For centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations. In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare – from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine.

Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history’s most decisive clashes: the brilliance – and hubris – of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale – the lifeblood of any army. Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history.

Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought – and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.

'One of our finest writers of military history ... Whenever he puts pen to paper, the result is guaranteed to make you sit up and reconsider what you thought you knew' PETER CADDICK-ADAMS, bestselling author of War in the West

'Really outstanding' JONATHAN DIMBLEBY on The Hiroshima Men

Iain MacGregor has worked in non-fiction publishing for thirty years, editing major historians such as Simon Schama, Max Hastings, Michael Wood and Richard Overy. Over the past decade he has established himself as an award-winning writer whose most recent book, The Hiroshima Men, was published in 2025 to much acclaim. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.