introduction
The Ancient East
Civilized War
The Egyptians
The Chariot People
The Egyptian Empire
Balance of Power
The Hebrews
The Assyrians
The Medes and Chaldaeans
The Persians
The Greeks
The Greek Way of War
"Go Tell the Spartans"
The Peloponnesian (Archidamian) War
The Peloponnesian (Decelean) War
The Demise of Hoplite Warfare
Philip and the Macedonians
Alexander the Great
Into India and Beyond
The East
India: Chandragupta
China: Spring and Autumn
China: The Warring States
China: The Former Han
China: The Later Han
The Parthians
The Roman Republic
The Development of the Roman System
Hannibal
The Conquest of the Mediterranean
The Breakdown of the Roman System
Julius Caesar
The Roman Empire
The Creation of the Empire
The Army of Trajan
The Ascendancy of the Army
The Awful Third Century
Reform and Revolution
The Fall of Rome
