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With Arrow, Sword, and Spear A History of Warfare in the Ancient World
Alfred S. Bradford
Illustrated by Pamela M. Bradford
Book Code: C5259
ISBN: 0-275-95259-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-95259-4
336 pages, figures, maps, sources
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 11/30/2000
List Price: $125.00 (UK Sterling Price: £70.00)
Availability: Print on demand
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects:
Description: 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.
Table of Contents:
  • 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
LC Card Number: 99-052982
LCC Class: U29
Dewey Class: 355
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