Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World - Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics (AD 1200~1860)

Divided into five sections, the text examines the individual components of the oriental army, the footsoldier and the mounted soldier, the equipment they wore an used, and how they fought together as a unit. Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World describes why certain types of units--such as the cavalry horse archer, were more effective than others, and why the heavy cavalry of the type dominant in Western Europe never became a feature of Asian armies. The third section discusses how these units were used together on the battlefield, and the importance of a general correctly disposing his troops before the battle began. The fourth part of the book looks at the specialist techniques and equipment developed for seige warfare--a common event in this era of fortification. Finally, the last section covers naval warfare, from the ships in which the men fought to the weapons they carried and the naval battles of the period. Using specially-commissioned color and black-and-white artworks to illustrate the battles, equipment and tactics of the era, Fighting Techniques of Oriental World shows in detail the methods by which armies gained and lost ascendancy on the battlefield.