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Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The art of warfare underwent a significant transformation between the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia and the seventeenth century CE, when Europe began to revive. The primacy of the offensive, mass and economy of force, and the importance of shock and missile combat were all understood by ancient, classical, medieval, and early modern generals. #2 The torch of Roman imperialism was passed to the Byzantine Empire, which would lose territory to the expansion of Islam in the seventh century. Facing a mounted and highly mobile enemy, Byzantines increased the percentage of cavalry to infantry in their armies. #3 The Normans, a group of Viking invaders, mastered the art of combining castle building and pitched battles in their campaigns in Italy and England. They transformed the composition of medieval armies, replacing infantry with heavy cavalry. #4 The mounted knight, the dominant fighting force in medieval warfare, was challenged by the return of a more balanced tactical mix in the late Middle Ages, which featured light infantry archers and heavy infantry battle squares against heavy cavalry.