War Chronicles From Chariots to Flintlocks: 1350 B. C. to 1800 A. D.

From the Publisher

“A book of powerful, vividly illustrated short stories, each of which opens a whole new world to the reader. Except it’s not fiction. It’s good, well-argued and documented narrative history.”  -The Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier

“Rejoice! Joseph Cummins has produced a work of prodigious scholarship that is comprehensive, groundbreaking in design, and fun to read—an impressive achievement.”  -Cormac O’Brien, author of The Forgotten History of America and Secret Lives of the U.S.Presidents

“Joseph Cummins’ command of the facts and his first-rate storytelling makes The War Chronicles a pleasure to read.”  —Thomas J. Craughwell, author of The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History and Failures of the Presidents

Library Journal

In the first volume of a projected two-volume set, Cummins (History's Great Untold Stories) offers short, chronological narratives of dozens of subjects, from the Greco-Persian Wars and King Leonidas through the American Revolution and Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne. Featuring strong color images, it is an easily navigated compilation with time lines and wide-ranging subpieces ("the Dossier") that add interest. Made to order for help with historical essays in high school and college, it is also simply a fun book that you might pick up over and over to check your memory of, say, the Battle of Poltava. With a brief bibliography but virtually no citations.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up

This volume, the first of a planned set of two, covers major conflicts from 500 BCE to CE 1783, with discussion of 22 wars in all parts of the world. Some of them, such as the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Crusades, and the American Revolution, are widely covered elsewhere, while others, such as the first Jewish-Roman War, the Imjin War, and the Manchu conquest of China, are less well known. Each chapter includes a "chronicle" that surveys the conflict; a time line; a lengthy "turning point" section that describes a decisive battle; biographical sketches of the commanders; and a "dossier" of several short articles that discuss weapons, tactics, and the national or religious cultures of the combatants. Cummins is objective about the conflicts and incorporates recent scholarship into his commentary, but provides only limited analysis of how they changed history. The text is illustrated with large color reproductions of classical paintings of battles and leaders. Although this book does provide concise discussions of these conflicts, it has some significant weaknesses. The biggest problem is the lack of either geographic or battlefield maps, which will make it difficult for students to locate the warring countries or groups or understand the action of the turning-point battles. Also, Cummins uses military jargon that will be unfamiliar to many students. These factors make the volume an additional choice for libraries that need research material on military history.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO