There’s no way around it; history has been shaped by the outcome of innumerable wars and battles fought over everything from religion to territorial disputes to outright revenge over a perceived injustice. Learning about these conflicts is vital to understanding the world we live in today.
Our military coverage spans the ancient world through the Cold War. Discover epic medieval clashes, or fierce battles that caused entire ancient civilizations to crumble. Examine the political intricacies of sprawling conflicts like the Seven Years’ War or the War of Spanish Succession. Explore the devastation of the World Wars, or the fresh conflicts they left in their wake.
There’s also the fascinating evolution of weapons from the Stone Age through the nuclear arms race, as well as the changing military theories and strategies (or lack thereof) powering key decisions. Or you can discover a unique study of how contagious diseases have impacted the outcome of every war in America’s history, from skirmishes with Native Americans to 20th-century biological warfare.
True stories about the people who fought these conflicts put a human face to the cost of war. You can learn about the Soviet Union’s Night Witches (an all-female regiment of fighter pilots), discover the Mapuche people’s centuries-long military resistance against the Spanish conquistadors, or read war books written by those who were actually there. Whatever draws you into military history, we’re exploring every angle of the conflicts that caused empires to rise and fall, reshaping our world in the process.
Bombing by balloon had been outlawed by the Hague Convention of 1899, but Italian forces found a workaround.
Explore the history of America's deadliest conflict with gripping fiction and nonfiction.
Even a 300,000 Franc bounty couldn't bring him down.
Court-martialed after the sinking of the cruiser, Captain McVay's innocence was proven by Hunter Scott in 1996.
December 7 may be a date which will live in infamy, but in June 1942, the tides turned.
He's believed to be the deadliest sniper in history.
By Robert Walsh
Dive into some of history's greatest battles and the life of one its most famous generals.
By Olivia Mason
The Paris Gun was so named for its far-off target.
Some of our best films draw inspiration from the global conflict.
By Dave Adams
Mary Roberts, Elaine Roe, Virginia Rourke, and Ellen Ainsworth continued to save lives even as mortar shells rained down around them.
The Butler family's contributions made our nation's birth possible.
Just 15 years after the Declaration of Independence, a federal tax was the foment of the Whiskey Rebellion.
By Orrin Grey
Support dogs have a long-standing history that might surprise you.
From 1861 to 1865, these battles determined the fate of the United States.
By Robert Walsh
Punks destroyed their jeans, their shirts...and the power structures that surrounded them.
One Austrian Jew saved untold planes and crew members with his survivorship bias theory.
The 872-day siege by German forces failed to capture Leningrad, but left immense devastation in its wake.
Expand your horizons with books that explore the places, people, and objects that shaped human history.
In 1956, one man reminisced about his experience in the Ford's Theater at age five.
Engage with the oft-forgotten Second War of Independence.
By Dave Adams