Saladin: The Powerful General Who Pushed Back the Might of the Crusades
In the brutal, hard-fought wars of the Middle Eastern crusades, few figures stand out as brightly as Saladin. Rallying Muslim forces, he drove back the…
The Falklands War – A Very Close Call
The Falklands War is looked back on by many as a foregone conclusion. Lasting only ten weeks, and it resulted in a clear British victory. But…
Building Armies in the Harsh World of Medieval England
Recruiting an army could be a difficult business in the Middle Ages. Most people’s lives consisted of farming small patches of land. When people didn’t…
The Roman Legionary – Well-Trained and Excellently Equipped
The Roman army was the closest the ancient world had to a modern army, with disciplined troops uniformly organized and equipped. As in a modern…
When Boudica Fought The Invading Romans In Britain, She Almost Won The War
The early Roman Empire was an unstoppable juggernaut of military strength, bending the rest of Europe to its will. Rebellions were mercilessly crushed by one…
Historic Paratrooper Landings Of Military History
The title “paratroopers” remains a prestigious one, representing those soldiers brave and skilled enough to take part in airborne landings against enemy positions. Changes in…
6 Facts About Admiral Yamamoto, The Architect Of The Sneak Attack On Pearl Harbor
The man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, was an unusual and contradictory figure. A man with peaceful international connections around…
The Emperor Napoleon Held The Loyalty Of Many Different Kinds Of Men
The awesome power of the Napoleonic Empire was built on the blood and courage of millions of soldiers. Though Napoleon is remembered as an icon…
When Malaria Sided With Napoleon: The Doomed British Walcheren Expedition That Cost 4,000 Lives
The British expedition sent to Walcheren in the Netherlands in 1809 was one of the boldest moves of the Napoleonic wars. Unfortunately for the soldiers…
12 Ways the British Army Adapted to Fighting in the Americas
Fighting in the Americas was the great challenge facing the 18th-century British army. Whether confronted with French, Spanish, native or colonial troops, they had to…
Nine Ways the Victorian British Army Made Life Better for its Soldiers
Soldiers were seldom treated with great respect by the Victorian British establishment. Despite the prestige given to great acts of heroism and important leaders, the…
When Allies Fight: Operation Torch and the Taking of North Africa
North Africa was one of the great battlegrounds of the Second World War. From early on, British and Commonwealth forces faced German and Italian troops…