William Mclaughlin

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

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

Some of the Most Effective Melee Weapons of WWI, The Bayonet Was Not One of Them

WWI was a terrifying fusion of old and new. An infantryman might have a slower-firing bolt action rifle, or he could find himself behind a…

Winning Isn’t Always Worth It – Thermopylae, Bunker Hill & 2 Other Pyrrhic Victories Of History

The term Pyrrhic victory can be used where someone technically “wins”, or achieves their objective, but the cost makes the victory almost not worth the…

What if the Teutoburg Disaster Didn’t Happen

“What if” history questions can be a divisive. Some view them as an exercise in futility, a place where no serious historians should go. Others…

3 Times In History When Discretion Was The Better Part of Valor

In war, standing and fighting in an unfavorable battle is certainly the brave and honorable choice, but it isn’t always the best choice to actually…

4 Reasons Why Rome Fell – And How It Has Lived On

The Fall of Rome is a heavily debated topic with an extraordinary range of theories as to how such a great power ultimately fell, and…

Pick A Side: Hannibal’s Veteran Army (with Elephants) Vs. Alexander’s Macedonian Phalanx and Companions

The gut reaction for most people would be Alexander, but there are a few aspects which work for Hannibal considering the various terrain and weather…

Battlefield 1 Review: A Powerful, Emotional Campaign with a Fun, Engaging Multiplayer

War History Online’s very own William McLaughlin reviews the most eagerly-awaited war game of 2016 – Battlefield 1 Battlefield 1 is like two games in…

The Samnite Wars, Paving the Way for the Might of the Roman Empire

The Roman Republic was a magnificent entity. It had its problems, as all governments do, but the men served it proudly and it took many…

The Battle of Telamon: A Gaulish Army Trapped Between Three Roman Armies

The Romans and the Gauls had a bitter rivalry that lasted as long as any other in the world. One of the most humiliating events…

America’s Ugly History: The 1863 New York Draft Riots

Pretty much every nation has some unfortunate or downright ugly history. The American Civil War is often viewed through a somewhat black and white lens.…

What if Hannibal Won at Zama? A Carthaginian Empire? Rome Destroyed?

Hannibal Barca was easily one of the most talented tacticians in the ancient world. He gave the Romans a good handful of crushing defeats. He…

Battlefield 1 Lets You Fly Over the Chaos of WWI Trench Warfare – Playing as a Carrier Pigeon (Video)

Check out the Pigeon Scene and 20 full minutes of campaign action from Battlefield 1 below. More snippets of Battlefield 1’s campaign are coming out…