War Elephants

(Paperback)

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Description

Elephants have been deployed as weapons for centuries, particularly in South and South-East Asia, where war elephants constituted the bulk of most armies in the region from antiquity right up to the 19th century. This book offers an insight into the incredible history of these 'living tanks,' focusing on the design of the equipment and armament that made them so terrifying. The author, Konstantin S Nossov, traces the history of war elephants, from their deployment against Alexander the Great's army at the battle of Gaugamela, through to their use in the 19th century by the armies of South-East Asia, analyzing the battle formation and tactics of war elephants in action and how these tactics developed.

Reviews

"War Elephants is a must have for ancient warfare buffs looking for specific knowledge on the use of elephants. Wargamers who are playing games and enjoy crafting house rules will find War Elephants solid source material from which to tailor new flavors in their games." --Mike Dorn, The Wargamer (January 2009)

"Konstantin's Nossov's War Elephants surveys the history of elephants used as weapons, tracing the history of war elephants from their deployment in ancient armies through their use in 19th century Asian conflicts. Military libraries will find it an interesting and wide-ranging survey." --The Bookwatch (February 2009)

"In his book, author Nossov describes the background of the subject, their training and equipment as well as how they were used by various peoples. This is shown by period illustrations and artifacts left over from those times. It is further enhanced by the artwork of Peter Dennis, making for a well rounded publication and a book that I can easily recommend to you for something interesting and a bit more unusual from the norm." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (December 2008)

Author Bio

Dr Konstantin S. Nossov was born in 1972. He is a graduate of Moscow State University and a researcher in Ancient and Medieval Military History, as well as the author of a number of books published in Russian. He has also written several English-language magazine articles.