Modern Fighter

Military History and Martial Arts

History Books

Norse Warfare: Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings

Part page-turning historical narrative and part revelatory myth-buster, Norse Warfare delves deep into the glorious adventure and fierce conquest of the Viking world. With over 50 photographs as well as a glossary of key terms, Norse Warfare is a compelling literary read and historical analysis that brings to life the story of the Viking warriors.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Raids on the Christian World
  • Live Hard, Die with Honor
  • Going a-Viking
  • Building the Ship
  • Seamanship and Navigation
  • Weapons and Armor
  • Military Organization and Battlefield Tactics
  • The Viking Elite of Jomsborg
  • The Rus in the Varangian Guard
  • Ragnar Lodbrok and His Sons, c. 750-850
  • Rollo the Pirate, c. 860-933
  • Erik Segersäll, The Victorious, 945-995
  • Olaf Trygvason, 963-1000
  • Knut the Great, 995-1035
  • Harald Hardrade, Hard-Ruler, 1015-1066
  • Afterword

A History of Edged Weapon Warfare

Knives, swords, and bayonets are the world’s longest serving arms and some of the most important in history. Originally a simple stone tool, once metals such as iron and bronze became regularly worked, edged weapons appear in the archaeological record. In the hands of skilled warriors, whether twentieth-century Gurkhas or second-century BCE Roman legionaries, knives and swords have often proved decisive in close combat. This book is a comprehensive examination of how knives, swords, and bayonets have been used by soldiers of the world's armies over the last three thousand years.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Nepalese Kukri Combat Knives and the Men Who Wield Them
  • Edged Weapons of Jungle, Desert, and Guerrilla Warfare
  • Special Forces Knives and the Knife as a Battlefield Sidearm
  • The Katana and Gunto in Medieval and Modern Japanese Warfare
  • The Evolution and Use of the Chinese Jian and Dao
  • Swords and Sabers of Persia and India
  • The Edged Weapons of Ancient Egypt
  • The Swords of the Classical World
  • The Sword and Saber in Medieval and Modern Europe
  • The Pike and Bayonet in Modern and Near Modern Warfare
  • Conclusion
 

Swedish Volunteers in the Russo-Finnish Winter War, 1939-1940

Sandwiched between Nazi Germany and the “Russian Bear,” Sweden walked a diplomatic tightrope when determining if and how it would support Finland’s cause during the Russo-Finnish Winter War. Social and political forces motivated the Swedish leadership to promote neutrality and avoid official military engagement, while at the same time the Swedish Volunteer Corps became the largest volunteer combat force in any modern war. Examining the often overlooked role of the more than 8,000 Swedish volunteers in Finland, this book discusses the political background of the Winter War and the events preceding the conflict, the experiences of volunteers in ground and air combat missions, the setbacks they suffered due to weather and terrain, and the ever-present fear that war would come to the Scandinavian Peninsula.