The high point of medieval islamic expansion was the 700-year presence of the 'Moors' in Spain and Portugal. The Arab and Berber conquest was followed by the establishment of a richly distinct culture in Andalusia, where for a while Muslim and Christian co-operated as often as they fought. The rise and fall of successive Islamic dynasties brought new invaders, fragmentation and disunity; and the growing Christian kingdoms to the north eventually doomed the amirate of Granada, the last Moorish bastion, which fell to the Castilians in 1492. The extraordinarily varied and colourful armies of Westem Islam are described and illustrated here in fascinating detail.

Jock is not your ordinary bull terrier, he has character; he has spirit, and he is overall a wonderful fellow. This exciting abridgement of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's classic tale, superbly illustrated in full colour, will make children part of the scrapes and adventures of a man and his dog in the Transvaal bushveld a century ago.

In this worthy addition to the Elite series, Ian Heath transports us to the time of the Vikings examining their epic journeys and the ships they made them in, their methods of warfare - the organisation of their armies and tactics employed, their appearance and equipment and the general history of these fascinating warrior-explorers. His authoritative text is backed by many fine illustrations and photographs including 12 stunning full colour plates by Angus McBride, one of the world's most respected military artists.

The Byzantines had a remarkably sophisticated approach to politics and military strategy. Unlike most of their contemporaries, they learnt very early in their history that winning a battle did not necessarily win a war, and they frequently bought off their enemies with treaties and bribes rather than squander men and materiel in potentially fruitless campaigns. The Byzantine army of the 10th and early 11th centuries, at the height of its power and efficiency, was the best-organised, best-trained, best-equipped and highest-paid in the known world. This splendid book by Ian Heath examines the Byzantine Armies from 886-1118, including the lusty, hard-fighting, hard-drinking 'barbarian' Varangian guard.

The dramatic eruption of the Arab peoples from Arabia after their adoption of the Muslim faith in the 7th century remains one of the most extraordinary events in world history. By the end of that century they ruled a state that stretched from the Atlantic to India, from southern Arabia to Central Asia, covering an area far greater than that of the Roman Empire. Therefore warfare, at least among the nomadic bedouin, was a normal aspect of life. Complemented by numerous illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Angus McBride, this detailed text by David Nicolle tells the real story of the armies of the Muslim conquest.

Focussing on one of the most fascinating episodes in military history, this book tells the story of the 1836 campaign in Texas, including the epic siege of the Alamo and the battle of San Jacinto. Dissatisfaction with increasingly oppressive Mexican rule on the part of the Texians led, ultimately, to war and in February 1836 Santa Anna marched his army into Texas. He lay siege to the old mission named the Alamo outside San Antonio. It was defended by a legendary collection of volunteers under Colonel William Travis and the famous adventurer Jim Bowie (he of the knife), and included David Crockett.

The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were a time of great upheaval for medieval France. In 1328 the Capetian line came to an end. This was the trigger for the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) as successive English kings attempted to uphold their claim to the French throne. Catastrophic defeats at Crecy and Poitiers shook the French kingdom to its core. A period of respite followed under Bertrand du Guesclin, but an even more devastating assault was to follow, under the warrior-king par excellence Henry V, and the French disintegration continued until 1429. This book details how the French began a recovery, partly triggered by the young visionary Joan of Arc, that would end with them as the major European military power.

By the 15th century BC the valley of Hwang Ho was dominated by a palace-based military caste which owed its supremacy to a monopoly of bronze-working techniques among a still mainly Stone Age population. To the Shang Dynasty, war was a means of legitimising the power of their new aristocracy. This fascinating volume by C. J. Peers covers the period of China's history from the first documented civilisation to the establishment of an enduring unified empire, examining the history, organisation, uniform and weapons of ancient Chinese armies.

The Sassanians ruled the last great imperial Empire of Persia before the Arab conquests of the 7th century. Rome's only equal in the classical world, the Sassanian Empire had an enormous impact on the development of architecture, mythology, arts, music, military tactics and technology. Within the Sassanian military, the cavalry was the most influential element, and Sassanian cavalry tactics were adopted by the Romans, Arabs, and Turks. Their cavalry systems of weaponry, battle tactics, Tamgas, Medallions, court customs, and costumes influenced Romano-Byzantine and medieval European culture, and this book allows the reader to see how a little-studied eastern power affected the development of cavalry traditions in the western world.

Osprey's study of the Normans during the Middle Ages. Despite the small geographic extent of Normandy its people played a crucial role in the history of the medieval world. Ferocity, boundless energy, cunning and a capacity for leadership were their heritage, to which modern scholars would add supreme adaptability and a simple piety. Their amazing military successes resulted from careful planning, speed of movement, decisiveness, daring and sheer ruthlessness. Added to this was a strong business sense and an appreciation of the value of money. Veteran Osprey author David Nicolle describes the history, arms and armour of the remarkable Normans in this fascinating volume.

Osprey's survey of British soldiers during the English Civil War (1642-1651) period. When civil war erupted in England in 1642, it quickly involved every level of society throughout the British Isles. On one side the King and his supporters fought for traditional government in Church and State. On the other, the supporters of Parliament sought radical changes in religion and economic policy, and a greater share of power at the national level. This is the first of two volumes in the Elite series exploring the recruitment, organisation, and tactics of the soldiers of the English Civil War. This book opens with an account of the origins of the military theory used by both sides, before discussing the weapons, logistics and management of the infantry throughout the Civil War campaign.

The gladiatorial games of the Roman world comprised battle for entertainment and slaughter for profit. Although notorious for the use of prisoners of war, conquered slaves and condemned criminals as dispensable 'extras', some did volunteer for the gladiatorial profession. Spectacle was everything: combatants were encouraged to draw their opponents' blood and prolong death. For citizen and caesar, the gladiators created drama through their violence - and the public loved them for it. This title relates how men, and women too, came to find themselves in the arena. As well as detailing the various types of gladiator, their weaponry and equipment, it reveals what training and daily life was like for each - and how this culminated in their stepping into the arena.

Throughout the three centuries before Christ many hundreds of thousands of Thracians, in more than 40 tribes, occupied the area between northern Greece, southern Russia and north-west Turkey. Skilled horsemen, masters of light infantry fighting in broken terrain, and renowned for their ferocity, the Thracians were feared by even the greatest of their contemporaries, who were eager to employ them as mercenaries. After surviving invasions by the Persians, Greeks, Macedonians and Celts, the Thracians were finally conquered by Rome in AD 46. This concise but lavishly illustrated study of their history and material culture includes the results of the latest archaeological research, notably some remarkable tomb paintings.

The birth of the Ottoman state is shrouded in legend. Whatever the truth of its origins, the Ottomans formed an Empire which almost succeeded in bringing Christian Europe to its knees. During the last decades of the 13th century, the ambitious Osman Bey's tiny mountain state took eight frontier castles plus the Turkish town of Eskisehir. In 1299 Osman seized Yenisehir after working up the Kara Su valley. With this as its first real capital, the Ottoman state emerged into history poised above the fertile shores of the Sea of Marmara.

This title details the culture, weapons, armour and training of the elite samurai warrior class in the fascinating Age of Battles period (1550-1600). This was a period of vital importance not only because of the political effects of the chaos but also due to the changes in warfare that occurred. In 1542 the Portuguese introduced the matchlock musket into Japanese warfare, and this book traces the effect that this important innovation had on the samurai. Life outside the field of battle is also examined, making this an unmissable book for those interested in this brave warrior caste.