The Battle of Britain was fought in response to an aerial threat, and enabled Britain to enjoy two and a half centuries of relative peace in the land. Prior to that no battle had produced such a period of peace. From Hastings to Culloden Britain has been seldom free from conflict. This book shows how these battles, 28 in all, played a part in determining the course of British history. It deals with nine battles in detail and a further 19 battles are also covered. The book describes the commanders and their forces, the tactics they used, the allegiances they formed, and the outcome of the battles, which often led to further conflict. All the major battles are featured in detail - Hastings, Bannockburn, Bosworth, Flodden, Edgehill, Marston Moor, Naseby, Sedgemoor and Culloden.

This highly readable and informative volume records the dramatic histories of southern Africa’s two most renowned warrior nations, related tribes that dominated much of the region for most of the 19th century. The lively and authoritative text recounts the lives and times of such colourful figures as Shaka and Mzilikazi, the founders of the Zulu and Matabele (Ndebele) kingdoms. It also discusses events such as the epic Great Trek, which pitted migrant Boers against the Zulus and Matabele, most notably at the ferocious Battle of Blood River. Subsequent chapters also contain well-informed accounts of battles of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879— such as Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift and Khambula—and of the conquest and settlement of Zimbabwe in the 1890s by the forces of Cecil Rhodes. The text concludes by outlining Matabele involvement in the Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 70s, and the events that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa.