From the Trojan Horse to a photograph snapped in Vietnam, world history
has been shaped as much by chance and error as by courage and heroism.
Despite impossible odds, invincible armies fall in bitter defeat to
weaker opponents. How and why does this happen? What decides the fate of
battle? In this fascinating book, Erik Durschmied takes us through the
major conflicts of history--from Agincourt to the Civil War, from Crimea
to the Gulf War--and reveals how, in war, it is the improbable and the
inconceivable that determine events.
Writing with the style and flair that made him an award-winning war
correspondent, Durschmied explores the fistful of nails that could have
won Waterloo for Napoleon; the barrel of schnapps that proved disastrous
for an Austrian emperor; and the three cigars that changes the course of
Antietam; and many other instances when chance decided history's path.
Conflicts are decided by the caprice of weather, erroneous intelligence,
unlikely heroism, strange coincidence, or individual incompetence--in
short, by the unpredictable "hinge factor."
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish
a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about
World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK
assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American
Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old
West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New
York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to
books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose
work might not otherwise find a home.
