Full Description
Elephants have fought in human armies for more than three thousand years. Asian armies boasted of their pachyderm power, while the Romans fielded elephants alongside their legendary legions but were perhaps too proud to admit that mere animals contributed to victory. War Elephants is the story of their largely forgotten role in the history of warfare. Generals throughout recorded history used elephants as tanks, bulldozers, and cargo trucks long before such vehicles existed. Until gunpowder began to reduce the utility of elephants in battle during the seventeenth century, these beasts built roads, swung swords, or simply terrified opposing forces. Although some believe that elephants were mere gimmicks of warfare, John M. Kistler discredits that notion. War Elephants shows that elephants deserve respect for the sacrifices they have made in the service of many cultures. Elephants have long fought for and served human masters, but it is now the elephants themselves that must be protected.
Contents
Foreword by Richard LairIntroduction1 Useful Orphan2 Early Contests3 Beauty and the Beasts4 Fill of Blood5 Improvements6 The Elephant Memory7 The Horror8 Alexander's Opinion9 Death on the Nile10 Elephants Marching11 Siege12 Cavalry Killers13 The Elephant Industry14 Unmitigated Gauls15 The Elephant of Surprise16 Flaming Pigs17 Chaos in the Streets18 War Elephants of Carthage19 Proud Mahouts20 Cruelty and Inhumanity21 The Lion's Brood22 Dangerous Waters23 Treacherous Paths24 The Best Laid Plans25 Stalemate26 Hasdrubal27 Rome's Genius28 Africa versus Asia29 Day of Slaughter30 Weapons of Massive Destruction31 Guerrilla War32 The Running of the Bulls33 Pompey's Circus34 The Herd of Julius Caesar35 Arrogant Emperors36 Sackcloth, Ashes, and Prayer37 Breach of Faith38 The Year of the Elephant39 Early and Medieval Asia40 Charlemagne and Frederick41 Plump and Ready42 Mongol Hordes43 Pyramids of Skulls44 Thais, Burmese, Khmers, and Others45 The Great Mahout46 Beasts of Burden47 Mighty Engineers48 Targets of OpportunityEpilogueEndnotesGlossaryBibliographyIndex
