From the German stormtroopers of 1918 to the jungles of Vietnam, the role of the infantry soldier has developed and evolved. This book describes the changes in the way that infantrymen have fought through the century, including an anlysis of tactics and strategies in the light of new technology.

This book departs from the conventional view of the dominance of cavalry in medieval warfare, demonstrating the importance of infantry, and the nature of infantry tactics, through a detailed examination of 19 battles fought between 1302 and 1347.

EARL J. HESS is Stewart W. McClelland Chair in History at Lincoln Memorial University and the author of fifteen books on the Civil War, including Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign ; The Knoxville Campaign: Burnside and Longstreet in East Tennessee ; and The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi.

"I love the infantry," famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle said, "because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the end they are the guys that wars can't be won without."This book tells the stories of these soldiers. From the muddy trenches of France in World War I to the arid landscape of Iraq, War Stories of the Infantry immerses the reader in the immediate drama of combat as American infantrymen, Army and Marine Corps, have experienced it. In its pages, infantrymen tell of their struggles with the enemy, the terrain, and the weather, as well as their own fears and doubts in battle. In the humid heat of a faraway jungle, in the bone-chilling cold of a Korean mountaintop, we endure what they endure, see what they see--as they rout the enemy, open their eyes in a field hospital, or suffer the indignities of a POW camp. These are the stories of the largely unsung heroes who do the lion’s share of fighting and dying for their country while protecting the freedoms and liberties that many of us take for granted.

Witness the amazing development of the role the soldier plays on the battlefield as technology has evolved over the past century. From WWI trenches to today's desert battlegrounds, infantry soldiers are integral components in modern warfare. Learn how their strategies and tactics have evolved, both to exploit and to counter new technology, through the use of specially commissioned maps, diagrams and insightful text. Illustrates harrowing battles fought and the tactics employed.

The infantry can always be found at the sharp end of the battlefield. You may be able to crush an opponent with armour or artillery, but there’s only one way to take and hold ground and that’s with riflemen – the ‘poor bloody infantry’. And it is the infantrymen of the Second World War – from all sides, Allied and Axis – who are the subject of this highly illustrated history. It uses over 400 wartime photographs plus contemporary documents and other illustrations to show the developments in equipment, training and tactical techniques and to give an insight into the experience of the infantry soldier during the conflict. Although the infantry were critical to the war effort, their contribution is often overshadowed by the more dramatic roles played by soldiers with more specialized skills – like tank crew, paratroopers and special forces. They also suffered devastating casualties, in particular during the last phase of the war in the west when around 20 per cent of an infantry division’s riflemen were likely to die and over 60 per cent could expect to be wounded. So as well as describing how the infantry fought, the authors look at the motivation which kept them fighting in awful conditions and despite brutal setbacks. The result is a thorough, detailed and revealing portrait of infantry warfare over seventy years ago.

This wide-ranging military study examines WWII infantry tactics and operations on both sides through the battlefields of Europe. The dirty and dangerous frontlines of World War II belonged to the men who fought in the infantry. Yet the history of infantry tactics is too rarely studied and often misunderstood. Stephen Bull corrects this oversight with an in-depth account of infantry theory and combat experience, covering the British, German, and American Armies in the European theater of operations. Bull’s close analysis of the rules of engagement, the tactical manuals, the training, and the equipment is balanced by vivid descriptions of the tactics as they were tested in action. These operational examples show how infantry tactics on all sides developed as the war progressed, and they give a telling insight into the realities of infantry warfare.

As infantry units advanced across Europe the only support they could rely on from day to day was that provided by the heavy weapons of their own units. While thundering tanks struck fear into the hearts of their enemies it was the machine guns, mortars and light cannon that proved to be most important, causing the majority of casualties suffered during World War II. Common principles were shared across units but the wide variety of weapons available to the different armies altered the way they were used in battle. Focusing on the US, British, German and Soviet troops, this title offers a comprehensive guide to infantry fire support tactics used through World War II. Combat reports are complemented by specially commissioned artwork to show the way in which tactics varied, and highlight how developments obliged opposing armies to review their own methods.