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The Definitive Visual History
War: The Definitive Visual History
The most wide-ranging and visually arresting history of wars and warfare ever published, " Definitive Visual Guide" documents every major war or significant period of conflict in over 5,000 years of human history.
A must-have reference gift for military enthusiasts and general readers alike, no other book about warfare contains such a diverse selection of imagery including contemporary paintings and photographs, objects and artifacts, and specially commissioned artworks, maps, and diagrams.
" Definitive Visual Guide" includes a comprehensive directory of every major war, thematic spreads examining broader topics within the history of warfare, from the role of mercenaries, communications, and the treatment of wounded soldiers, and personal accounts and objects from soldiers and civilians that bring to life the human experience of battle.
From the earliest known Wars in Sumeria and Ancient Egypt War to the occupation of Iraq, " Definitive Visual Guide" combines a coherent and compelling spread-by-spread historical narrative with a wealth of supporting features to recount the epic 5,000-year story of warfare and combat through the ages.
A must-have reference gift for military enthusiasts and general readers alike, no other book about warfare contains such a diverse selection of imagery including contemporary paintings and photographs, objects and artifacts, and specially commissioned artworks, maps, and diagrams.
" Definitive Visual Guide" includes a comprehensive directory of every major war, thematic spreads examining broader topics within the history of warfare, from the role of mercenaries, communications, and the treatment of wounded soldiers, and personal accounts and objects from soldiers and civilians that bring to life the human experience of battle.
From the earliest known Wars in Sumeria and Ancient Egypt War to the occupation of Iraq, " Definitive Visual Guide" combines a coherent and compelling spread-by-spread historical narrative with a wealth of supporting features to recount the epic 5,000-year story of warfare and combat through the ages.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
9 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Saul David
55 books174 followersSAUL DAVID was born in Monmouth in 1966 and educated at Ampleforth College and Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities (History MA and PhD).
An expert in the wars of the Victorian period, he began writing his first history book when he was twenty-five and has since completed eight more. They include: The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan (1997), a critically-acclaimed biography of the man who led the Charge of the Light Brigade; The Indian Mutiny:1857 (2002), shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature; Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (2004), a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year; and the bestselling Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire (2006). In 2007 he signed a three book deal with Hodder & Stoughton to write a series of historical novels set in the late Victorian period. The first, Zulu Hart, was published on 5 March 2009 to critical acclaim with The Times describing it as a 'rattling good yarn' with 'a compelling, sexy hero who could give Cornwell's Sharpe a run for his money'. He is currently writing a history of the British Army.
An expert in the wars of the Victorian period, he began writing his first history book when he was twenty-five and has since completed eight more. They include: The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan (1997), a critically-acclaimed biography of the man who led the Charge of the Light Brigade; The Indian Mutiny:1857 (2002), shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature; Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (2004), a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year; and the bestselling Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire (2006). In 2007 he signed a three book deal with Hodder & Stoughton to write a series of historical novels set in the late Victorian period. The first, Zulu Hart, was published on 5 March 2009 to critical acclaim with The Times describing it as a 'rattling good yarn' with 'a compelling, sexy hero who could give Cornwell's Sharpe a run for his money'. He is currently writing a history of the British Army.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 5, 2012
Normally I don't read these "visual atlas" from the beginning to the end, like we normally do with novels, since it is not exactly the purpose of such atlas. However, this one is about a subject of great interest to me, and I read it all, page by page, in order. And despite what I initially thought, it was a very pleasant reading. The war is well detailed in all of its features, from its dawn to modern times, in a simple and easy way.
But the most important, the book is organized in a way that the reading does not become boring, or hard to follow, the events exposed are very well connected by appropriated texts, linking this great mix of subjects, making possible somehow to read it as a novel. For those interested in a survey of the the wars of our history, this is a good start.
But the most important, the book is organized in a way that the reading does not become boring, or hard to follow, the events exposed are very well connected by appropriated texts, linking this great mix of subjects, making possible somehow to read it as a novel. For those interested in a survey of the the wars of our history, this is a good start.
August 24, 2012
A quick visual overview of the history of war. Nicely presented, it's a short (selected) list of wars that dips in more than expand upon the subject.
March 8, 2022
Great reference book. There are several of this style book from the same publisher (I've read the general history one already). Extremely readable by reference book standards, images are fine but mostly nice to break up the text a bit. The directory of battles/conflicts at the end is also a real nice tool to jump to if you need a starting place with something. Such a broad topic naturally leaves the info vague but leaves someone with enough info to jump off and easily find more detail.
December 8, 2010
Fascinating look at war throughout history...not as detailed as the WWII visual guide, but still awesome.
January 21, 2016
A comprehensive history of warfare from the beginning of recorded history to the present. Very engaging book, complete with maps and pictures.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews