Overview: war and history -- The first military empire: the Assyrians -- The grand strategy of the Byzantine Empire -- The Arabs -- The nomads of the Eurasian steppes -- The Seljuks, the Mamluks, and the Crusades -- The Mongol Empire -- Timur the Lame -- The Ottomans -- Safavid Persia -- The Ming and Chinese politico-military traditions -- The Manchu and the end of the nomads -- The Mughals and Islam in India -- Russia and the end of the Tatars -- The ascent of Europe -- The time of revolutions -- Guerilla warfare -- From total war to asymmetrical conflict -- Conclusion.