Pylos and Sphacteria 425 BC

Sparta's island of disaster

During the Peloponnesian War the Athenians occupied the promontory of Pylos to counter Sparta's repeated invasions of Attica. Over two days of fighting the small garrison beat off the Spartan army and the returning Athenian fleet won a crushing victory in the nearby waters ...

The jewish revolt AD 66-74

In AD 66 a local disturbance in Caesarea caused by Greeks sacrificing birds in front of a local synagogue exploded into a pan-Jewish revolt against their Roman overlords. Gaining momentum, the rebels successfully occupied Jerusalem and drove off an attack by the Roman legate of ...

Talavera 1809

Wellington's lightning strike into Spain

The battle of Talavera in 1809 was one of the major battles of the Peninsular War and Arthur Wellesley's first victory in Spain itself, following which he was created Viscount Wellington of Talavera and Wellington. Although Wellesely's forces were outnumbered, and a sizeable ...

Sicily 1943

the debut of Allied joint operations

Not only did the Sicily operation represent a watershed in tactical development of combined arms tactics, it was also an important test for future Allied joint operations. Senior British commanders left the North African theater with a jaundiced and dismissive view of the combat capabilities ...

Coronel and Falklands 1914

duel in the South Atlantic

Upon the outbreak of war, the British Royal Navy was deployed globally, whilst the Imperial German Navy was concentrated in two areas - Home Waters and Tsingtao, the home port of the crack East Asia Cruiser Squadron which, under the command of Admiral von Spee contained ...

Borodino 1812

Napoleon's great gamble

The battle of Borodino was one of the greatest encounters in European history, and one of the largest and most sanguinary in the Napoleonic Wars. Following the breakdown of relations between Russia and France, Napoleon assembled a vast Grande Armee drawn from the many states ...

The fall of english France

1449-53

For the overwhelming majority of people outside the French-speaking world the Hundred Years War consisted of a sequence of major English victories, above all Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt. The only significant victor or 'hero' on the French side was Joan of Arc, and she ended ...

Dunkirk 1940

Operation 'Dynamo'

Il. Howard Gerrard. The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk is one of the most dramatic and famous episodes of the Second World War. Dunkirk 1940 assesses Operation Dynamo from start to finish, with reference to the plans, forces and operations involved ...

The mongol invasions of Japan

1274 and 1281

Illustrated by Richard Hook. From his seat in Xanadu, the great Mongol Emperor of China, Kubla Khan, had long plotted an invasion of Japan. However, it was only with the acquisition of Korea, that the Khan gained the maritime resources necessary for such a major ...

Maginot line 1940

battles on the French frontier

Illustrated by John White. Constructed throughout the 1930s, the Maginot Line was supposed to form the ultimate defence against a German invasion of France. However, different sections of the line were built at different times and the strength of various sections varied widely. During their ...

Actium 31 BC

downfall of Antony and Cleopatra

Illustrated by Christa Hook. In 32 BC, the Roman Republic descended into civil war between the forces of the Octavian in the west and the famous lovers Cleopatra and Marc Antony in the East. Acting quickly, Octavian managed to trap his foes in the Gulf ...

Spartacus and the slave war 73-71 BC

a gladiator rebels against Rome

Illustrated by Steve Noon. In the year 73 BC, Spartacus broke out of a gladiatorial training school and formed an army of runaway slaves and people with little to lose. This army defeated two Roman armies and attacked several cities. Terrified lest the revolt spread ...

Granada 1492

the twilight of moorish Spain

Lepanto 1571

the greatest naval battle of the Renaissance

For much of the 16th century the Mediterranean was a battleground between Christians and Muslims. The war galley was the predominant warship type of the era, and a battle between two large war galley fleets was expected to decide the fate of the entire Mediterranean ...

Malta 1565

last battle of the Crusades

Illustrated by Christa Hook The epic siege of the island fortress of the Knights Hospitaller by the huge Turkish Army of the Emperor Suliman is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the western world. The Turks amassed an army of 30 ...