The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics. Just over a decade after the first successful powered flight, fearless pioneers were flying over the battlefields of France in flimsy biplanes. As more aircraft took to the skies, their pilots began to develop tactics to take down enemy aviators. Though the infantry in their muddy trenches might see aerial combat as glorious and chivalric, the reality for these 'Knights of the Sky' was very different and undeniably deadly: new Royal Flying Corps subalterns in 1917 had a life...

The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics. British soldiers have been known as Tommies for centuries, but the nickname is particularly associated with the British infantryman in the trenches of World War I. In August 1914, a small professional force of British soldiers crossed the Channel to aid the French and Belgians as the German army advanced. As it became apparent that the war would not, in fact, be over by Christmas, a vast drive for volunteer soldiers began. As enthusiasm for enlistment tailed off, eventually...

The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics. Throughout history, the best marksmen in any military force have been employed as marksmen or sharpshooters, and equipped with the best available weapons. The German states made the first serious use of sharpshooters on the battlefield during the Seven Years' War in the 18th century. Some of these talented riflemen were then employed as mercenaries in America, where the tactical use of the rifle in wooded terrain was valued. By the Revolutionary Wars, American riflemen were...

The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics. Over seven centuries the artillery piece has evolved from a status symbol to one of the most deadly weapons wielded by man. Using gunpowder weapons was initially something of a black art, but over the centuries gunnery became a science, a dependable method of breaching fortifications, or overcoming an enemy on the battlefield. By the 19th century, most European armies had artillery units manned with trained gunners; Napoleon, originally an artillery officer, then took the use of...

The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics. Today tanks are synonymous with the modern army; imposing, essential pieces of high-technology equipment, seemingly impregnable. But how did the tank come into being, and how did it develop and influence conflict in the 20th and 21st centuries? Why do different countries use tanks so differently in combat and what was the biggest tank-on-tank battle? The Casemate Short History of Tanks addresses all these questions and more in an informative and entertaining introduction to this...

This expert introduction explores the world of the gladiator in Ancient Rome: their weapons, fighting techniques and armour. The cult of the gladiator is explored, alongside their less glamorous fates which more often than not ended in violent death.

Thermopylae, Marathon: though fought 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece, the names of these battles are more familiar to many than battles fought in the last half-century; but our concept of the men who fought in these battles may be more a product of Hollywood than Greece. Shaped by the landscape in which they fought, the warriors of Ancient Greece were mainly heavy infantry. While Bronze Age Greeks fought as individuals, for personal glory, the soldiers of the Classical city states fought as hoplites, armed with long spears and large shields, in an organized formation called the phalanx. As...

A short introduction to the world of the medieval knight, from the years of training and the weapons he fought with, to the tournaments and culture surrounding the knightly life.

A concise history of amphibious landings from World War I to the present day.

An expert overview of the history of the battleship, looking at its origins, the role played by battleships in both World Wars, famous ships, and weaponry.