Books by Dr David Nicolle

An account of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935. It took just seven months to defeat Emperor Haile Salassie, using poison gas against an army equipped mostly with medieval weapons. The campaign was an important lesson to Nazi Germany of the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations.

By the late 4th century the pressures on the frontiers of the Roman Empire had transformed the nature of the army which defended it into a mobile unit. This book details the rise of the army and its evolution, after the collapse of the west, into the army of the Byzantine Empire.

Part of the "Men-At-Arms" series, this book looks at Anglo-Celtic warfare between 410-1066, illustrating equipment, weapons and military encounters.

By the 11th century the French King had lost control of border regions, while local warfare had grown alarmingly frequent. In fact the energies of the French military élite were now focused on petty internal squabbles and external adventures like the Norman conquest of England. Nevertheless, the population and economy both expanded, although it was not until the 12th century that the crown rebuilt its power-base. Despite its slow start when compared with neighbours like England, the Kingdom of France had, by the 13th century, risen to become the most powerful state in Western Europe. This title describes the organisation, history and tactics of French medieval armies.

In the WARRIOR series. Details the fighting men of the Italian city states that successfully resisted the Holy Roman Emperor. Explores the composition, development and differences between the various militia units of the Italian city states of the 13th - 14th centuries. Emphasis is placed on the role of the crossbow as an infantry militia weapon.

The author here looks at the fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate based in Iraq, and the Fatimids, Buwayhids, Ghaznawids and other principalities that emerged from the wrecked Abbasid state. More advanced than any other medieval military power, the Caliphal armies were a potent force.

An account of the origins, events and outcome of the Battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD, one of the most decisive battles of Middle East history which resulted in the disastrous defeat of the Byzantine army. The book is illustrated with maps and diagrams, and with contemporary drawings and prints.

Describes the uniforms, insignia, weaponry, campaigns and military practices of the Turkish armies during the First World War.

Covers the period from the Moghul invasion of India through Afghanistan to the Moghul Emperor's acceptance of British "protection" in the 18th century.

Volume 5 in this series on the enemies of Imperial Rome. This volume details those who threatened the Empire's desert frontiers including the Berberi of North Africa, the Arabs, and the Parthians and Sassanids of Persia.

The Crusades gave rise to the Military Order of the Templars and Hopitallers, and were a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders including Richard "The Lionheart" and Saladin. This title traces the Crusades and the major conflicts which arose.