This monumental six-volume resource offers engaging entries of major diplomatic, military, and political events driving world conflicts from ancient times to the present. * Hundreds of concise, chronologically organized entries on major wars, battles, political events, weapons technologies, and diplomatic initiatives * Essays at roughly 50-year intervals analyzing each era's defining developments in the evolution of warfare, including changes in tactics, weapons, and other technologies * Sidebars highlighting hundreds of key individuals in the history of military conflict as well as important developments in weapon systems * A comprehensive glossary of military terms to help readers understand the language of warfare and weapons * A rich illustration program of images, drawings, and maps