From the Trojan War to World War II and beyond, The Oxford Companion to Military History brings together an international team of more than 150 experts who illuminate war's bloody past.

Ranging from the Alamo and Amphibious Operations to Marshal Zhukov and the Zulu War, here are 1,300 alphabetically arranged entries that provide a wealth of information on warfare from the classical period to the present day, including the social, political, technological, and economic background of major conflicts. There are biographical profiles on military leaders (Napoleon, Caesar, Eisenhower), theorists (von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu), and inventors (Fulton), among other notable figures. The contributors also discuss weapons and equipment; wars, campaigns, and battles; strategy and tactics; espionage and propaganda; logistics and fortifications; and military life, literature, and medicine. In addition, the book includes many wide-ranging contextual entries on topics as diverse as animals in war, pacifism, and venereal disease. The Companion boasts 75 specially commissioned maps, 20 in-text line diagrams, extensive cross-referencing, and guides to further reading.

With superb coverage of land warfare in Europe and North America, plus numerous entries on war in the air and at sea around the world and throughout history, The Oxford Companion to Military History is the most wide-ranging and authoritative reference on all aspects of military history currently available.

About the Author:Richard Holmes is Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. He presented the entire BBC-TV series War Walks and one part of The Western Front.