Perhaps you already know what a Corinthian helmet looks like and who made them famous. But can you explain what makes the Russian Bardiche so deadly? Or describe the medieval forerunner to today’s body armor, the Buff Coat and Harquebusier’s Cuirass? I suppose you could if you had backdoor access to the Smithsonian and a curator to give you an idea what you’re looking at. But, seeing as how that’s not the case, the next best thing is to pick up a copy of DK’s newest picture-laden tome, “Military History, The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare.” It’s 400+ pages of splendid photographs and concise descriptions of all manner of offensive and defensive weaponry, ranging from Stone Age weapons to nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
[FREE STUFF: We’ve got a copy of this book to give to one of our readers. To win, just leave a comment telling us which weapon, and why, from the span of history you’d choose to carry if you could only carry one for the rest of your life. You’ve got all week to answer (contest closes midnight, Nov. 9, 2012). Comments must be made here on the blog, not on Facebook or Twitter. Contest details can be found here.]
The text features more than just explanations of weapons, though. The authors provide insight into the development of weapons by describing battles where technological development played a central role in the victor’s fortune. Summaries of clashes throughout history such as the battles of Issus, Bouvines, Lepanto, Fontenoy, Namur, Waterloo, Omdurman, Arras, Leyte Gulf, and modern operations such as Market Garden and Cedar Falls are each used to succinctly explain the carnage technology wrought on numerically superior forces throughout history.
Even this tomb-sized journal of weapons can’t hope to be more than a survey of weaponry used throughout the ages, but the contents are thoughtfully curated. The tools presented at each age of development aren’t simply the most famous of the time; but those that offer the most insight into the technology and strategy available on the battlefield in a given era.
“Military History” is a fabulous coffee table book as well as a valuable reference for any student of warfare. It’s best reviewed accompanied by a snifter of fine brandy and the rich smell of your private study’s mahogany-lined walls, but cracking it open on the couch after the kids are in bed is a fine way to kick back and lose yourself in history for an hour. With the holidays coming up, it’d make a great (and impressively heavy) gift. The MSRP on the book is about $50, but we’ve seen it as low as $31 over at Amazon.com.
