Michael McNally Livres

The book explores the tumultuous events surrounding the disputed succession to the Austrian throne in 1740, igniting a widespread war among Europe's major powers. It details the alliances formed, with France, Spain, and Prussia opposing Britain, Habsburg Austria, and the Dutch Republic. The narrative highlights the global scale of the conflict, emphasizing the devastating battles in Europe, particularly the significant and bloody battle of Fontenoy in 1745, which stands out as one of the most costly confrontations of the war.

The narrative centers around the catastrophic loss of three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest, a pivotal moment in Roman history. It explores the clash between the Roman Empire and Germanic tribes, highlighting the role of Arminius, a Roman-educated leader of the German forces. Michael McNally provides a comprehensive account of this military disaster, enriched by the striking illustrations of Peter Dennis, which enhance the understanding of the events and their significance in shaping the future of Rome.

Explore the Eastern Front battle that resulted in one of the greatest defeats of World War I, in which an entire Russian army was annihilated by German arms. Tannenberg is a major battle that deserves a fully illustrated treatment all of its own, and for the first time this book brings the epic Eastern Front clash to life in visual detail. No other book on this topic walks you through the action like this one, using detailed maps to provide unit locations and movements and help explain key command decisions, while period photographs and colour battlescenes put soldiering back at the core of the events by revealing the military material culture of the opposing sides. Michael McNally guides you through the initial border engagements and the battles of Gumbinnen and Stallupönen, before moving on to explore the massive, often confused running battle of Tannenberg in easy to follow and concise detail. This work helps you understand how the Germans managed to maul Samsonov's Second Army and all but destroyed the Russians as a fighting force. The Russian war plan of using overwhelming numbers to gain a quick victory before conducting further operations would soon lie in pieces on the ground. It also assesses the contribution modern technology – such as railways, aerial reconnaissance, radio and telegraphy – made to the emphatic German victory.

V roce 9 n. l. se Publius Quinctilius Varus, císařský legát v Germánii, vydal se třemi legiemi za Rýn do nitra Velké Germánie, kam Řím směřoval své výboje už více než dvacet let. Varus a jeho muži se nikdy nevrátili. V hlubinách Teutoburského lesa, nedaleko dnešní vesnice Kalkriese, je vyvraždilo spojené vojsko germánských kmenů. Celá země tehdy povstala proti římské nadvládě a na legie, které cheruský náčelník Arminius zavedl přímo do pasti, zaútočilo hned několik kmenů současně. Římané sice později Germány ztrestali a získali zpět uloupené orly všech tří legií, po masakru Varova vojska se však s konečnou platností vzdali všech plánů učinit z Velké Germánie svou provincii a uznali Rýn jako hranici mezi římským a germánským světem.