William Mclaughlin

William Mclaughlin is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

Totally Effective Surprise Attacks in Military History

Surprise attacks and ambushes can turn the tide of war. More often than not, the side that has the larger base of industry or manpower…

Five Facts: The Ancient Wars Between Persia and Greece

The Greeks and the Persians, Leonidas and Xerxes. The wars and their characters have always piqued the interest of historians, and Hollywood has certainly brought…

Arab raids on Rome: The Eternal City Saved by 600-Year-Old Wall

In the 8th century, a fractured collection of European kingdoms came under increasing pressure from the powerful united Caliphates of the rapidly developing Islamic world.…

Mantinea: Greeks Killing Each Other to Pave the Way for Philip’s Conquest

Philip of Macedon conquered the Greeks, most of us know that, but how did he do it? These mighty Greeks faced huge numbers of Persian…

Mike Novosel (Medal of Honor) and Mike Jr: The Father-Son Vietnam Medevac Team Who Rescued Each Other

Imagine flying into heavy enemy fire to rescue your son who was shot down. Alternatively, imagine rescuing your injured father under the same circumstances. All…

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden – Fierce General and Master of Early Gunpowder Tactics

We all know that gunpowder weapons exploded onto the scene in the middle ages and changed warfare forever. But how exactly did they change battles…

The Persian Thermopylae: Alexander’s Fight Through the Pass at Persepolis Almost Cost Him His Empire

The Battle of the Persian Gate is not well-known, despite it being almost identical to the Greek stand at Thermopylae, only with reversed sides. A…

The Battle of Telamon: A Gaulish Army Trapped Between Three Roman Armies

The Romans and the Gauls had a bitter rivalry that lasted as long as any other in the world. One of the most humiliating events…

AD 732, Battle of Tours: Charles Martel the ‘Hammer’ Holds The Line Of Battle

Few Empires emerged as quickly as that of the Muslim Caliphates. Bursting out from what is now Saudi Arabia in the mid-7th century, the Islamic…

The Spartans Had Never Surrendered Until The Brutal Battle Which Changed The Course Of The War

It is often said that the Spartan warriors never retreated and never surrendered. They would fight to the death no matter the odds, and were…

The Forgotten Campaign: The WWII Aleutian Islands Campaign

WWII had some very distinct theaters of war. When people think of the war in the Pacific thoughts, go to the sprawling jungles of Guadalcanal…

Legion Vs Phalanx: Two Powerhouse Formations of Ancient Warfare

The organization from Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing. This powerful Hellenic formation allowed the ancient Greeks to hold…