In this exciting and thought-provoking book, military historian Geoffrey Regan has selected fifty of the most decisive battles of world history. As the author explains, the decisiveness of these battles lies not only in the completeness of victory or defeat for either side, but also in the longer-term impact they have had on the course of history. The scope of the book is majestic. It starts with Salamis, where the Greeks put an end to Persian attempts to overwhelm their country. Other battles of the Ancient World include Zama, where Carthaginian power was finally crushed; Actium, which ushered in the Rome of the emperors; and Adrianople, which first demonstrated the potential of the mounted warrior to defeat the legions of Rome. Moving onto the Medieval World, famous battlessuch as Hastings and the fall of Constantinople - are set beside less well-known but equally crucial encounters such as Lechfeld and Ain Jalut. Then there are the great conflicts of the colonial age, from Plassey to Quebec, and battles such as Saratoga and Sedan that witnessed the birth of nations. From the present century, key engagements of the World Wars - including the Marne, Midway, El Alamein and Stalingrad - are featured, as are more recent conflicts whose reverberations are still very much with us - Dien Bien Phu, the Six Days War, and Operation Desert Storm. Geoffrey Regan not only examines the strategic context and long-term outcome of each battle, but also vividly brings to life the course of the fighting, the commanders and participants, and the significance of innovations in weaponry. Numerous maps help to explain tactics and strategy, while the many illustrations add a further dramatic dimension to this stimulating book.

The battle of Marathon -- Defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse, 413 B.C. -- The battle of Arbela -- The battle of the Metaurus, 207 B.C. -- Victory of Arminius over the Roman legions under Varus, A.D. 9 -- The battle of Chalons, A.D. 451 -- The battle of Tours, A.D. 731 -- The battle of Hastings, A.D. 1066 -- Joan of Arc's victory over the English at Orleans, A.D. 1429 -- The defeat of the Spanish Armada, A.D. 1588, The battle of Blenheim, A.D. 1704, The battle of Pultowa, A.D. 1709 -- Victory of the American over Burgoyne at Saratoga, A.D. 1777 -- The battle of Valmy -- The battle of Waterloo, 1815.