Description
Book SynopsisThis study of warfare in Southeast Asia between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries examines the chief aspects of warfare in the region. It begins with an examination of the cultural features that made warfare in the region unique, followed by a discussion of the main weapons used, and the two major sites of fighting, sieges and naval contests. Three chapters examine the role played by animals such as elephants and horses. The final two chapters examine the shift from mercenary armies and masses of levies to smaller standing armies. The study closes with an examination of the tumultuous nineteenth century, in which European naval power won the coast and rivers, while Southeast Asians held the advantage further inland.
Trade Review"This certain is certain to become the definitive work on warfare in pre-modern Southeast Asia...The present work fills a long-standing gap in the literature for pre-modern Southeast Asia...Whether you are doing research, preparing for Ph.D. oral exams, or want to capture the reality of pre-modern Southeast Asian warfare in a novel, film, ware game, or vacation, this handbook will provide the essential background." – Jon Fernquist, in Soas Bulletin of Burma Research (2005).
