Besieged: An Encyclopedia of Great Sieges From Ancient Times To The Present

Rating:
Summary: Great summary of a lot of history
Review: This book is not the typical tedious history of great detail about important events which changed the world. Few of the battles take more than a few pages. It covers, as the title says, seiges from Jerico to Sarajevo. While there are some of the more savage ones missing, such as when a Mongol army commanded by Tolui, son of Genghis Khan, besieged Merv in February 1221. Its peaceful surrender was followed by the the beheading of hundreds of thousands of residents, according to most Islamic historians, with each of the Khan's soldiers obligated to chop off the heads of at least 300 men, women, and children. Some put the death toll over 500,000.
But this is still a very interesting book and well worth having on any shelf as a quick reference of history-changing battles. Each battle analysis includes the long or short term impact of the event.