Most people are familiar with the tumultuous events of England in 1066, but how much do you know about ‘the other Norman conquest’, launched a century after the Battle of Hastings? In spring of 1169, a small band of Normans set sail from South Wales bound for Ireland, landing in May of that same year. This […]
Fact-file
10 ways to mark the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
Tickets to English Heritage’s re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings this weekend are sold out, but here are 10 alternative ways to mark the 950th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s victory over the Anglo-Saxons.
TOP FIVE: Military Sidecars
MHM looks at the innovative designs in military sidecars since 1914, including the Scott Mobile Machine Gun, and the Watsonian Sidecar Ambulance.
TOP FIVE: Vikings
MHM looks at some of the most formidable and fascinating Vikings. 5. Erik the Red Hot-headed Erik the Red made murder his business. After being exiled from Iceland in 982 for ‘some killings’, he and his wife moved to Haukadal, where he built a farm. Trouble seemed to follow Erik around, however, and after he killed two men who were […]
TOP FIVE: Gladiators
MHM introduces the most fearsome warriors of the Roman arena. 5. Marcus Attilius Free-Born fighter Type of fighter: murmillo Attilius was a free-born Roman, who most likely volunteered himself for gladiatorial combat as a way of freeing himself from debt. As a rookie, he defeated the gladiator veteran and champion of Emperor Nero, Hilarus, a respected fighter who had 13 wreaths to his […]
TOP FIVE: Aerial Battles
MHM looks at five of the costliest aerial battles in history. 5. AIR BATTLE OF SAINT-MIHIEL WHERE/WHEN: France, 12-16 September 1918 OUTCOME: Allied victory over Germany The Saint-Mihiel salient was a large bulge of the German frontline into France, which was formed in 1914 when German forces positioned themselves in preparation for an attack on Verdun. Although Verdun itself did not fall, the Germans continued to […]
TOP FIVE: Medieval Weapons
MHM looks at five of the most fearsome hand-to-hand weapons of the Medieval era. 5. LONGSWORD FAVOURED BY: European knights The longsword first emerged as a distinctive type of Late Medieval sword in the 14th century, in the earlier phases of the Hundred Years War. It remained in use as a weapon of war intended for wielders wearing full plate […]
TIMELINE: The Sassanian Empire
The Sassanian Empire: Rome’s unbeaten rival in the East. With all its success and brilliance in Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, Rome never conquered the Spah (‘military’) of the Sassanian Empire. Roman emperors such as Alexander Severus, Valerian, and Julian the Apostate tried and failed to subjugate Persia. Thanks to European and Iranian military […]
10 Principles of Sassanian Warfare
The Spah (‘military’) of the Sassanian Empire were Rome’s unbeaten rivals in the East. Here we look at 10 principles of Sassanian warfare.
5 Myths about the Wars of the Roses
We examine 5 myths surrounding the Wars of the Roses, as part of our 17-page special feature in issue 50 of Military History Monthly.