Leo T. reviewed Warriors Of The Steppe: A Military History Of Central Asia, 500 B.c. To 1700 A.d. on + 1775 more book reviews
This is part of a dozen volume popular military history of Asian lands that lie north of China, Tibet, and Turkey. The author seems to be adept at interpreting sources through the chaff of overblown accounts, dubious tallies of combatants, and is good at conveying to readers the 'diplomatic' significance of battles. The Scythians, Parthians, Samartians, Huns, Avars, Maygars, Mongols, and many other peoples are discussed. I did not have time to read more than a few pages as this is a generous gift included with an order from Pam Clampit's bookshelf for the old soldiers visiting VA clinics and I have to send it onward.
Sample: Bayazet (Ottoman leader) is sometimes criticized for not using "an effective combined-arms approach against Timur's purley steppe-style army. In fact, however, this turned out not to be the case, and there are a number of reasons. The terrain near Ankara was betteer shited to ounted archery, not being as hilly or forested as that near the river Kizil Irmak, where Bayazet had first thought to encounter Timur. Furthermore, as it developed, not all of Bayazet's contingents were to be trusted: the Turkmens deserted and their defection not only weakened the Ottoman army, but sowed disorder. Timur had none of these difficulties; he kept his army in hand and it was a larger one." Timur's invasion (1402) caused the siege of Constantinople to be lifted but the effect of his victory in Turkey was fleeting as it was a grandson of Bayazet that took Constantinople in 1453.
No footnotes.
Plates, maps, chronology, bibliography, and index.
Sample: Bayazet (Ottoman leader) is sometimes criticized for not using "an effective combined-arms approach against Timur's purley steppe-style army. In fact, however, this turned out not to be the case, and there are a number of reasons. The terrain near Ankara was betteer shited to ounted archery, not being as hilly or forested as that near the river Kizil Irmak, where Bayazet had first thought to encounter Timur. Furthermore, as it developed, not all of Bayazet's contingents were to be trusted: the Turkmens deserted and their defection not only weakened the Ottoman army, but sowed disorder. Timur had none of these difficulties; he kept his army in hand and it was a larger one." Timur's invasion (1402) caused the siege of Constantinople to be lifted but the effect of his victory in Turkey was fleeting as it was a grandson of Bayazet that took Constantinople in 1453.
No footnotes.
Plates, maps, chronology, bibliography, and index.
