Out of the last 3,500 years of our 'civilised' world, only for 230 have we been at peace. In The Heat of Battle features those who by rising to the occasion on the battlefield or failing to do so turned the course of history. For some military leaders or politicians their actions ensured they would forever be thought of as heroes. Others made such bad decisions that they would be marked down as abject failures. While for a few well known military leaders, this is a hidden instance in a previously glorious career when they got it wrong, spectacularly. Written by bestselling author Donough O'Brien, In The Heat of Battle spans the full history of warfare, from Mark Anthony to Rommel and Stalin to Saddam Hussein. Educating, enthralling and entertaining, this is an insightful glance into how reputations can be made or destroyed by a single, fateful decision.