In 1462 the throne of the Principality of Moscow passed to the Ivan III (1462-1505), who succeeded in throwing off the Tatar yoke. For the next 200 years this new state struggled to maintain her borders against a series of attacks from the Lithuanians, Swedes and Poles to the west, as well as the Tatars to the south. They achieved this through the development of a network of fortified sites and a series of linear defensive systems. This book examine how these fortifications were developed to respond to ever changing situations under the command of such charismatic rulers as Ivan the Terrible,...
In 1462 the throne of the Principality of Moscow passed to the Ivan III (1462-1505), who succeeded in throwing off the Tatar yoke. For the next 200 ye...
From the beginning of the 11th century onwards, the constant sate of war amongst the various Indian kingdoms left them open to outside attack, and Muslim Turkic tribesmen began to pour over the north-west border from modern-day Afghanistan. These raiders consolidated their successes and by 1206 a Muslim state, the Sultanate of Delhi, had been founded, which then extended its direct rule or influence over most of the subcontinent.
A turbulent period followed. The Sultanate was in constant flux as five dynasties rose and fell: Mamluk or Slave (1206-90), Khalji (1290-1320), Tughluq...
From the beginning of the 11th century onwards, the constant sate of war amongst the various Indian kingdoms left them open to outside attack, and ...
In the second half of the third millennium BC the Indo-European tribe known as the Hittites migrated and settled in Central Anatolia, at that time a land of small city-states whose rulers lived in fortresses. These fortifications enabled the Hittites to transform themselves into a Bronze Age super-power defeating the Egyptians at Kadesh in c.1274 BC. Konstantin Nossov examines the fortifications constructed by the Hittites in their efforts to sustain and then halt the decline of their once flourishing empire. Providing an in-depth anatomy of the fortresses, focusing on the major sites of the...
In the second half of the third millennium BC the Indo-European tribe known as the Hittites migrated and settled in Central Anatolia, at that time a l...
Gladiatorial games at first served as a solemn funeral rite to honor noble citizens. At the height of their eight-century reign of popularity, the games which constantly evolved to include new events such as combat with animals and full-scale naval battles formed the centerpiece of a huge entertainment industry run by cunning entrepreneurs and regulated carefully by the Roman government. Professional gladiators were highly trained and often highly paid, and their ranks, for a time, included women. Slaves who became gladiators could earn their freedom in as few as four wins. They were the...
Gladiatorial games at first served as a solemn funeral rite to honor noble citizens. At the height of their eight-century reign of popularity, the gam...
