{"title":"Michael J Decker","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"byzantine-art-of-war-book-michael-j-decker-9781594161681","title":"The Byzantine Art of War","description":"The Byzantine Art of War explores the military history of the thousand-year empire of the eastern Mediterranean, Byzantium. Throughout its history the empire faced a multitude of challenges from foreign invaders seeking to  plunder its wealth and to occupy its lands, from the deadly Hunnic hordes of Attila, to the Arab armies of Islam, to the western Crusaders bent on carving out a place in the empire or its former lands. In order to survive the Byzantines relied on their army that was for centuries the only standing, professional force in Europe. Leadership provided another key to survival; Byzantine society produced a number of capable strategic thinkers and capable tacticians - several brilliant ones. These officers maintained a level of professionalism and organization inherited and adapted from Roman models. The innovations of the Byzantine military reforms of the sixth century included the use of steppe nomad equipment and tactics, the most important of which was the refinement of the Roman mounted archer. Strategy and tactics evolved in the face of victory and defeat; the shock of the Arab conquests led to a sharp decline in the number and quality of imperial forces. By the eighth and ninth centuries Byzantine commanders  mastered the art of the small war, waging guerrilla campaigns, raids, and flying column attacks that injured the enemy but avoided the decisive confrontation the empire was no longer capable of winning. A century later  they began the most sustained, glorious military expansion of their history. illustrate Byzantine military doctrine, vital changes from one era to another, the composition of forces and the major victories and defeats that defined  the territory and material well-being of its citizens. Through a summary of their strategies, tactics, and innovations in the tools of war, the book closes with an analysis of the contributions of this remarkable empire to world miltary history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51079427817745,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51079428407569,"sku":"CIN1594161682VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1594161682.jpg?v=1750862078"},{"product_id":"byzantine-art-of-war-book-michael-j-decker-9781594162718","title":"The Byzantine Art of War","description":"Throughout its history the Byzantine empire faced a multitude of challenges from foreign invaders-the Hunnic hordes of Attila, the Arab armies of Islam, and the western Crusaders-all seeking to plunder its wealth and to occupy its lands. In order to survive the Byzantines relied on their army that was for centuries the only standing, professional force in Europe. Leadership provided another key to survival;  Byzantine society produced a number of capable strategic thinkers and tacticians-and several brilliant ones, such as Belisarius. These officers maintained a level of professionalism and organization inherited and adapted from Roman models. The innovations of the Byzantine military reforms of the sixth century included the use of steppe nomad equipment and tactics, the most important of which was the refinement of the Roman mounted archer.The Arab conquests led to a sharp decline in the number and quality of imperial forces; therefore, by the eighth and ninth centuries, Byzantine commanders mastered the art of the small war, waging guerrilla campaigns, raids, and flying column attacks that injured the enemy but avoided the decisive confrontation the empire was no longer capable of winning. This work further sketches the key campaigns, battles, and sieges that illustrate Byzantine military doctrine, vital changes from one era to another, the composition of forces and the major victories and defeats that defined the territory and material well-being of its citizens. Through a summary of their strategies, tactics, and innovations in the tools of war, The Byzantine Art of War closes with an analysis of the contributions of this remarkable empire to world military history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51454114988305,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51454116004113,"sku":"CIN1594162719G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1594162719.jpg?v=1751245155"},{"product_id":"byzantine-dark-ages-book-michael-j-decker-9781472536037","title":"The Byzantine Dark Ages","description":"The Byzantine Dark Ages explores current debates about the sudden transformation of the Byzantine Empire in the wake of environmental, social and political changes. Those studying the Byzantine Empire, the successor to the Roman Empire in the eastern Mediterranean, have long recognized that the mid-7th century CE ushered in sweeping variations in the way of life of many inhabitants of the Mediterranean world, with evidence of the decline of the size and economic prosperity of cities, a sharp fall in expressions of literary culture, the collapse in trade networks, and economic and political instability.  Michael J. Decker looks at the material evidence for the 7th to 9th centuries, lays out the current academic discourse about its interpretation, and suggests new ways of thinking about this crucial era. Important to readers interested in understanding how and why complex societies and imperial systems undergo and adapt to stresses, this clearly written, accessible work will also challenge students of archaeology and history to think in new ways when comprehending the construction of the past.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52533867806993,"sku":"NLS9781472536037","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781472536037.jpg?v=1760666608"},{"product_id":"byzantine-dark-ages-book-michael-j-decker-9781472536044","title":"The Byzantine Dark Ages","description":"The Byzantine Dark Ages explores current debates about the sudden transformation of the Byzantine Empire in the wake of environmental, social and political changes. Those studying the Byzantine Empire, the successor to the Roman Empire in the eastern Mediterranean, have long recognized that the mid-7th century CE ushered in sweeping variations in the way of life of many inhabitants of the Mediterranean world, with evidence of the decline of the size and economic prosperity of cities, a sharp fall in expressions of literary culture, the collapse in trade networks, and economic and political instability.  Michael J. Decker looks at the material evidence for the 7th to 9th centuries, lays out the current academic discourse about its interpretation, and suggests new ways of thinking about this crucial era. Important to readers interested in understanding how and why complex societies and imperial systems undergo and adapt to stresses, this clearly written, accessible work will also challenge students of archaeology and history to think in new ways when comprehending the construction of the past.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52585922232593,"sku":"NLS9781472536044","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781472536044.jpg?v=1761053747"},{"product_id":"sasanian-empire-at-war-book-michael-j-decker-9781594164514","title":"The Sasanian Empire at War","description":"A comprehensive military history of one of the most important empires of Late Antiquity  The Sasanian Empire at War: Persia, Rome, and the Rise of Islam, 224–651 is the first comprehensive study in English examining war and society in one of the most important empires in world history: the Persian Empire of 224-651 AD, ruled by the Sasanian clan. At its height the Sasanians governed lands from the Indus River in the east to Egypt and the Mediterranean in the west. Adversaries of Rome, they also faced grave challenges from nomadic powers from Central Asia, notably the Huns and Turks. The Sasanians were able to maintain their empire for hundreds of years through nearly constant warfare, but when their expansion was checked in the north by the Byzantines at Constantinople in 626, and with the Muslim invasions to their south and west beginning in the 630s, the empire could no longer be sustained, and it finally collapsed.  In this book, Michael J. Decker examines Sasanian warfare, including military capabilities, major confrontations, organization and weapons of the Persian army. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of the conflicts that marked this vital period in the history of Eurasia, The Sasanian Empire at War challenges long cherished notions of the inferiority of Sasanian military capabilities and renders a new image of a sophisticated, confident culture astride the heart of Eurasia at the end of the ancient world and birth of the Silk Road. Persian arms were among the many features of their culture that drew widespread admiration and was one of the keys to the survival of Iranian culture beyond the Arab Conquest and into the present day.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52821303492881,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":52821304017169,"sku":"NGR9781594164514","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781594164514.jpg?v=1764334075"},{"product_id":"sasanian-empire-at-war-book-michael-j-decker-9781594163692","title":"The Sasanian Empire at War","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA comprehensive military history of one of the most important empires of Late Antiquity\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sasanian Empire at War: Persia, Rome, and the Rise of Islam, 224-651\u003c\/i\u003e is the first comprehensive study in English examining war and society in one of the most important empires in world history: the Persian Empire of 224-651 AD, ruled by the Sasanian clan. 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