I ran across the first edition of this book over 25 years ago while in high school and still consider it one of my most valued references. The current edition covers the history of warfare up to 1985, and a new edition would be great, but it is still an incredible resource. Every battle of any significance from the dawn of recorded history is represented by an entry, 99 of which are accompanied by a small map. The battles are listed in alphabetical order, but the author helpfully lists the chronologically preceding and following battle of a campaign or war at the end of each entry, so that you can easily place each battle in its historical context. There are also separate entries for each war which lists all the battles for which there is an entry in the book. The individual battle descriptions are sometimes terse and lacking detail, but for the most part, the key strategic, political, and tactical issues are addressed. Summaries of losses in personnel and equipment are usually included. But don't get the impression that this is a dry, boring tome of dates and statistics! This book is a great pleasure to read. Each vignette is well-written and often includes the fascinating little tibits of humanity that make the history of man's terrible penchant for conflict such a compelling subject of study.