- Book:
- Sir Edward S. Creasy
Reviewed by: David M. Brown
- Rating:
- 3
Summary:
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo is a well-written summary of 15 crucial exchanges in history where so much rested on the outcome and each one did change the course of history for better or worse.
More DetailsAbout The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo (1851)Review: The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo
Every battle in history has mattered. Whatever the outcome, so much has been riding on that one moment in time, that one swing of the pendulum. Back in 1851 Sir Edward Creasy published his narrative about 15 battles from history. Creasy’s intention was not to regale us with the story behind the 15 most famous battles at that time. Instead he shares 15 battles that he believes changed the course of history and had the greatest impact. There are no battles between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin here, no Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt, Bosworth Field, Thermopylae, Pharsalus, no Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Spartacus or Rameses II in sight. While these battles and individuals hold their place in history, they are not deemed decisive enough for this list. This is why Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo features but not Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar or indeed Napoleon’s masterpiece at Austerlitz.
Creasy begins in Ancient Greece with the Battle of Marathon where the mighty Persian army was decisively beaten, preceded by the brave Spartan stand at Thermopylae. Creasy takes us through the timelines to include Alexander the Great’s epic victory over the Persian, Darius III, at Arbela, the crucial victory at Chalons that checked Attila the Hun’s assaults against Europe, the Battle of Hastings, the Spanish Armada and the Americans’ victory over the British at Saratoga. Going through there is no denying how crucial each battle was and many of the choices do seem surprising at first. The Carthaginian, Hannibal, gets an inevitable mention but it is the defeat of his brother at Metaurus that Creasy deems the crucial moment, for it prevented the two brothers joining their armies and potentially bringing Rome to its knees. England enjoyed the most famous victories in the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) but it is the contribution of Joan of Arc at Orleans that Creasy puts as the key moment for Joan turned the war in France’s favour. The likes of Hastings and Waterloo are obvious choices and with Creasy writing within half a century of Napoleon’s final battle, he has a lot to say about this particular exchange.
Creasy’s book inevitably suffers from the summary nature of each battle. This isn’t his fault of course. Any war requires a book devoted entirely to it to really get a feel for the history and to understand the motivations of the individuals involved. Creasy’s narratives work well and they provide enough information to give us a basic idea of what took place but many readers will certainly want to explore certain periods of history further. Creasy’s book is also primarily based in and around Europe with one exchange taking place in North America and Alexander’s victory in Asia. Creasy would have been limited in research beyond Europe and his book needs to be treated as a product of its time. If such a book as this was written today then battles from the World Wars would undoubtedly get mentioned and the narrative would feel more broadened than Creasy’s concentrated work.
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo is a well-written summary of 15 crucial exchanges in history where so much rested on the outcome and each one did change the course of history for better or worse. Although the 150+ years since this book have given rise to many more decisive battles this is still an interesting overview of some key events in military history.
Verdict: 3/5
(Book Source: Amazon Vine)
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
David M. Brown – who has written 706 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.