Tales of War: Great Stories from Military History for Every Day of the Year

This is a powerful collection of stories of history's great battles and the men and women who fought in them, from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans through the bloody twentieth century. From Julius Caesar's victory over Pompey in 48 BC to the first V2 rockets falling on London, "Tales of War" is a unique tour of the many faces of armed conflict - the camaraderie and bravery as well as the bloodshed and sacrifice in wars and battles that changed history. With a story for every day of the year, "Tales of War" reveals how Richard the Lionheart died in battle, how Joan of Arc relieved the siege of Orleans and how tanks were used in warfare for the first time at the Battle of the Somme - and much more: 2 January 1492 - the Spaniards capture Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain; 20 April 1918 - the Red Baron shoots down his 79th and 80th enemy planes the day before his own death; 20 June AD 451 - Attila the Hun is defeated at the Battle of Chalons; 15 July 1099 - Crusaders conquer Jerusalem during the First Crusade; 2 August 216 BC - Hannibal annihilates the Romans at the Battle of Cannae; 13 September 1759 - Generals Wolfe and Montcalm are killed at the Battle of Quebec; 19 November 1274 - Kublai Khan's Mongols land at Hakata Bay during first Mongol invasion of Japan; and, 11 December 1950 - US Marines break out from Chinese encirclement at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. "Tales of War" shows the far-reaching consequences of a single day's action - and the courage of the people who risk their lives to bring them about.