Nic Fields Books

Explores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats. The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history – that of the clever carve-up of power between the 'First Triumvirate' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure. In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Parthian general Surena's horsemen completely outmanoeuvered Crassus' legionaries, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers. The detailed battlescene artworks reveal the tactics and techniques of the Parthian horse archers, and Roman and Parthian equipment and weaponry, and the approach to battle is clearly explained in 2d maps and 3D bird's-eye views.

The battle of Lepanto was the last major battle between fleets of oar-powered war ships. The largest naval battle since Mark Antony's Actium. It was the one major achievement of the short-lived Holy League of Catholic states. The author re-examines the battle's status as a truly decisive battle. číst celé

The first dedicated examination of Alexander the Great's final battle and acknowledged tactical masterpiece.In the years that followed Alexander the Great's victory at Gaugamela on 1 October 331 BC, his Macedonian and Greek army fought a truly 'Herculean' series of campaigns in what is today Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. But it was in the Indus Valley, on the banks of the Hydaspes River (known today as the Jhelum) in 326 BC that Alexander would fight his last major battle against King Poros.Using detailed maps and 3D diagrams, this beautifully illustrated work shows how Alexander used feints and deception to transport a select force from his army across the swollen River Hydaspes without attracting the enemy's attention, allowing his troops the crucial element of surprise. Battlescene artworks and photographs reveal the fascinating array of forces that clashed in the battle, including Indian war elephants and chariots, and horse archers and phalanx formations. Also examined are the differences in weaponry and armour between the opposing sides, which would prove crucial to the outcome. Although a tactical masterpiece, the Hydaspes was the closest that Alexander the Great came to defeat, and was one of the costliest battles fought by his near-exhausted army.

The final instalment of The Tales of Fenest. Detective Cora Gorderheim must make a terrible choice: her sister's life, or the future of the Union.

From 1600BC, urban civilization in Greece began to thrive and the power of a number of warlord states began to be felt around the Aegean. This period is known as the Late Helladic or Mycenaean period. This volume charts the histories of the fortified citadels that dominated the Greek countryside for over 2000 years.

A fascinating and detailed exploration of one of the most famous warships of the Ancient world - the trireme - and its tactical employment by the opposing sides in the 5th-century BC Graeco-Persian Wars. You may be familiar with the Athenian trireme – but how much do you know about the ram-armed, triple-oared warships that it dueled against at the battles of Artemision, Salamis and the Eurymedon River? How similar or different were these warships to each other? And why did the Persians rely on Phoenician vessels to form much of their navy? Much attention has been devoted to the Greek trireme, made famous by modern reconstruction – with only passing notice given to the opposing Persian navy's vessels in illustrated treatments. Join us on the Aegean as, for the first time, we reveal a rarely attempted colour reconstruction of a trireme in Persian service. Compare the form, construction, design, manoeuvrability, and tactical deployment of the opposing triremes, aided by stunning illustrations. Man the decks of these warships with the fighting complement of Greek citizen hoplites, Scythian archers and Persian marines, and learn why the Greeks placed a bounty of 10,000 drachmae on the head of Artemisia – the Karian queen and Persian admiral, and the only woman among Xerxes' commanders.

Hisarlik is a small place, a sandy stone strewn hillock cut up into gullies and hummocks. Yet its historical significance is immense, for this is the site of Troy - the legendary city whose story sprawls across cultures, time and geography. The tale of the siege of Troy is the greatest secular story ever told, and has captured the imagination of the Western World for some 3,000 years. Although there are many difficulties in using Greek myths, oral traditions and the Homeric epics to reconstruct the Trojan War, this title uses the latest archaeological evidence to reconstruct in detail the fortifications of Troy as well as making more general observations about the possible historical events behind the epics of Homer.

Detective Cora Gorderheim has found the man who strangled the Wayward storyteller. But he was just a small part of a much bigger tale. Someone powerful ordered a murder on Cora's patch. That someone still lurks in the shadows.

A gripping illustrated narrative of the Cimbrian (or Cimbric) War, in which the armies of the Roman Republic finally defeated the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri, Teutons, Ambrons and Tigurini.

The Huns were among the most feared barbarians of the ancient world, with their infamous king, Attila, known to Romans as the 'scourge of god.' Originating from the steppes of central Asia, these Turco-Mongol nomads migrated westward, causing widespread devastation and displacing entire nations. Renowned for their exceptional horsemanship and archery skills, the Huns wielded a reflex composite bow capable of penetrating armor at 100 yards, surpassing the longbow and other contemporary weapons. In battle, they instilled terror in their enemies, disrupting formations with rapid, chaotic charges while unleashing a hail of arrows, earning a reputation for swift destruction. Often labeled as mere barbarians, the Huns were more complex, enjoying the benefits of civilized society gained through military conquests. Their influence extended to the Roman military, as evidenced by the adoption of the composite bow and the enhancement of cavalry skills in the years following their defeats. Nic Fields provides a comprehensive analysis of the Huns' rise, societal structure, and the evolution of their weaponry and tactics, focusing on key events from their initial assaults on the Goths to the death of Emperor Justinian, with particular emphasis on the pivotal battle of Chalons in 451 and Attila's formidable reign.