"An excellent book" that takes a new look at the historic clash between the ancient Greeks and Persians ( Army Rumour Service).The Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which an Athenian-led Greek force defeated a Persian invasion, is one of the most decisive battles in antiquity, studied for centuries. It is famed as a triumph of the Greek hoplite heavy infantry phalanx against massively superior Persian numbers. But this exciting reassessment of the evidence,...

A military history of the medieval Catholic order that arose during the Crusades in the Holy Land.The Knights of St John evolved during the Crusades from a monastic order providing hostels for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. The need to provide armed escorts to the pilgrims began their transformation into a Military Order. Their fervor and discipline made them an elite component of most Crusader armies and Hospitaller Knights (as they were also known) too...

A biography of the Viking king who sought to Christianize Norway in the Middle Ages—"A seminal and scholarly study that reads with all the inherent narrative storytelling flair of an historical novel" ( Midwest Book Review ).The Vikings and sainthood are not concepts normally found side by side. But Norway's King Olaf II Haraldsson (c. 995-1030) embodied both to an extraordinary degree. As a battle-eager teenager he almost...

The history of the Byzantine Empire's last great epoch, and the family that ruled it before the conquest of Constantinople.The 128-year dynasty of the Komneni, from 1057 to 1185, was the last great epoch of Byzantium, when the empire had to fend off Turkish and Norman foes simultaneously. Starting with the extremely able Alexios I, and unable now to count on help from the West, the Komneni played their strategic cards very well. Though the dynasty ended in cruelty a...

"The Stranger in France" by Sir John Carr is a captivating travel narrative that offers readers a glimpse into the author's experiences and observations during his time in France. Carr, a Scottish traveler and writer, provides a detailed account of the social customs, landscapes, and cultural nuances he encountered. His keen eye for detail and engaging prose bring to life the vibrant atmosphere of France, making it an intriguing read for those interested in travel literature and the histor...

This lively history chronicles every Byzantine Emperor who personally fought in battle, from Constantine the Great to Constantine XI.The Eastern Roman or 'Byzantine' Empire had to fight for survival throughout its eleven centuries of history. Military ability was therefore a prime requisite for a successful Emperor. In Fighting Emperors of Byzantium, historian John Carr explores the personal and military histories of the fighters who occupied the imperial ...

'Trust me, this is a great true story' - Ken Follett'This is an unbelievable story that is all completely true. The life described is astonishing. John Carr has done an extraordinary and riveting job uncovering the real father behind the dad he thought he knew.' - Lord Tony Hall'Utterly compelling. It is an extraordinary tale, brilliantly written' - Alastair Stewart'Extraordinary. An adventure story in the m...

This WWII history chronicles the courageous but ill-prepared Greek air force from the Battle of Greece to the Battle of El Alamein and beyond.On October 28th, 1940, when Greece was invaded by Mussolini's Italy, the Royal Hellenic Air Force was severely outgunned. Without warning, the RHAF's paltry fleet was pitted against the much larger and more advanced Regia Aeronautica, whose pilots had recently honed their skills in the Spanish Civil War. Though the British Roy...

Journalist John Carr tells the riveting history of Greece's RHNS Averof—an armored cruiser that served in three of the twentieth century's major wars.Built at Livorno in 1910, the 10,000-ton RHNS Averof was the flagship—and largest warship—of the Royal Hellenic Navy until 1951. More than a century after its construction, she is still afloat, one of just three armored cruisers still in existence in the world. Originally intended for the Italian nav...

For much of its 2,000-year history, the Roman Catholic Church was a formidable political and military power, in contrast to its pacifist origins and its present concentration on spiritual matters. The period of political and military activism can be dated to roughly between 410, when Pope Innocent I vainly tried to avert the sack of Rome by the Visigoths, and about 1870, when Pope Pius IX was abandoned by his protectors, the French Army, and forced to submit to the new Italian state by sur...

In ancient Greece, Sparta was unique in having a dual kingship two kings from different clans, the Agiads and the Eurypontids, reigning simultaneously. The institution was already well-developed by the 8th century BC, when Theopompos of the Eurypontid clan emerges as the first recorded Spartan king. At least fifty-seven men held office as Spartan king between Theopompos and the Agiad Kleomenes III who died in 222 BC. For almost all this period the Spartan kingship was primarily a military ...

Many books have been written about the life of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, yet there always seem to be corners of his long life that have remained unexplored. In this long look back into his early years, Constantinos Lagos and John Carr uncover hitherto unknown aspects of Philip's life as a Greek prince and his gradual transformation from a mere appendage of the troubled Greek royal family to an enduring pillar of the British monarchy. For the first time, Lagos and Carr delve int...