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…
Medieval Armor, From Quilted Cloth to Full Steel Plate
More than any other artifact of war, armor dominates visual images of medieval Europe. From the chainmail carefully stitched onto each warrior in the Bayeux…
Top American Civil War Sites To Visit Today
The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars fought on American soil. Many of the war sites found throughout the eastern half of…
The Mongol Invasions of Japan and the Origin of the Word “Kamikaze”
In the 1270s and 1280s, the menacing forces of the Mongols attacked Japan. Through courage, determination, and good luck, the Japanese drove them off. It…
Mary Edwards Walker: The Only Woman Ever to Be Awarded the Medal of Honor
Mary Edwards Walker lived a life full of excitement and courage, forging paths during a time when feminism was largely unheard of, and the country…
“Hell Roaring Mike”: A Highly Respected American Commander At Sea
Michael Augustine Healy was the first African-American man to command a US ship. He was well known and well respected for his actions off the…
The Battle of Austerlitz – Napoleon’s Greatest Success
On December 2, 1805, Napoleon achieved what many consider his greatest success. Outnumbered by the combined armies of the Russian Tsar Alexander I and the…
Napoleon Bonaparte: A military life – one of the most successful generals in military history
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most successful generals in military history. Through skill as a military commander, he made himself the ruler of a…
Napoleon – one of the most influential generals in history
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most influential generals in history. Combining the ideas of the foremost military theorists of his era with the study…
The Rules of the Medieval Templar Knights
The Order of the Knights Templar was one of the most feared and powerful military institutions of the Middle Ages. Strict rules reinforced their courage,…
The “Glowing Angels” Who Saved Civil War Soldiers Turned Out To Be Luminous Parasitic Bacteria
The Battle of Shiloh was one of the bloodiest skirmishes in an already vicious American Civil War. In its aftermath, came strange tales of an…
Conrad Kyeser: The Leonardo da Vinci of War Machines
First published in 1405, Conrad Kyeser’s book Bellifortis was a guide to war at a turning point. He sought to shift the focus from chivalry…