Besieged: An Encyclopedia of Great Sieges from Ancient Times to the Present (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781576071953)

Besieged examines the most important sieges in history--the actions and motivations of attackers and defenders along with conditions inside and outside the city walls.

From Joshua's assault on Jericho in the 15th century B.C. to the Russian attack on the Chechen capital of Grozny at the end of the 20th century, siege warfare has been a recurring theme in the human story. Again and again, engineers have built supposedly impregnable fortifications, only to see them overrun by an ingenious enemy.

In Besieged, military historian Paul F. Davis analyzes the most crucial sieges in world history, such as the siege of Leningrad, which weakened the Nazi forces in World War II, and that of the Alamo, which culminated in independence for Texas. He also describes important sieges unfamiliar to most readers, such as that of Arcot, where a British victory halted the French takeover of southern India. In engaging, accessible language, Davis tracks the invention of new technologies, analyzes innovative tactics, and tells the human story of conditions both inside and outside the city walls.

Author: Paul K. Davis
ISBN-10: 1576071952
ISBN-13: 9781576071953
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Language: English
Published: 11/28/2001
Pages: 388
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.89lbs
Size: 10.34h x 7.20w x 1.19d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 04/01/2002 pg. 1398
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2002 pg. 22