With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World

344 Pages·2000·59.08 MB·English

by  Alfred S. Bradford

ALFRED BRADFORD i# i
S.
Illustrated by
PAMELA M. BRADFORD
3
i
I
WITH
ARROW,
SWORD,
andSPEAR
A
History
of Warfare
in the
Ancient
World
—
WITH
ARROW,
A
History a
ts
H
SWORD, of Warfare
in the
Ancient
andSPEAR
World
B
Oa>
ALFRED BRADFORD CO
S.
Illustrated by
PAMELA M. BRADFORD
V
± lost studies of ancient warfare focus
only on the Greeks and the Romans, but
this sweeping study covers the whole of
the ancient world from Greece and Rome
to the Near East, then eastward to Parthia,
India, and China. Bradford transports the
reader into the midst of ancient battles
behind such great leaders as Thutmose III,
Ashurbanipal, Alexander, Hannibal,
Caesar, and theFirstEmperorofChina. He
details the rise and fall ofempires, the role
ofleadership, and the development of tac-
tics and strategy. One sees theclashofpeo-
ples: nomads againstagriculturalsocieties,
infantry against cavalry, as well as the
greatest technological change in history
the combination of the composite bow and
the chariot.
This readable account analyzes ancient
armies in terms of modern military doc-
trine, allowing the reader to make compar-
isonsbetween the combatants. Recruitment,
for example, varied tremendously with
Romans drawing from a limited pool of
recruits for service terms oftwenty to thirty
years and Chinese planners preferring a
large pool with short-term service. While
(continued on backflap)

WITH
ARROW,
SWORD,
SPEAR
and

WITH
ARROW,
SWORD,
SPEAR
and
A
History
of Warfare
in the
Ancient
World
ALFRED BRADFORD
S.
Illustrated by
PAMELA M. BRADFORD
PRAEGER Westport,Connecticut
London
BR BR
U29
.873
200lx
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Bradford,Alfreds.
Witharrow,sword,andspear : ahistoryofwarfareintheancientworld / AlfredS.Bradford.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-275-95259-2(alk. paper)
— —
1. Militaryartandscience History To500. 2. Militaryhistory,Ancient. I. Title.
U29.B73 2001
355'.0093—dc21 99-052982
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright©2001 byAlfredS.Bradford
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:99-052982
ISBN: 0-275-95259-2
Firstpublishedin2001
PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.praeger.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48-1984).
987654321
10
To My Daughter, Elizabeth
I hope that this book is the closest she ever comes to war.