Description
Book SynopsisAn exploration into why and how Thermopylae is one of the most blood-soaked patches of ground in history and what its past can tell us about our future.
''Brilliantly demonstrated.'' - Tom Holland
Since the dawn of the Classical Era up to World War II, thousands have lost their lives fighting over the pass at Thermopylae. Historians Cole and Livingston provide an exciting account of each of the 27 battles and holding actions that took place. The epic events of 480 BC when 300 Spartans attempted to hold the pass has been immortalised in poetry, art, literature and film. But no history has ever detailed the other events from the very first battle through to the battles fought by Romans, Byzantines, Huns and Ottomans during the early and late medieval periods and finally the two desperate struggles against German occupying forces during World War II. The Killing Ground details the background and history of each conflict, the personaliti
Trade Review
Highly recommended. * Adrian Goldsworthy *
A timely look at the history of war, geography, and myth-making, told through the fascinating story of one of the world’s most recurrent battlefields. * Douglas Boin *
A survey spanning millennia of a pass that, as the authors have brilliantly demonstrated, is as well fitted to host battles as any corner of the globe. * Tom Holland *
In The Killing Ground Myke Cole and Michael Livingstone combine their proven talents as military historians to examine why the long, narrow stretch of land called Thermopylae in Greece was the site of twenty-seven battles that occurred there over 2,500 years. Their myth busting account of the legendary battle of 480 BC is a tour de force! * Lindsay Powell, author of 'Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta' *
Table of Contents
Preface List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction: The Killing Ground 1. The First Action: The First Battle of Thermopylae, Date Unknown 2. The Second Action: The Second Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC 3. The Third Action: Crossing, 355 BC 4. The Fourth Action: Holding, 352 BC 5. The Fifth Action: Seizure, 346 BC 6. The Sixth Action: The Third Battle of Thermopylae, 323 BC 7. The Seventh Action: Holding, 316 BC 8. The Eighth Action: The Fourth Battle of Thermopylae, 315 BC 9. The Ninth Action: The Fifth Battle of Thermopylae, 279 BC 10. The Tenth Action: Holding, 224 BC 11. The Eleventh Action: The Sixth Battle of Thermopylae, 207 BC 12. The Twelfth Action: The Seventh Battle of Thermopylae, 191 BC 13. The Thirteenth Action: Crossing, 146 BC 14. The Fourteenth Action: Holding, AD 251 15. The Fifteenth Action: The Eighth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 254 16. The Sixteenth Action: Crossing, AD 396 17. The Seventeenth Action: The Ninth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 447 18. The Eighteenth Action: The Tenth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 517 19. The Nineteenth Action: The Eleventh Battle of Thermopylae, AD 539 20. The Twentieth Action: The Twelfth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 559 21. The Twenty-First Action: The Thirteenth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 997 22. The Twenty-Second Action: Crossing, AD 1203 23. The Twenty-Third Action: The Fourteenth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 1204 24. The Twenty-Fourth Action: The Fifteenth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 1822 25. The Twenty-Fifth Action: The Sixteenth Battle of Thermopylae, AD 1941 26. The Twenty-Sixth Action: Sabotage, AD 1942 27. The Twenty-Seventh Action: Sabotage, AD 1943 Conclusion: A Cauldron of War Notes Index
