This impressive collection of 100 of the most decisive and important sieges spans human history and covers conflicts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This engaging reference work provides readers with detailed coverage on the sieges that have had the biggest impact on world history. In addition to providing basic factual information, this encyclopedia delves into the historical context and significance of each siege. Readers will be able to identify relationships between entries and observe both the gradual evolution of siege warfare over time, and compare and contrast siege characteristics within and among different historical time periods. The encyclopedia's expansive scope will broaden readers' understanding of military history. The book begins with a preface and an introductory essay that offers a detailed overview of siege warfare throughout history. This is followed by 100 chronological entries on the most significant sieges, beginning with the Siege of Troy (1194–1184 BCE) and ending with the Siege of Mosul (October 17, 2016-July 9, 2017). Each siege entry has a Further Reading section that directs readers to additional information about the siege. Numerous illustrations and maps accompany the text.

This book examines how siege warfare was able to unleash unrestrained violence. It shows how the methods of siege warfare devalued the skills of traditional warriors, along with the shared values of honor and prowess that limited the violence of traditional field battles.

A study of the sieges of eight fortresses in Scotland and England during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745-1746.

A rip-roaring account of the dramatic four-year siege of Britain’s Mediterranean garrison by Spain and France—an overlooked key to the British loss in the American Revolution For more than three and a half years, from 1779 to 1783, the tiny territory of Gibraltar was besieged and blockaded, on land and at sea, by the overwhelming forces of Spain and France. It became the longest siege in British history, and the obsession with saving Gibraltar was blamed for the loss of the American colonies in the War of Independence. Located between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, on the very edge of Europe, Gibraltar was a place of varied nationalities, languages, religions, and social classes. During the siege, thousands of soldiers, civilians, and their families withstood terrifying bombardments, starvation, and disease. Very ordinary people lived through extraordinary events, from shipwrecks and naval battles to an attempted invasion of England and a daring sortie out of Gibraltar into Spain. Deadly innovations included red-hot shot, shrapnel shells, and a barrage from immense floating batteries. This is military and social history at its best, a story of soldiers, sailors, and civilians, with royalty and rank and file, workmen and engineers, priests, prisoners of war, spies, and surgeons, all caught up in a struggle for a fortress located on little more than two square miles of awe-inspiring rock. Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege in British History is an epic page-turner, rich in dramatic human detail—a tale of courage, endurance, intrigue, desperation, greed, and humanity. The everyday experiences of all those involved are brought vividly to life with eyewitness accounts and expert research.