William Mclaughlin

William Mclaughlin is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

5 Greatest Underdog Victories in Pre-Gunpowder Battles

Ancient and Medieval generals were often smart enough to avoid battle against a much larger force but throughout history there are many cases where much…

Historical Review: Troy; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The 2004 epic film Troy catches quite the break when it comes to historical films; most of the true history of the Trojan War is…

Egyptian Warfare and the Largest Chariot Battle in History

The battle of Megiddo was the first reliably recorded battle, and not long after the battle of Kadesh would claim the title of the largest…

Great Sieges: Jerusalem (70 CE) – One Million Lives Lost In 8 Months Of Combat

The Romans generally tolerated other religions, allowing and even welcoming Egyptian gods into their pantheon. Though they viewed the monotheistic Jews as being odd, they…

Romans in China: The Lost Legions of Carrhae

The Romans in the first century BCE were perhaps the most growing empires around. Though the civil wars of Caesar and Pompey, and Octavian and…

Disaster at Teutoburg Forest – The Worst Defeat Of the Roman Armies, Ever!

The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was one of the worst defeats suffered by the Roman army in its entire existence not in terms of men…

Film: Behind Enemy Lines – The REAL Story & Why The Pilot Sued 20th Century Fox

He was shot down, hunted, and eluded his enemies by surviving on bugs and worse. Hollywood made a movie, and he sued the movie-makers. Scott…

The Shield of Rome: Fabius Cunctator

Many generals are overshadowed or underappreciated for what they did for their state; Belisarius who reconquered much of the lost Western Roman Empire and Tamerlane,…

Alexander the Great’s Elite Hand-Picked Expert Troops: Silver Shields

Alexander the Great was one of the most talented generals who ever existed, but he was helped a great deal by his exceptional army. While…

Games That Teach History – Learning History from Civilization

Historical video games, like many historical films, are full of inaccuracies, mainly to make the story fit better into the medium and to make it…

Single Combat in Ancient Rome

David and Goliath, Hector and Achilles, Romulus and Acro. Great instances of single combat are not limited to these far distant and historically vague events.…

The Siege of Masada: Rome’s Assertion of Authority

During Rome’s centuries as a growing empire it faced countless rebellions and challenges to its dominance of the Mediterranean, the old Italian allies even revolted…