Battle
The Moments that Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine
Will be published approx. on 8. October 2026
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-5266-8511-7 (ISBN)
Description
'A majestic survey... Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world' DAN SNOW
'Elegantly crafted... and written with an eye for telling detail' JONATHAN DIMBLEBY
'Gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely' PATRICK BISHOP
For centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations. In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare - from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine.
Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history's most decisive clashes: the brilliance - and hubris - of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale - the lifeblood of any army. Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history.
Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought - and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.
'Elegantly crafted... and written with an eye for telling detail' JONATHAN DIMBLEBY
'Gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely' PATRICK BISHOP
For centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations. In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare - from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine.
Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history's most decisive clashes: the brilliance - and hubris - of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale - the lifeblood of any army. Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history.
Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought - and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.
Reviews / Votes
A majestic survey. MacGregor transports us from the Iron Age to the Nuclear Age, from jungle to desert; mountain to ocean. Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world -- DAN SNOW Iain MacGregor's elegantly crafted new book offers far more than a grand parade of great battlefield dramas. Based on prodigious scholarship and written with an eye for telling detail, Battle provides a host of fresh insights which illuminate the common characteristics that have made the difference between victory and defeat in struggles which, down the centuries, have shaped the course of human history -- JONATHAN DIMBLEBY Battle shows MacGregor at his very best - fluent, incisive and utterly engaging. This is a compulsively readable, fascinating sweep through military history. A narrative that should be on every history buff's bookcase -- ALEX KERSHAW Battle is gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely. People and politicians alike have forgotten the timeless meaning of war. The wisdom distilled in MacGregor's book will bring it home to them with stunning and disturbing clarity -- PATRICK BISHOPMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
approx 60 b/w integrated images (16.02.26)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-8511-7 (9781526685117)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Iain MacGregor has worked in non-fiction publishing for thirty years, editing major historians such as Simon Schama, Max Hastings, Michael Wood and Richard Overy. Over the past decade he has established himself as an award-winning writer whose most recent book, The Hiroshima Men, was published in 2025 to much acclaim. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.