Vanquished Crushing Defeats from Ancient Rome to the 21st Century

by BAHMANYAR, MIR

• ISBN13: 9781846033278
• ISBN10: 1846033276
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-11-17
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

Throughout time, violent battles and bloody clashes have changed the course of history and shaped nations or empires. Battles of annihilation are rare, but ever since antiquity a stunning victory on the battlefield, even if it has failed to win the war, has captured the imagination of many. The battle of Cannae in 216BC, where Hannibal destroyed an entire Roman army has become legend, inspiring generations of military thinkers to discuss and imitate this feat. Usually written off as incidents of luck, some argue that it is not possible to completely destroy the enemy, although historic engagements have proved that annihilating the opponent can be achieved, at least on a tactical level. In this book Mir Bahmanyar examines battles of annihilation throughout history, some well known, others less so, but all equally extraordinary, to discover what sets these engagements apart, whether they achieve a decisive strategic advantage in war, and why there are fewer battles of annihilation in modern times.

Author Biography

Mir Bahmanyar received his BA in History from the University of California at Berkeley. Subsequently, he joined the US Army, serving with the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as a machine-gunner and training non-commissioned officer. Mir also created www.suasponte.com a website chronicling the history of the American Ranger. He is a feature film producer and screenwriter, recently completing the film Soldier of God (www.soldierofgod.net). He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 6
Introduction	p. 7
Cannae, 216 BC	p. 14
Zama, 202 BC	p. 45
The Teutoburg forest, AD 9	p. 74
Adrianople, 378	p. 90
Pliska, 811	p. 102
Hattin, 1187	p. 118
Tannenberg, 1410	p. 133
Nordlingen, 1634	p. 145
Jena-Auerstädt, 1806	p. 153
The Alamo, 1836	p. 173
Jugdulluck, 1842	p. 185
Camerone, 1863	p. 211
Little Big Horn, 1876	p. 223
Isandlwana, 1879	p. 233
Operation Dingo, 1976	p. 245
Grozny, 1994-95	p. 256
Qala-I-Jangi, 2001	p. 268
Conclusion	p. 280
Notes	p. 288
Bibliography	p. 303
Index	p. 313
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.