Dictionary of Battles & Sieges torrent

Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century


Tony Jaques


PDF: 1432 pages
Publisher: Greenwood (November 30, 2006)


This three-volume work includes 8,500 battles and sieges, from the Egyptian-Syrian Wars in 1468 BC to the second Gulf War, of 2003. The author, an independent scholar, was assisted by an international editorial board, reflecting the work's focus. Eastern and Western history are given equal space, resulting in a truly comprehensive perspective. Arranged alphabetically by battle name, entries are dictionary length, averaging 2 to 3 sentences. Since most battles are named for their locations, the format allows the reader to quickly distinguish between multiple battles or sieges that occurred in the same place, such as the seven different entries, ranging from 1069 to 1943, for the city of Kiev, Ukraine. Each entry includes the dates of the battle and the name of the larger war or conflict as well as the opposing commanders (if known) and the outcome. See also references in bold text alert the reader to other battle entries, and plenty of see references help resolve some of the potential confusion about battle names. Though entries consist only of battles and sieges, the nearly 200-page index at the end of volume 3 allows access to people. For example, a search for Genghis Khan leads the reader to 19 different battle and siege entries within the dictionary proper. Two additional access points are found in volume 1: a chronological listing of all battles and sieges and a grouping of battles and sieges by their larger conflict. Volume 3 includes an appendix that lists conflicts that did not have an individual battle or siege entry but were considered important enough to note, such as the Shi'ite rebellion of 814–819. The last part of volume 3 is a chronologically arranged bibliography listing hundreds of books, from general sources like John F. C. Fuller's classic Battles of the Western World (1954) to more specialized titles. The only drawback to this otherwise excellent work is the price. For the libraries that can afford a nearly $300 print reference source, this is highly recommended, as the international focus and comprehensive nature will make it a useful source for all students and amateur and professional historians.