Michael Rayner

Battlefields

Michael Rayner

This book is a salute to the skill and bravery demonstrated on 22 of the world's most famous battlegrounds, offering exciting accounts of key phases in the battles that focus on the influence and usage of the terrain. It is illustrated with historic photographs and extremely detailed mapping showing the positions and movements of the fighting forces. For six of the most impressive battles, the book features stunning 3-D maps which focus on pivotal moments in the action. These maps combine artwork and advanced software applications, making use of detailed topographical information, light and weather conditions, to create authentic representations of the action on the day. In addition, there will be information on what you can see on a visit to the sites today, and contact details for tour companies and battle parks. The list of battles was compiled by studying a variety of sources on what are regarded as key battles in the period 1805 to 1945, in consultation with Michael Rayner of the Battlefields Trust and specialist military authors. The chosen battlefields are all served by battlefield tour companies, or cater for self-guided tours, and in each case still feature much of interest to see today. The final consideration was whether the sites are safe to visit. These final two considerations have ruled out most post-1945 sites, hence the period covered spans the eventful 150 years from 1805 to 1945.