Books by Martin J Dougherty

Before the Roman Empire, the Celts dominated central and western Europe. Highly illustrated, Celts examines the different tribes and how they lived, fought and survived as a people, revealing the truth behind the stories of naked warriors, beheadings, druids and magic.

Illustrated with more than 200 photographs, artworks and maps, The Wars of the Roses reveals the scheming and betrayal, the skullduggery and murder behind the struggle between the Yorkist and Lancastrian dynasties to gain power in medieval England - and then hold on to it.

Practiced today by more than 500 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from India between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Illustrated with 120 photographs and artworks, Buddhist Myths is an accessible, engaging and highly informative exploration of the fascinating mythology underlying one of the world's oldest and most influential religions.

In ancient Rome (753 BC - 476 AD) mythology was integral to various aspects of society, from religion to politics to the founding of the city. Today, we may encounter the legacy of these stories before we encounter the stories themselves, whether this is in day-to-day speech, the eighteenth-century art on display at the Louvre, or the works of William Shakespeare. Roman Myths examines this mythology, from Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome to Lucretia and the Republic; from Livy and the Dii Consentes to Virgil's Aeneid; from Dis Pater in the underworld to Jupiter, god of the sky.

With captions explaining the story behind each entry, Ireland is a stunning collection of images celebrating the island's natural beauty, culture and history, from rugged cliffs to mysterious stone circles, magnificent cathedrals and ruined abbeys.

Illustrated with expert colour profile artworks and technical specifications, Modern Chinese Tanks explores the main battle tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and missile-launching platforms in service since 1945, with an emphasis on the latest technology deployed by the PLA.

From Hades in the Underworld to Pegasus in flight, Greek Myths & Legends is an accessible introduction to the world of such characters as the Titans, Aphrodite and Poseidon. The book tells the story of Greek mythology from its creation myths and gods to its tales of mortals.

With the aid of superb line artworks, Unarmed Combat demonstrates to the reader how special forces soldiers are taught to excel in hand-to-hand fighting: how they maximise bodyweight, and the use of various strikes, throws, locks and constrictions to defeat opponents. It explains how different martial arts have been combined by military units to create hand-to-hand combat systems for defence against multiple assailants, for fighting on the ground, for dealing with edged and impact weapons, what works against attackers with firearms and - more importantly - what doesn't. With tips and techniques from unarmed combat experts, the book is divided into two main sections. The first covers the mental preparation needed to be ready to defend yourself. The second covers the physical techniques needed to defend yourself, and if necessary, strike back to temporarily incapacitate your attacker and escape. With more than 300 easy-to-follow artworks and handy pull-out lists of key information, Unarmed Combat is the definitive guide for anyone wanting to be ready for anything - it could save your life.

Kings & Queens of the Medieval World explores the captivating stories of monarchs from all across Europe. Arranged thematically, this lively and accessible history from Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella groups these dynastic rulers by their achievements - military leaders, law-makers, religious reformers, or patrons of the arts.

Counting from 50 down to 1, Top 50 Tanks features the greatest armoured fighting vehicles from World War I to the present day. Each entry is covered over four pages, including a brief description of the tank's development and history, artworks showing various views and models, a photograph and a selective specifications table.

Illustrated with 180 colour and black-&-white photographs, artworks and maps, Norse Myths is an exciting, engaging and highly informative exploration of a fascinating and highly influential world, and will appeal to anyone interested in folklore and history.