Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons : A Fully Illustrated Guide to Siege Weapons and Tactics

by
Format: Trade Book
Pub. Date: 2005-12-01
Publisher(s): Lyons Pr
List Price: $24.95

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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 xi
Preface xiii
PART I. THE HISTORY OF SIEGE WARFARE
Ancient Egypt
3(6)
Ancient Judea
9(4)
Assyria
13(12)
Persia
25(2)
Greece
27(16)
Rome
43(10)
Gauls and Germanic Tribes
53(4)
Byzantine Empire
57(4)
The Muslim World
61(4)
Medieval Europe
65(10)
PART II. SIEGE WEAPONS
Scaling Ladders
75(6)
Mobile Sheds
81(8)
Battering Rams
89(10)
Borers
99(4)
Siege Towers
103(14)
Sambucas
117(2)
Agger (Embankments)
119(4)
Undermining
123(10)
Ancient and Medieval Throwing Machines
133(56)
Incendiary Weapons in Siege Warfare
189(16)
Gunpowder and Siege Cannon
205(18)
Other Siege Devices
223(10)
PART III. METHODS OF ATTACK AND DEFENSE
Methods of Attack
233(10)
Methods of Defense
243(10)
Stratagems
253(12)
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Greek Measurements
259(2)
Appendix 2 Roman Measurements
261(2)
Appendix 3 Approximate Life Spans of Some Ancient and Medieval Authors
263(2)
Glossary 265(10)
Endnotes 275(12)
Bibliography 287(6)
Index 293

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