In this richly illustrated guide, author Konstantin Nossov masterfully analyzes and recreates the weaponry, tactics, and stratagems of Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Judea, Persia, Greece, Rome, as well as those of the Gauls and Teutons, the Byzantine Empire, the Muslim world, and Medieval Europe. Discover how battering rams, bores, scaling ladders, siege towers, throwing machines, and other weapons developed over time. Numerous charts, illustrations, photographs, and tables will help you understand how these weapons were constructed, used, and adjusted to serve the needs of the warriors who wielded them. Based on an in-depth analysis of the work of ancient authors, including Apollodorus, Athenaeus, Heron, Vitruvius, and others, ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL SIEGE WEAPONS not only shows you how to recreate the siege weapons themselves, but it will give you a deeper, better understanding of the history of war.

Konstantin Nossov earned his Ph.D. from the Moscow State University in Russia. He is a researcher and advisor on ancient and medieval arms, armor, and warfare as well as the author of numerous books and articles, including Gladiator (Lyons, 2011). His work focuses particularly on the history of weaponry, fortification, and siege warfare. He lives in Moscow.