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The World's Worst Military Disasters: Chronicling the Greatest Catastrophies of All Time
The Worlds Worst Military Disasters by James William M Hardcover Book Grange
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Chris McNab
389 books57 followersDr Chris McNab has written over a hundred books in a career spanning over two decades. He is a historian with a specialisation in military history.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 22, 2014
-Revisión resumida de muchos encuentros bélicos de diferente importancia y no todos muy conocidos por el gran público.-
Género. Historia.
Lo que nos cuenta. Revisión resumida de un buen número batallas en las que uno de los bandos fue derrotado con rotundidad y sin paliativos (o, igual que el autor, también podemos decir que el otro bando venció con absoluta claridad), que nos llevan a lo largo de la Historia desde la más lejana Edad Antigua hasta Mogadiscio en la última década del siglo XX, comentando sus antecedentes y detalles cruciales para su desarrollo y desenlace.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Historia.
Lo que nos cuenta. Revisión resumida de un buen número batallas en las que uno de los bandos fue derrotado con rotundidad y sin paliativos (o, igual que el autor, también podemos decir que el otro bando venció con absoluta claridad), que nos llevan a lo largo de la Historia desde la más lejana Edad Antigua hasta Mogadiscio en la última década del siglo XX, comentando sus antecedentes y detalles cruciales para su desarrollo y desenlace.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
May 8, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Amber Books for an advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.
This book gives a brief summary of some of the worst historical disasters in recorded history. The great plague , the colonization of The America’s, various fires, earthquakes and other disasters are covered - some I was quite familiar with and some that were new information to me.
This book is well laid out, easy to read, with lots of pictures . I love the key facts box that accompanies each disaster .
4 ⭐️
This book gives a brief summary of some of the worst historical disasters in recorded history. The great plague , the colonization of The America’s, various fires, earthquakes and other disasters are covered - some I was quite familiar with and some that were new information to me.
This book is well laid out, easy to read, with lots of pictures . I love the key facts box that accompanies each disaster .
4 ⭐️
May 5, 2020
An interesting look at some of the worst disasters that have happened, not sure some of them are world’s worst, but it’s an interesting read, factual, well written and not patronising (as I’ve found some books like this to be). Well laid out, easy to navigate and good pictures with the categories/disasters.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
September 11, 2019
Este libro es una lectura ligera y poco detallada de la batallas más decisivas. Pero no significa que sea malo: con el uso de imágenes, ilustraciones y mapas incentiva a cualquier persona a interesarse más por cada una de estas historias. Recomendado siempre y cuando no estés buscando un libro técnico y detallado (en cuyo caso, no deberías estar buscando un libro que contenga todas las batallas)
February 21, 2023
It's fun to read for the ancient history and medieval part but it gets a little too favourable towards the Germans in WWII. The first author I've seen who comes close to arguing in favour of the German invasion of Crete.
November 3, 2025
Selline lühikokkuvõtete raamat, kust võib leida huvitavaid illustratsioone. Lugemine meenutas natuke muuseumiskäiku.
Lugesin seda väljaannet:
https://raamatukoi.ee/maailma-suurima...
Lugesin seda väljaannet:
https://raamatukoi.ee/maailma-suurima...
May 17, 2023
I picked this one up for sale from the local library "for sale" shelf. Pretty interesting, if not long lasting.
April 21, 2020
This is a good introductory book on historical disasters, however, it left more events that have got historical repercussions till today which weren't included or not mentioned at all than those which the authors put. Some of these disasters are;
1. Fall of Man: The sin of Adam and Eve is the result of all subsequent disasters in the world as all their descendants became evil and depraved, that's why we commit evils.
2. The Fall of Ancient civilisations of Phoenicia, Carthage, Petra, Babylon, and Nineveh.
3. Fall and destruction of Jerusalem, first by Babylon, then by Roman. The problems which happen in Middle East till today are attributable to this.
4. Death of Alexander the Great at a very tender age.
5. Eruptions of Ilopango volcano, in the 6th century, and another one in Iceland in 536.
6. The islamic invasion. It brought fall of various empires, civilisations, and personhood. Infact, its invasion in India is thought to be the worst holocaust in history as over 100m Indians were killed!
7. Fall of Byzantine empire and Constantinople. It changed Europe and Middle East forever.
8. Deforestation of Easter Island!
9. Scramble and partition of Africa by Europe, the subsequent colonization, and then effects felt in Africa till now.
10. Destruction of Benin City (Second largest man made wall after Great Wall of China) by the British in 1897.
11. Congo killing fields by the Monster of Congo, King Leopold of Belgium. He killed over 15m congolese!
12. Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austro-Hungary Empire, thus setting off World War 1.
13. Armenian Genocide by the Turks.
14. Soviet Gulags. No need of saying what happened.
15. The Jewish Holocaust!
16. 20th century dictators all over the world.
17. The Vietnam War.
18. Biafra War.
19. Siad Barre atrocities in Somalia, whose effects changed the Horn of Africa forever!
20. The Rwandan Genocide!
21. So called 'War on Terror' by US and its partner states militarism.
22. The 'Arab Spring' which transformed Middle East and Europe for the worse! Just look at Libya and Syria.
In retrospect, this events which the author haven't mentioned are more of historical importance than most which they've included in this book.
1. Fall of Man: The sin of Adam and Eve is the result of all subsequent disasters in the world as all their descendants became evil and depraved, that's why we commit evils.
2. The Fall of Ancient civilisations of Phoenicia, Carthage, Petra, Babylon, and Nineveh.
3. Fall and destruction of Jerusalem, first by Babylon, then by Roman. The problems which happen in Middle East till today are attributable to this.
4. Death of Alexander the Great at a very tender age.
5. Eruptions of Ilopango volcano, in the 6th century, and another one in Iceland in 536.
6. The islamic invasion. It brought fall of various empires, civilisations, and personhood. Infact, its invasion in India is thought to be the worst holocaust in history as over 100m Indians were killed!
7. Fall of Byzantine empire and Constantinople. It changed Europe and Middle East forever.
8. Deforestation of Easter Island!
9. Scramble and partition of Africa by Europe, the subsequent colonization, and then effects felt in Africa till now.
10. Destruction of Benin City (Second largest man made wall after Great Wall of China) by the British in 1897.
11. Congo killing fields by the Monster of Congo, King Leopold of Belgium. He killed over 15m congolese!
12. Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austro-Hungary Empire, thus setting off World War 1.
13. Armenian Genocide by the Turks.
14. Soviet Gulags. No need of saying what happened.
15. The Jewish Holocaust!
16. 20th century dictators all over the world.
17. The Vietnam War.
18. Biafra War.
19. Siad Barre atrocities in Somalia, whose effects changed the Horn of Africa forever!
20. The Rwandan Genocide!
21. So called 'War on Terror' by US and its partner states militarism.
22. The 'Arab Spring' which transformed Middle East and Europe for the worse! Just look at Libya and Syria.
In retrospect, this events which the author haven't mentioned are more of historical importance than most which they've included in this book.
April 18, 2020
Lavish with photographs and illustrations, this book makes an absorbing cocfes-tablevread, no matter how unedifying the su ject matter!
The introduction reminds the reader t hf at whilst many disasters are acts of God as defined by insurance brokers, many are due to human hand too, in one way or another, whether or not by accident or design. Accordingly, several famous 20th Century shipwrecks find there way here. such as the Titanic, down to human misjudgement, but also the Lusitania, which was fled by a German U-boat.
The earliest disasters gave taken place so far in time that it it still impossible to tell when and how it happened such as Noah's Flood. Then there is the destruction of Sodom and, Gomorrah, though it was a little disappointing that the author ignores the archaeological findings of Tall el Hammam. The Theran eruption that meant the death knell for the Minoan civilisation also takes place of honour for earlier cataclysms.
There are several case histories of disasters befalling other cities, making it clearer that settlements like these may be as much vulnerable to earthquakes as they are to war and strife as well as famine.
Several pandemics are mentioned, including those of the Black Death and Justinian - all the way to the Spanish Flu. Quarantine meanwhile, has never gone out of use as a means to contain plagues, then or now.
Then there are earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, all the way up to the present, with air crashes alongside accidents, with space rocketry.
The book does not really go into deep analysis on how disasters happen, but this book should still satisfy the curiosity of a few readers, and perhaps open said readers to questions on how many of these events are avoidable - and how many others, not.
The introduction reminds the reader t hf at whilst many disasters are acts of God as defined by insurance brokers, many are due to human hand too, in one way or another, whether or not by accident or design. Accordingly, several famous 20th Century shipwrecks find there way here. such as the Titanic, down to human misjudgement, but also the Lusitania, which was fled by a German U-boat.
The earliest disasters gave taken place so far in time that it it still impossible to tell when and how it happened such as Noah's Flood. Then there is the destruction of Sodom and, Gomorrah, though it was a little disappointing that the author ignores the archaeological findings of Tall el Hammam. The Theran eruption that meant the death knell for the Minoan civilisation also takes place of honour for earlier cataclysms.
There are several case histories of disasters befalling other cities, making it clearer that settlements like these may be as much vulnerable to earthquakes as they are to war and strife as well as famine.
Several pandemics are mentioned, including those of the Black Death and Justinian - all the way to the Spanish Flu. Quarantine meanwhile, has never gone out of use as a means to contain plagues, then or now.
Then there are earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, all the way up to the present, with air crashes alongside accidents, with space rocketry.
The book does not really go into deep analysis on how disasters happen, but this book should still satisfy the curiosity of a few readers, and perhaps open said readers to questions on how many of these events are avoidable - and how many others, not.
May 23, 2020
I have no idea if reading this under coronasniffles-inspired lockdown was a good thing or not – what is clear is that this selection of historical death, disease and destruction is a great little volume, though. It's a chunky little cube of disaster and dreadfulness, and each one of the places and events it visits gets the standard four-page pattern. We have the introduction (alongside a frankly unnecessary data box-styled crib sheet), and just enough flesh added to the bare bones (of the survivors) to educate the average browser such as I. In the middle and immediately afterwards you get a full-page image, and a cameo-styled image generally on the second page of the text. So while I might generally scoff at books for the adult that are perhaps even more illustrated than those for the primary school reader, books like this (and perhaps this publishing house itself) are showing me the worth of a good picture researcher. I'd have loved to have seen credit for the images, whether they be of Lot's wife, silvered in her salt-like statuesqueness in the distance behind her family, or of Constantinople in full-on grieving at the plague. But that's about the biggest flaw – the writing is clear and easy to read, the pages flying by while we think we're only going to be spending a few minutes at a time here. Updated since it first came out in 2005, this book might not tell any proper historian diddly, but it will entertain and educate with its fine brevity and ease of use. A healthy four stars.
January 4, 2025
El libro es una guía que aborda en forma de resumen los desastres antiguos desde el año 3000 a. C hasta el 2004 de nuestra era.
Abordando información elemental acompañada de ilustraciones de la época (u fotografías de restos arqueológicos), es un recorrido de cómo la naturaleza y los alcances de la tecnología humana cuando fallan pueden ocasionar tragedias humanas sin olvidar sus consecuencias económicas y sociales.
Aunado lo anterior, también se abordan las epidemias como parte responsable de diezmar a las poblaciones en su momento.
A título personal, cuándo aborda la conquista española se nota o se percibe al autor (aunque trato de ser neutral) de clasificar a España como lo "peor" mientras intenta "suavizar" la esclavitud en Estados Unidos y que la población nativo americana sufrió bajas por "la viruela" y no tanto por el exterminio de los colonos ingleses, aunque si admite que esos episodios están dentro de lo "más vergonzoso de Estados Unidos".
Para quiénes les guste la historia universal es una lectura que los va a atrapar de principio a fin.
Abordando información elemental acompañada de ilustraciones de la época (u fotografías de restos arqueológicos), es un recorrido de cómo la naturaleza y los alcances de la tecnología humana cuando fallan pueden ocasionar tragedias humanas sin olvidar sus consecuencias económicas y sociales.
Aunado lo anterior, también se abordan las epidemias como parte responsable de diezmar a las poblaciones en su momento.
A título personal, cuándo aborda la conquista española se nota o se percibe al autor (aunque trato de ser neutral) de clasificar a España como lo "peor" mientras intenta "suavizar" la esclavitud en Estados Unidos y que la población nativo americana sufrió bajas por "la viruela" y no tanto por el exterminio de los colonos ingleses, aunque si admite que esos episodios están dentro de lo "más vergonzoso de Estados Unidos".
Para quiénes les guste la historia universal es una lectura que los va a atrapar de principio a fin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2020
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is provided of my own free will and represents my honest opinion.
I have been fascinated by historical disasters for as long as I can remember. I used to read this kind of book in my younger years, which probably sounds terribly macabre. This collection was interesting and informative. The book is well written and well presented and a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about disasters that have struck throughout history.
I have been fascinated by historical disasters for as long as I can remember. I used to read this kind of book in my younger years, which probably sounds terribly macabre. This collection was interesting and informative. The book is well written and well presented and a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about disasters that have struck throughout history.
October 4, 2014
A straightforward primer on military disasters throughout human history. It's informative and consistent, if a little too general for my taste. However, it could have been a much more effective primer if (1) the battle diagrams -- which were very helpful -- were used more consistently, and (2) the publishers had abandoned the rectangular, hardcover design...which makes for the archetypal awkward reading experience.
April 24, 2020
Interesting, concise look at disasters
I liked this book. All the disasters are clearly explained in a conversational tone. The artwork and photos are great. I’m just not sure that all the disasters discussed would fall into the category or “world’s worst”. The book is a 2020 update to the original published in 2005.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
I liked this book. All the disasters are clearly explained in a conversational tone. The artwork and photos are great. I’m just not sure that all the disasters discussed would fall into the category or “world’s worst”. The book is a 2020 update to the original published in 2005.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
July 20, 2015
Interesting information about disasters through history. Two major faults with this book: 1) Its odd small size (5x7in) meant it didn't really go into any detail of each disaster (only a summary). I found myself going online a lot to research more about each disaster. 2) I didn't know where the location was for many of the disasters. An accompanying map for each disaster would have been an asset.
August 6, 2019
How the heck do you justify putting the conquest of the Americas, the Atlantic slave trade, and 9/11 in a list of disasters that includes Pompeii and the San Fran earthquake? There’s a huge difference between human-caused events and natural disasters. It was also weird to not see any shipwrecks here.
May 1, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11662904
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11662904
January 12, 2016
The book covers the world's worst cataclysms spanning from 3000 BC to 2005 AD. This is the most serious of the otherwise whimsical/amusing "World's Worst of" series.
September 14, 2018
Packed with lots of information on events I had no knowledge of.... I learned a lot.
February 1, 2022
A fun book to start the year off with 🤷♀️
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews