Summary
There is something alluring about ancient methods of warfare that have been made obsolete by this modern era of computers and machines. Before the days of tanks and machine guns, there were scaling ladders, battering rams, siege towers, throwing machines, bores, and agger. Weapons such as these symbolize power, protection, control, and defiance. Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons allows readers to actually re-create their own medieval weapons with clear, step-by-step instructions. Military history buffs can find siege weapons of Ancient Egypt, Judea, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome, as well as those of the Gauls and Teutons, the Byzantine Empire, the Muslim World, and Medieval Europe, all described with incredible detail and accompanied by illustrations and photographs. Konstantin Nossov offers new ways to reconstruct various siege weapons that are based on his analyses of the works of ancient and medieval authors, including: Vitruvius, Vegetius, Apollodorus, Athenaeus, Heron, Biton, Philon, and many others. With chapters covering the history of siege warfare, siege weapons, different strategems and methods of attack and defense, readers will not only walk away with ideas of how to re-create siege weapons, they'll also take with them a better understanding of history from ancient times through the end of the fifteenth century AD.
Author Biography
Konstantin Nossov received his PhD from the Moscow State University in Russia. He is an advisor on arms, armor, and warfare, and he is the author of numerous books and articles on ancient and medieval military history. He has traveled extensively in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, and the Far East.
Table of Contents
| Preface to the English Edition |
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xi | |
| Preface |
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xiii | |
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PART I. THE HISTORY OF SIEGE WARFARE |
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3 | (6) |
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9 | (4) |
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13 | (12) |
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25 | (2) |
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27 | (16) |
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43 | (10) |
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Gauls and Germanic Tribes |
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53 | (4) |
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57 | (4) |
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61 | (4) |
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65 | (10) |
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75 | (6) |
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81 | (8) |
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89 | (10) |
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99 | (4) |
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103 | (14) |
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117 | (2) |
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119 | (4) |
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123 | (10) |
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Ancient and Medieval Throwing Machines |
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133 | (56) |
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Incendiary Weapons in Siege Warfare |
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189 | (16) |
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Gunpowder and Siege Cannon |
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205 | (18) |
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223 | (10) |
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PART III. METHODS OF ATTACK AND DEFENSE |
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233 | (10) |
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243 | (10) |
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253 | (12) |
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Appendix 1 Greek Measurements |
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259 | (2) |
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Appendix 2 Roman Measurements |
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261 | (2) |
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Appendix 3 Approximate Life Spans of Some Ancient and Medieval Authors |
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263 | (2) |
| Glossary |
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265 | (10) |
| Endnotes |
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275 | (12) |
| Bibliography |
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287 | (6) |
| Index |
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293 | |