Essential histories

Chronicles the history of the Vietnam War, discussing events the led up to the conflict, discussing the strategies of the U.S. and the North Vietnamese, follow the course of the war, and looking at its impact on the home front.

"This book covers one of the defining periods of European history. The series of wars between the Classical Greeks and the Persian Empire produced the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, as well as an ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Persian king in 400 B.C., which helped to inspire the conquests of Alexander the Great. To tell the story of these momentous events, of the lives of great men and women of the societies and cultures that produced them, and to explain how and why they came into conflict was the aim of Herodotus, the 'Father of History' whose account of the wars is our principal source and the first book to be called a history."--Jacket.

"The Great Plains cover the central two-thirds of the United States, and during the nineteenth century were home to some of the largest and most powerful Indian tribes on the continent. The conflict between those tribes and the newcomers from the Old World lasted about one hundred and fifty years, and required the resources of five nations - Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States - before fighting ended in the mid 1980s. This masterly exposition explains the background, causes and long-term effects of these bitter wars, the legacy of which can still be felt today."--Jacket.

"It is a testament to the fascination generated by the subject, that even today the events of the Peloponnesian War are studied for what they can teach about diplomacy, strategy and tactics. This book reveals the darker side of Classical Greek civilization. From the horrific effects of overcrowding and the plague on the population of Athens to the vicious civil strife that often erupted in cities allied with Athens or Sparta, this volume offers vivid and at times disturbing insights into the impact of warfare on the people who are celebrated as the founders of Western civilization."--BOOK JACKET.