From the first recorded battle to the modern era of nuclear weapons, this is the definitive record of the remarkable but brutal stories of combat. Covering 5,000 years of armed battles, an incredible array of artefacts, paintings, maps, battle plans and photographs bring the history of conflict vividly to life. From the first chariot clashes of the ancient world to the bloody conflicts of today’s Middle East, witness the conflicts, meet the generals and see the weapons that were used in the..se blood-thirsty battles. Includes foreword by Dan Snow, co-presenter of Battlefield Britain. Features stunning visual “tours” of the intricate details on many military objects Photographic technology spreads explore the key pieces of military hardware – the cannon, gatling gun, tank, and bomber – that brought victory in battle. Dan Snow won a first-class degree in history at Balliol College, Oxford, where he developed a passion for military history, specializing in the First World War. Since leaving university Dan has written articles on military history and together with his father, Peter Snow, he presented the 2004 BBC TV series ‘Battlefield Britain’, as well as co-authoring the accompanying book. Dan and Peter have had many adventures together, including sailing their yacht across the Atlantic. In 2002 they made the critically acclaimed BBC film of the Battle of El Alamein, which celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of Montgomery's desert victory. Dan, as an expert in military history were you pleased to write the foreword for Battle and what do you think of the book? I am fascinated by the broader theoretical aspects of warfare; things like its omnipresence in human affairs, its causes and purposes. The foreword was an opportunity to talk about some of these issues before the main body of the text dealt with individual battles and wars. It allowed me to stress the importance of understanding war as one of the key motors of human affairs. War has in fact been the norm and prolonged periods of peace highly unusual. We may not like it but it is vital to study it and the situations in which it is likely to occur. Battle is a magnificent book that combines expert descriptions of hundreds of battles with maps, illustrations and eyewitness accounts. I particularly like the way in which it focuses on wars outside the traditional European mainstream of military history. If you have been reared on the staple diet of Agincourt, Trafalgar and the Somme you have a treat in store. From the wars of pre- Columbian South America to the Shogunate in Japan there is a magnificent range of chronology, peoples and places. The book reminds you that although wars have been fought over millennia across continents using every different kind of technology, the fundamental nature of warfare is unchanging. How did your passion for military history develop? I was drawn towards military history at a very young age by stories told by my parents and grandparents as we visited the many battlefields, castles and stately homes that litter the UK. Most of those stories have turned out to be, well, not exactly historically accurate, but nevertheless they served to get me hooked. Growing up I became fascinated by the idea that battles represented turning points in history, an idea often dismissed by those who like to emphasise the great currents of history that underlie human affairs but one which I still find quite compelling. To name a few examples from Battle: if the Persians had won the battle of Salamis, if the unknown warrior Mohammed had died early in his career of his wounds in Arabia, if the British had won at Saratoga or if Hitler had taken Moscow in the winter of 1941, then I think subsequent history may well have been very different. Secondly I find the stories of the individual fascinating. There can be no more intense human experience than combat and its effect on men and women is only now being properly looked into. The occurrence of cruelty, heroism, bravery, ‘cowardice’ and optimism on the battlefield tell us a great deal about who we are. You sound like you have a close relationship with your father, Peter Snow. Do you enjoy working together and did you ever feel any pressure to match his successful career achievements? My Dad and I were always very close because we always enjoyed doing the same things. Little did either of us realise that we would one day be working together. Now we travel around the UK, Europe and the rest of the world chatting, bickering and having full blown arguments like a married couple. It is all very strange but we are working on programs that are essentially our dream projects and we realise how lucky we are. I feel particularly lucky, not only do I get to work with my Dad and become as close to him as I am to any of my friends but on a professional level I get to watch a fantastic broadcaster at work, and I can hopefully learn from him. I am a fairly ambitious person but very little of that stems from a desire to match his career. To his kids he was never the successful television personality but an all too human Dad just like any of our friends’ parents. Where do you feel the value is in looking back at historical events? History shouldn’t be used as a giant database of test cases: if x goes wrong apply y……. problems aren’t usually that easy to solve. Rather people should study it to gain a deeper understanding of human affairs. War is a good example. History wont tell us exactly how to win a certain battle or prevent a certain war. But it can show us the types of situations that make war more likely, such as shortage of resources, aggressive ideologies or a fear of neighbouring tribes or states. It will also tell you how humans are likely to behave given certain parameters. Today the history of collapsed civilisations that failed to manage their environments properly is particularly pertinent. Is there a particular battle you find the most interesting and why? I am always torn between the battles with extraordinary human stories but less importance in the broad scheme of history such as the Battles of Culloden or Thermopylae and the battles of gigantic importance in the history of the world like Trafalgar. Certain events stick in your mind forever, the single combat of Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn, the what ifs at Arnhem, the sheer, unrivalled brilliance of Alexander’s Companion cavalry…. But ultimately a really interesting battle is probably one like Cannae where an underdog annihilates a superior foe. Quick questions: Who is your favourite author? Gabriel Garcia Marquez What is your favourite book? One Hundred Years of Solitude What is your idea of happiness? Sailing along at 8 knots in the mid Atlantic between the Canaries and the Azores with my family on board and a stack of books below. Where in the world would you like to be? As above, or in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in British Columbia Canada. There is a hike there called ‘The Traverse’ and it is absolutely beautiful on an Indian summer day in September.