By AD 589, when Yang Chien established himself at the head of a newly reformed Chinese empire, nearly four centuries had elapsed since the fall of the last great imperial dynasty: the Han. Although Yang's new Sui regime consciously modelled itself on its great predecessor, both China and the world outside had changed. The problem for the Sui and their successors was no longer simply to 'overawe the barbarians', but to deal as equals with other cultures that were just as proud and self-confident as their own. Chris Peers examines the imperial armies of China from 590-1260 AD, covering their...

Despite the fact that it was events on the North-West Frontier which perennially awed and captivated Victorian audiences, British India's North-East Frontier saw at least as much military activity. Even the heroid 11-day defence of the isolated outpost of Kohima against overwhelming odds fewer than 200 British-officered troops against perhaps 6,000 Nagas failed to capture the public imagination. Today, after the passage of another century, Britain's numerous campaigns and conquests in Assam and the surrounding hills have faded even further into the mists of obscurity. This fascinating text by...