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New reviews coming soon! I'll be importing my work from the past two years, but in the meantime,
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Wednesday, July 13, 2005

History Review

50 Battles: 5,000 Years of Conflict
by Jay Kimmel
ISBN-10: 0942893050
Review by Heather Froeschl


Covering 5,000 years of conflict is not an easy task. Doing so without coming off as a textbook is monumental. Jay Kimmel has met that goal. "50 Battles" is an interesting guide through history, beginning with The Scorpion King in 3050 B.C.E and ending with the Iraq War in 2003. Throughout the pages readers will be experience what really went on during those battles and not political propaganda that can sometimes be found in books about war.

Kimmel offers concise details to historians, military enthusiasts and general readers alike. Each battle is described in a short chapter, from one to four pages in length and includes such information as explanation of the conflict to begin with, important moments of progression and mistakes, details of battle style, moments of historical significance and the influence on the area after the war. I was most impressed by Kimmel's ability to write the text as fact, yet in a tone that draws the reader in and captures interest. I am no historian, nor military fan and I found the collection most interesting.

I was especially drawn to the battles that involved the ancient Celts and those of the Native Americans. "50 Battles" is ideal for students to have as an initial resource. The amount of research that went into the book is abundantly clear and I respect Kimmel highly for the undertaking and subsequent result. Let everyone who reads the book learn from our mistakes - meaning that I hope that we will learn to avoid war when at all possible.

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