From the ancient Egyptians to modern high-tech armies are, this unique illustrated panorama covers 5000 years of warfare, military strategies, generals, soldiers and weaponry. Six fully illustrated sections span the history of weapons, from swords, handheld missiles and chariots to firearms, electronic gadgetry and supersonic aviation; a timechart with gatefold pages spanning the first recorded wars to the two World Wars and other conflicts of the twentieth century; an A-Z compendium of the 2,000 most important battles, dates of engagement and the generals, victors and the vanquished; maps of the great battles with information on the commanders, casualties and consequences; double-page spreads offering snapshot narratives of wars, their generals, and principle battles; a chronology of wars from 3000 B.C. to present; and an up-to-date bibliography and museum list.