The Equipment of the Samurai – Fearsome Warriors Armed to the Teeth
Samurai were the elite warriors of feudal Japan; as dominant as knights were in Europe. Their equipment was as much a display of their status…
Fighting Joe Hooker at the Battle of Fredericksburg: The Frustrated Commander
Few American Civil War commanders were as contentious, either in war or its aftermath, as Fighting Joe Hooker. After months of grumbling at the failures…
Four Military Operations Which Were Fought In Abominable Weather Conditions
Rain and snow tend to make people stay inside with a nice cup of tea, hot chocolate, or maybe something stronger. As you would expect,…
Five Ways Napoleon Made Himself into the New Charlemagne
One of the most powerful tools in Napoleon Bonaparte’s intellectual arsenal was the connections he drew between his own life and that of great figures…
10 Great Men Who Inspired Napoleon as a Child
From an early age, Napoleon Bonaparte showed the ambition and intelligence that would eventually make him the emperor of half of Europe. As a child,…
Siege of Vienna: Led by a Mercenary, This Desperate Army Turned the Tide on the Ottoman Empire
For four hundred years, the Crusades had seen European powers take war deep into lands far from home, under the banner of Christianity. The clash…
The last battle of the Vikings On The West Coast Of Scotland
It was the age of the Great Mongol Khans. It was the age of Byzantium, of the Holy Roman Empire. The wars of the Reconquista…
Jack Hinson: A Civil War Sniper Hell Bent on Revenge
John W. “Jack” Hinson, better known as “Old Jack” to his family, was a prosperous farmer in Stewart County, Tennessee. A non-political man, he opposed…
Idolising the Enemy: 7 Englishmen Who Inspired Napoleon
For one of England’s greatest ever enemies, Napoleon Bonaparte was surprisingly fond of the English. Many of the great men who inspired him were English…
5 Grand Goals Napoleon Aimed to Achieve in Egypt
The Egyptian campaign Napoleon led in 1798 was one of the greatest disasters of his career. After his fleet was destroyed by Nelson at the…
11 Facts We Never Knew About Medieval Warhorses
The warhorse was a vital part of the European medieval military machine. Cavalry charges by heavily armoured knights made horseback attacks a terrifying part of…
Napoleon as Augustus: How He Modelled Himself on the Roman Empire
“I am a true Roman Emperor; I am of the best race of the Caesars – those who are founders.” – Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812. Throughout…