All About History Greatest Warriors - 3rd Edition 2022

133 Pages·2022·60 MB·English

NEW
EXPLORE THE BATTLES AND BLOODSHED
GREATEST
THAT FORGED HISTORY’S FINEST FIGHTERS
WARRIORS

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HI STORY ’S
GREATEST WARRIORS
Human history has all too often been scarred
by violence, episodes of savagery that have
provided skilled warriors with the opportunity
to change the course of events. The crucible of
war has given rise to the legacies of ferocious
fighters such as Cassius Scaeva, who lost an
eye yet fought on under a shower of arrows,
William Marshal, a medieval knight who waged
war for five English monarchs, and Michel Ney,
Napoleon’s recklessly brave cavalryman.
In this bookazine you’ll discover how some
of the most formidable soldiers of antiquity
honed their skills and slashed their way into
the annals. You will also have the chance to
immerse yourself in the methods of armies from
ancient Rome to Mongolia, walk through the
carnage of bloody battlefields and see some of
history’s most lethal weapons from the sharp
end. Let battle commence!

GREATEST
WARRIORS
Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
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Compiled by April Madden & Madelene King
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All About History Greatest Warriors Third Edition (AHB3137)
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Part of the
bookazine series
CONTENTS
ANCIENT
WARRIORS
MEDIEVAL
MARAUDERS
10 AKKADIANS AT WAR

36 THE HUNS:
68
14 ASSYRIAN SCOURGE OF EUROPE
WAR MACHINE

42 KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
18 SPARTA:
WARRIOR STATE
52 MIGHT OF

THE MONGOLS
25 LETHAL WEAPONS

60 SIX MONGOL
26 ROME ON SACKINGS
THE MARCH

62 DEATH OF
THE SAMURAI

68 AGE OF THE NINJA
36
BEST &
88 BOLDEST
78 BRAVEST BATTLERS

86 HISTORY’S SHARPEST
SWORDSMEN

88 WARRIOR WOMEN

14
SPECIALISTS
96 LANDSKNECHTS
102 102 NAPOLEON’S
IMPERIAL GUARD
110 G URKHAS
120 B IRTH OF
THE SAS
ANCIENT
WARRIORS
10 AKKADIANS AT WAR

Discover how Sargon the Great created the
world’s first professional army and forged the
earliest empire in history
14 A SSYRIAN WAR MACHINE

Step into the ranks of the most formidable Iron
Age army and explore the victories and defeats
that shaped the ancient powerhouse of Assyria
18 SPARTA: WARRIOR STATE

If they survived their first days, the sons of this
brutal city were in for a tough life of hunger,
training and war. Be in no doubt – this is Sparta!
25 LETHAL WEAPONS

From the curved khopesh to the double-bladed
haladie, these are some of ancient warfare’s
most terrifying weapons
26 ROME ON THE MARCH

Discipline, hard training and total dedication to
conquest enabled Rome to consume much of
the known world. So how did the well-drilled
legions of the empire put their foes to the sword?
8
10
14 25
18
26
9
GREATEST WARRIORS
AKKADIANS
AT WAR
How tHe AkkAdiAn empire
revolutionised wArfAre to creAte
An unstoppAble figHting force
Written by Frances White
C
onsidering the immense power it Lower Sea. Sargon conquered his way from the
wielded and influence it held over the Persian Gulf and captured the last stronghold of
world, it’s surprising how the city of his enemies, the city of Umma. Although Sargon’s
Akkad is steeped in mystery. Nobody conquest began with Sumer, it grew rapidly,
knows exactly where it was located, stretching to Syria and the Taurus Mountains in
how it rose to become so prominent, or even the modern-day Italy.
exact circumstances of its fall. Yet despite all this, Ancient Mesopotamia was not unfamiliar with
Akkad was once the seat of what is largely regarded conquerors; it had been conquered before. However,
as one of the first true empires in history. these ‘empires’ never usually spread beyond Sumer
It was under the leadership of Sargon the Great, and were very quickly ended with the death of the
a man as steeped in legend as Akkad itself, that conqueror. But the Akkadian Empire was different;
the Akkadian Empire began to bloom, flourish its land stretched far beyond anything that had
and conquer. In the 24th century BCE, ancient been conquered before and would go on to not only
Mesopotamia was divided between the powerful outlive Sargon himself but actually thrive for nearly
Sumerians in the south and the developing two centuries.
Akkadians in the north. Having ousted the So how did Sargon achieve this? And what did
previous king, Ur-Zababa of Zish, Sargon was soon he put in place to ensure it would not crumble
challenged by the most powerful king in Sumer, after his death? One man’s tenacity and skill can
Lugal-Zaggesi. Lugal-Zaggesi had managed to unite only extend so far, and as committed as Sargon
the warring city-states of Sumer into a kind of was to extending his power, he was even more
empire. However, in a shock result, Sargon defeated dedicated to ensuring his empire would survive
the mighty king. While doing so he captured a for generations to come. His most impressive
large number of Sumer’s most important leaders. innovation, and arguably the most significant
After being greatly underestimated, Sargon set his contribution to his success, was the unstoppable
sights on bringing all of Sumer and beyond under Akkadian war machine he created during his reign.
his control. It is said that over 50 years of ruling, Sargon
Sargon continued his great military conquest fought in 34 wars and amassed a core military
and marched against Ur, then from Lagash to the force of around 5,400 men. Although this number
10