The Peloponnesian war, the decisive English victory at Agincourt, the brilliant sea battle of Trafalgar, the bloody three-day struggle at Gettysburg, the ferocious fighting on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day — this exciting book tells the stories of the most dramatic, memorable, and important conflicts in world history.

This superb, one-volume reference begins with the battle of Megiddo, fought by the ancient Egyptians, and takes the reader through to the Second Gulf war of 2003. On the way it describes almost 300 battles from around the world — from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as well as from Europe and the Americas. All the battles are grouped in chapters which tell the wider story of a particular era or region, whether it be the ancient world (the campaigns of Alexander the Great or the Punic Wars) or Asia and the Middle East (the Vietnam War, the Second Gulf War). Each chapter includes an introduction that sets out the historical, tactical, and technological context, and looks at current debates among military historians. In addition, individual battles are placed clearly within the wars and campaigns of which they formed a part, allowing readers to follow the details of the battle and understand its military and historical implications.

With detailed maps, a wide range of illustrations, and an extensive index that gives the reader instant access to historical figures, locations, battle formations, and much more, Battlefield offers a gold mine of information for everyone interested in world or military history.

• An engaging and informative guide to 300 of the most dramatic, memorable, and important conflicts in world history
• Thematic chapters place the battles in their historical, tactical, and technological context
• Ranges from Europe through the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East to Africa and the Pacific
• Summarizes the best of contemporary scholarship
• Detailed maps show the course of famous battles and illustrations bring the narrative to life
• An extensive index gives the reader quick access to historical figures, locations, battle formations, and much more

Richard Holmes is Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. He has written more than twenty books, including Dusty Warriors, Acts of War, and his trilogy on the British soldier: Redcoat, Tommy, and Sahib, and is the General Editor of The Oxford Companion to Military History. He has also presented many BBC2 TV series, from 'War WAlks' (1996) to 'In the Footsteps of Churchill' (2005).

Martin Marix Evans is an independent writer and book packager. He has written numerous books on military history, among them D-Day and the Battle of Normandy 1944, Encyclopedia of the Boer War, and American Voices of World War I.