War begins with geography: the grandest of strategies can be thwarted by a fiercely defended mountain pass or a great battle can hinge upon which army occupies a single hilltop. For 25 centuries and more, soldiers have understood the life or death role played by terrain--and this fascinating collection of essays by some of today’s finest military historians offers a systematic survey of how the “geographical imperative”has shaped warfare over the ages.

War begins with geography: the grandest of strategies can be thwarted by a fiercely defended mountain pass or a great battle can hinge upon which army occupies a single hilltop. For 25 centuries and more, soldiers have understood the life or death role played by terrain--and this fascinating collection of essays by some of today’s finest military historians offers a systematic survey of how the “geographical imperative” has shaped warfare over the ages.

From Alexander the Great to Napoleon to Norman Schwarzkopf, fromMarathon to Masada to Monte Cassino, Battlegrounds explores how commanders haveexploited the lay of the land--or fallen victim to it as the art of war has evolved.At once an instructive lesson in the role of geography in armed conflict and a wide-ranging panorama of dozens of battles, this unique book is military history at its best.

INTRODUCTION： Robert Cowley

EDITOR’S NOTE： Michael Stephenson

1. PLAINS

ALEXANDER AT ISSUS, Turkey, 333 B.C.：Matthew Bennett

A GOOD DAYTO DIE, The Little Big Horn, Montana, 1876： Bryan Perrett

THE END OFTHE BEGINNING, El Alamein, Egypt, 1942： Bryan Perrett

2. VALLEYS

DEATH RIDE, Balaklava, Russia, 1854： tan Castle

  JUBAL EARLY IN THE SHENANDOAH, Cedar Creek, Virginia, 1864： Gary Gallagher

3. RIVERS

  ALEXANDER AT THE HYDASPES, India, 326 B.C.： Matthew Bennett

CROSSING THE BEREZINA, Russia, 1812： Philip Haythornthwaite

"A DROP TOO MANY," Arnhem, Holland, 1944： Peter A.Huchthausen

4. ISLANDS

CRUSADERS’ LAST STAND, The Great Siege of Malta, 1565： Bryan Perrett

OUT OFTHE BLUE, Crete, Greece, 1941： Will Fowler

SULFUR ISLAND~ Iwo Jima, 1945： Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)

5. WOODS AND FOREST

  THE MASSACRE OFTHE LEGIONS, Teutoburg Forest, Germany, A.D. 9： Bryan Perrett

INTO THE WILDERNESS, Chancellorsville, 1863： Gary Gallagher

DEVIL DOGS, Belleau Wood, France, 1918： Agostino yon Hassell

6. COASTS

BEACHHEAD VICTORY, Marathon, Greece, 490 B.C.： Matthew Bennett

BURIED ON THE BEACHES, Gallipoli, 1915： Peter A. Huchthausen

A BLOODY BRAWL, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, 1943： Agostino von Hassell

7. HIGHGROUND： HILLS, MOUNTAINS, RIDGES

  THE CHOSEN FEW, Masada, Israel, A.D. 73-74： Matthew Bennett

"FIX BAYONETS,"THE LITTLE ROUND TOP, GETTYSBURG, 1863： Gary Gallagher

THE CANADIANS’ GREAT ASSAULT, Vimy Ridge, France, 1917： N igel Cave

HAUNTED HIGHLANDS, "Bloody Nose Ridge," Peleliu, 1944：

  Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, US M C (Ret.)

CROWN OF THORNS, Monte Cassino, Italy, 1944： Stephen Badsey

FROZEN CHOSIN, North Korea, 1950： Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)

JUNGLE HIGHLANDS. The Siege of Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 1968：

   Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, uSMC (Ret.)

8. DESERT

A DES ERT STORM, Omdurman, Sudan, 1898： Bryan Perrett

FiRE STORM： Desert Saber, Kuwait/Iraq, 1991： Will Fowler

9. JUNGLE

NEW GUIREA NIGHTMARE, Buna, Papua New Guinea, 1942-43： Eric Bergerud

FIND, FIX, AND DESTROY, The Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam, 1965： Eric Bergerua

10. PASSES

LEONIDAS’ LAST STAND, Thermopylae, Greece, 480 B.c.： Mattnew Bennett

THE BLOODING, Kasserine Pass, Tunisia, 1943： Bryan Perrett

11. BAYS AND HARBORS

AMBUSH IN THE STRAITS, Salamis, Greece, 480 B.c.： Matthew Bennett

NELSON ATTHE BATTLE OFTHE NILE, Egypt, 1798： Philip Haythcrnthwaite

"DAMN THE TORPEDOES," Admiral Farragut at Mobile Bay, 1864： Gary Gallagner

12. PENINSULAS

"THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN/’ Yorktown, Virginia, 1781： [an Knight

THE BATTLING BASTARDS. Bataan, Philippines, 1941-42： Michael Stephenson

13. THE GEOGRAPHY OF HELL

"THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION/’ Passchendaele, Belgium, 1917： SteDnen Badsey

"THEY S HALL NOT PASS," Verdun, France, 1916： Stephen Badsey

CITY OFTHE DEAD, Stalingrad, Russia, 1942-44： Will Fowler

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CO NTRIBUTO RS

INDEX