Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests

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Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests: from ancient times to the present by Paul K. Davis

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–Conquests (occupations and long-term dominations) and invasions (the violation of national borders) are covered here, but many wars are omitted or only mentioned in passing, despite the inclusion of the word war in the cover art. Absent, among others, are the Vietnam, Iran-Iraq, India-Pakistan, Crimean, and Eighty Years' Wars, and the Falklands Crisis. The chronological arrangement is confusing, and events are covered over multiple entries (World War II has more than 25) with no cross-references and no entry for the parent war in the table of contents. The plentiful maps are a major improvement over the first edition, but not every entry includes one, and many omit places referred to in the text, use different spellings, or are simply irrelevant. Finally, the index is amateurish. Numerous individuals are listed under their title (pope, king, queen, even prime minister), their nationality (French King Charles V), or their first name. Lengthy entries are not broken down by subtopic. Overall, the improvements since the first edition–13 new entries, more and better-quality maps, a detailed table of contents, a selection of readings, and a time line–cannot compensate for the flaws. Better choices are Melvin E. Page and Penny M. Sonnenburg's Colonialism: An International Social, Cultural, and Political Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2003) and, for war, Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod's Encyclopedia of Wars (Facts On File, 2004). Both sets are much easier to use and far more thorough than this one.–Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal
Defining invasion as an act of aggression by one country against another, Davis (history, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio) has produced a thorough, well-written analytical work that provides information on the invasions and conquests of global historical significance. Each entry includes two or three references for further reading and cross references to other entries. But what could have been a fine reference work is marred by an awkward arrangement, with entries listed alphabetically within broad time spans and no maps to show routes of invasion and conquest. This severely limits the usefulness of the encyclopedia. Academic libraries already possessing standard encyclopedias and Cambridge histories can safely pass on this one. Other libraries should approach with caution and purchase only if needed.?Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
A twist on the standard encyclopedia of military history, the Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests succeeds in its attempt "to cover as much history of the world's invasions as possible" yet falls short as a reference work. Davis (University of Texas) admits "that the greatest difficulty" in the undertaking was "defining the terms invasion and conquest." The terms are defined as the occupation, long-term domination, or invasion of one state by another. Civil wars and revolutions are not included, and one feels, as Davis himself states, that "inclusion ultimately came down to an editorial judgment call."

The encyclopedia's 204 unsigned entries are arranged chronologically into seven broad time periods: "The Ancient World," "The Classical World," "The Dark and Middle Ages," "The Renaissance and the Age of Exploration," "The Age of Revolutions and Napoleon," "The Age of Empires," and "The Twentieth Century." Each section begins with an outline map showing the geographical location of each entry. Entries include invasions, occupations, civilizations, personalities, and cultures. There are surprising omissions. The encyclopedia includes an entry for Cyrus the Great but none for the Persian Empire and an entry for Hernan Cortes but none for Francisco Pizarro.

Although cross-references help, the encyclopedia's effectiveness is hindered by the alphabetical arrangement of entries within each section, which obstructs placing events in historical context. Related topics, such as Hannibal and the Second Punic War, are separated by unrelated entries, a problem occurring throughout the work. The index is also problematic. A good, detailed index could have helped with navigation, but instead, what the user will find in the index under Cortes, Hernan, for example, are seven page references, with no indication of which is the main entry. Matters are not helped by the fact that the index cites every mention of a name or term, even within cross-references.

The work includes a bibliography and a time line of entries. Eighty pages provide documents concerning views and laws of war and war powers. Libraries with a military dictionary and historical encyclopedias do not need this work; optional purchase. Charles Becker
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Engaging writing, sensible organization, nice illustrations, interesting and obscure facts, and useful maps make this book a pleasure to read, even if one has no interest in the history of war. -- American Reference Books Annual

Readable and well-researched. -- Booklist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
An authoritative and thoroughly readable volume that will prove invaluable for everyone from military historians to history buffs to those wanting to know the impact of war on the borders and cultures of countries around the world. The Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests, a comprehensive guide to 192 invasions, conquests, battles, occupations, and military leaders from ancient times to the present, takes readers on a journey that includes the Roman conquest of Britain, the Portuguese colonization of Brazil, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. This engaging, lucid, carefully researched volume provides a thorough review of each battle while examining the repercussions on infrastructure, tradition, language, and more. Some entries cover civilizations and cultures (Han Dynasty, the Huns, the Uzbeks), while others are devoted to selected historical figures (Julius Caesar, Napoleon Buonaparte, Douglas MacArthur). Each chapter provides a map to help readers locate key areas and geographical features. Other features include cross-references, a cumulative bibliography, and a comprehensive subject index. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Paul K. Davis received a Ph.D. in war studies from King's College, University of London. He currently teaches history at the University of Texas at San Antonio and St. Mary's University.

The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History

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The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
by Pat Southern (Author)

From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up—This informative, well-researched volume skillfully covers the history of this formidable force from the beginnings of the Roman Empire in the eighth century B.C.E. until its fall in the late fifth century A.D. The broad spectrum of subjects, such as the history, culture, and organization of the army; weapons; morale and discipline; renowned soldiers and battles; and the army, both in peacetime and at war, are arranged thematically. Black-and-white photographs complement the text. An appendix detailing rank structure in the army, a user-friendly glossary, a complete bibliography, and an accurate index round out the package. With its scholarly tone, Southern's work is best suited for Advanced Placement World History students.—Hillary Donitz-Goldstein, formerly of the New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Written by a leading authority on Roman military history, this fascinating volume spans over a thousand years as it offers a memorable picture of one of the world's most noted fighting forces, paying special attention to the life of the common soldier.
Southern here illuminates the Roman army's history, culture, and organization, providing fascinating details on topics such as military music, holidays, strategy, the construction of Roman fortresses and forts, the most common battle formations, and the many tools of war, from spears, bows and arrows, swords, and slingshots, to the large catapulta (which fired giant arrows and bolts) and the ballista (which hurled huge stones). Perhaps most interesting are the details Southern provides about everyday life in the Roman army, everything from the soldiers pay (they were paid three times per year, but money was deducted for such items as food, clothing, weapons, the burial club, the pension scheme, and so on) to their often brutal life--if whole units turned and ran, about one-tenth of the men concerned were chosen by lot and clubbed to death and the rest were put on barley rations instead of wheat. Moreover, soldiers who lost weapons or their shields would fight savagely to get them back or would die in the process, rather than suffer the shame that attached to throwing weapons away or running from the battle.
Attractively illustrated, this book offers a fascinating look at the life of the Roman soldier, drawing on everything from Rome's rich historical and archaeological record to soldier's personal correspondence to depictions of military subjects in literature and art.

Cavalry Operations in the Ancient Greek World

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Cavalry Operations in the Ancient Greek World by Robert E. Gaebel

This is a thorough and competent overview of the subject working chronologically from the earliest real evidence of Greek cavalry to the Successors of Alexander the Great, with a chapter on Hannibal for good measure.

My main criticism is that I found the analysis over-dependant on Victor Hanson's unconvincing portrait of the Ancient Greeks as an exceptional culture and Phalanx warfare as an exceptional (and somehow egalitarian) activity, but this was not presented to the same extent as in say Hanson's own book in the Cassell History of Warfare series, and doesn't therefore make the book unuseable if you don't happen to share this view.

On the positive side is the author's very balanced view of the importance of cavalry, which draws out both the effectiveness of cavalry in the earliest era and their continuing limitations even under Alexander and the Successors. He is interested in more than just charging on the battlefield and demonstrates a healthy scepticism about the technological constraints (such as lack of stirrups) which are sometimes held to have impeded cavalry in this period.

I don't think its changed my life, but this is a book well worth buying.