Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World AD 1500 to AD 1763

Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World describes the combat methods of soldiers in Europe and North America from 1500 to 1763. The book explores the unique tactics required to win battles in an era where the musket increasingly came to dominate the battlefield, and demonstrates how little has changed in some respects in the art of war.

Divided into five sections, the text first examines the individual components of the early modern army, the foot soldier and the mounted soldier, the equipment they wore and used, and how they fought together as a unit. Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World describes the changes that occurred as a result of improved technology and gunpowder, and the impact that these changes had on the battlefield, where pikemen increasingly gave way to well-drilled bodies of musket-firing infantry.

Featuring battles such as the Duke of Marlborough's victory at Blenheim (1704) and the Prussian victory at Rossbach (1757), the third section discusses generalship and the crucial importance of correctly disposing of troops at the beginning of a battle. The fourth part of the book looks at the specialist techniques and equipment developed for the purpose of conducting siege warfare against the latest styles of fortification, including the development of heavy siege artillery and assault trenches. The last section covers naval warfare, from the ships in which the men fought to the weapons they carried and the major battles of the period, including the emphatic victory of the Christians over the Ottoman Turks at Lepanto (1571) and the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Downs by a smaller, faster and more daring Dutch force (1639).

Using specially-commissioned colour and black-and- white artworks to illustrate the battles, equipment and tactics of the era, Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World shows in detail the methods by which armies - including Gustav Adolphus' Swedish and Frederick the Great's Prussian forces - prevailed over their foes, and why other armies were less successful. This book is an essential companion for readers interested in warfare in the early modern era.