Historic Battles

After Tyre, Alexander faces Gaza—the fortress blocking his road to Egypt. Explore towering siege ramps, daring counterattacks, the king’s battlefield wound and the brutal final assault. Cedar and Ballad uncover the tactics, courage and human cost of the siege in 332 BC.

Alexander faces an island city that refuses to yield. Cedar and Ballad follow the siege of Tyre through burning towers, underwater sabotage and the final naval assault, exploring the defenders’ ingenuity and the devastating cost of victory.

Alexander faces Darius III at Issus in 333 BC. Discover daring cavalry tactics, Persian bravery and a desperate struggle at the river.

Alexander’s journey continues through mountain warfare, the legendary Gordian Knot, and an illness that nearly ends his conquest. Join Cedar and Ballad for daring tactics, remarkable bravery, and humour as we separate ancient accounts from legend—and follow Alexander toward his showdown with Darius at Issus.

Alexander’s journey continues with the sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus. Join Cedar and Ballad for clever harbour tactics, burning siege engines, Memnon’s fierce defence and veterans who refuse to break. Part 4 brings bravery, fascinating facts and humour to the fight for Persia’s coast.

Alexander’s journey continues at the Battle of the Granicus. Join Cedar and Ballad for a daring river crossing, fierce cavalry combat and the rescue that saves the young king. Part 3 explores his first major victory against Persia—with tactics, bravery and a little humour.

Alexander escapes a mountain trap at Pelium, strikes back by night, then races south to Thebes. Join Cedar and Ballad for brilliant tactics, fierce resistance and the brutal conclusion to his Balkan campaign.

Before Persia, Alexander faces rolling wagons, fierce resistance and the mighty Danube. Join Cedar and Ballad for daring tactics, remarkable bravery and a surprise night crossing in Part One of his Balkan campaign.

War canoes, betrayal and a desperate retreat to the cliffs. Join Cedar and Ballad for the Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795, as Kamehameha fights to conquer Oʻahu and reshape Hawaiʻi.

Fascinating history with touches of humour and clearly labelled legends.

Sixty champions, a deadly challenge and a mid-battle wine break. Discover the courage, cunning and extraordinary legends of the Combat of the Thirty—with fierce armoured clashes, a decisive horse charge and plenty of dry humour.

Rival cities, armoured cavalry and history’s most overqualified bucket. Discover the real battle behind the legend, outrageous medieval bragging and badly behaved gods—with fascinating facts, clearly labelled legends and plenty of laughs.

A Ugandan king rebuilds his army and resists foreign conquest. Discover Bunyoro’s ingenious tactics, surprising technology and extraordinary resilience, from the fighting at Masindi to Kabalega’s capture, exile and heartbreaking journey home.

An exhausted army, deadly longbows and a king fighting for survival. Discover Agincourt’s extraordinary courage on both sides, the tactics behind the English victory, and the grim decisions and unverified legends that shaped its enduring story.

In 1879, Zulu warriors confront Britain’s invasion with spears, shields, and remarkable tactics. Discover the hidden army, encircling horns, fierce resistance, and desperate escapes behind a stunning imperial defeat—with disputed legends clearly separated from evidence.

In 53 BC, Crassus invaded Parthia seeking glory—and suffered one of Rome’s greatest disasters. Discover how Surena’s horse archers, armoured cavalry, and camels carrying fresh arrows overwhelmed a much larger army. Explore the tragedy of Crassus and his son, alongside the extraordinary ancient legends surrounding their downfall.

In 663, Japan’s fleet sails to restore a fallen Korean kingdom—and meets disaster at Baekgang. Explore royal betrayal, burning ships, desperate escapes, eerie unverified legends, and the refugees who helped build Japan’s defences.

Three Roman towns burn as Boudica’s rebellion sweeps across Britain. Cedar and Ballad explore the warriors, chariots and decisions behind the uprising, alongside clearly labelled legends—from the hare omen to the mystery of the queen’s grave.

From a gladiator-school escape to a war against Rome, follow Spartacus through daring victories, pirate betrayal and a desperate last stand. Cedar and Ballad explore the rebellion’s weapons, tactics and legends, clearly identifying the unverified stories.

Explore the Battle of Boju, where defiance, river tactics and a captured capital shaped an extraordinary campaign. Cedar and Ballad uncover its connections to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, separating history from legend.

Around 2450 BCE, two Sumerian states fought over fertile land and water. Discover their soldiers, copper helmets, spear formations and war carts—and explore a wounded ruler, divine oaths and the remarkable monument that preserved his victory.

A threatened city. A prince who refuses to leave. Discover the battle remembered as the beginning of Inca imperial greatness, exploring both armies’ weapons, extraordinary legends and the ingenious technologies of pre-Spanish South America.

Three Roman legions. A trusted ally. A devastating ambush. Discover how Arminius turned Rome’s military strengths against it in AD 9, comparing both armies’ weapons, armour and tactics—and uncovering remarkable finds left behind.

One king. Two invasions. Nineteen days between victory and disaster. Join Cedar and Ballad as they explore Harold’s shield wall, William’s deadly retreat tactics, and the surprising stories behind Hastings—including the mystery of Harold’s death.

Fewer cooking fires. A retreating army. A trap waiting in the dark. Join Cedar and Ballad as they explore Sun Bin’s rivalry with Pang Juan, the cunning ambush at Maling, and the buried manuscripts that restored his lost military classic.

False intelligence. Thousands of chariots. A pharaoh fighting to survive. Join Cedar and Ballad as they unravel the Battle of Kadesh, question Ramesses’ glorious victory claims, and explore the remarkable peace treaty that followed years later.

Rome advances. Hannibal’s trap closes. Join Cedar and Ballad as they explore the brilliant tactics behind Cannae—and why one of Rome’s greatest defeats still didn’t end the war.

Besieging Vercingetorix at Alesia, Julius Caesar finds his own army surrounded. Discover the ingenious defences and desperate fighting that decided one of Rome’s most remarkable victories.

In 1288, Kublai Khan's mighty Yuan Empire launched an invasion of Vietnam. But Vietnamese commander Trần Hưng Đạo had a devastating plan.

Discover how a hidden river trap, carefully timed tides, and brilliant military strategy brought an imperial fleet to destruction at the Battle of Bạch Đằng, securing Vietnam's independence against one of history's greatest empires.

Discover how Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, transformed his army and defeated the Greek city-states at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, paving the way for one of history's greatest empires.

Discover the extraordinary beginnings of Genghis Khan, from his difficult childhood on the Mongolian steppes to his rise as the leader who united the Mongol tribes and forged one of history's greatest empires.

Athens makes a stand against the mighty Persian Empire in a battle that marked history