How did a kingdom from the mountains of Anatolia build an army powerful enough to challenge Egypt, dominate northern Syria, and shape the military history of the Bronze Age? Behind its war chariots and formidable fortresses stood a sophisticated world of soldiers, commanders, royal ambition, and military innovation waiting to be discovered.
The Hittite Army, c. 1650-1180 BC by Edward Harcourt takes readers into the military world of one of antiquity's great empires. From the rise of the first Hittite kings to the campaigns of Suppiluliuma I, the Battle of Kadesh, and the dramatic final decades of Hatti, this volume reveals how an ancient army was organized, equipped, commanded, and sustained across centuries of warfare.
Explore the great fortifications of Hattusa, discover the remarkable horse-training methods preserved in Kikkuli's tablets, and understand how chariots, infantry, weapons, and military leadership worked together on the battlefield. Through archaeological evidence, ancient records, and engaging historical analysis, Edward Harcourt brings the practical realities of Hittite warfare vividly to life.
Inside, you will discover:
- Soldiers and weapons: How Hittite armies recruited, trained, organized, and equipped their warriors, from infantry and royal guards to allied contingents.
- Chariots and military innovation: The construction of war chariots, the training of horses, battlefield tactics, and the relationship between mobility and military power.
- Fortresses, sieges, and logistics: The extraordinary defences of Hattusa, siege operations, supply networks, and the challenges of campaigning across Anatolia and Syria.
- Great kings and decisive campaigns: The conquests of Suppiluliuma I, the confrontation with Ramesses II at Kadesh, and the pressures that transformed the Hittite Empire.
Written with the clarity of an experienced historian and the depth expected by military-history enthusiasts, The Hittite Army connects weapons to tactics, commanders to institutions, and battlefield victories to the political forces that shaped an empire.
A compelling journey through the armies, innovations, and conflicts of the ancient Near East, revealing the military achievements and human experiences behind the power of Hatti.
Armies of the Ancient World - Volume 2
By Edward Harcourt
