From the mythological warrior Achilles to the Chinese general and strategist Zhou Yu, this superbly illustrated book describes more than 160 prominent war leaders of the “ancient world”—from the beginning of recorded history in about 2,000 BC, to the end of the 5th century AD. The fascinating profiles of the great military commanders such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar are arranged alphabetically, while geographically the book covers wars and conflicts that occurred in a vast region from Eastern Europe through the Middle East to India and China. The descriptions provide much detail on the ancient leaders’ successes or failures in battle, and on their methods of waging war, such that the reader may compare the prowess of leaders of the great formal armies of the Greeks and Romans with that of the devil-may-care yet nonetheless fearsome and effective barbarian hordes.

Ancient World Commanders includes virtually every commander whose presence on the ancient battlefield made a difference to the outcome of the battle, or whose triumphs and defeats have reverberated through history. Whether successful and famous, or unsuccessful and obscure, they all play a part in building up the tapestry of ancient military Achievement.