Warriors Of The Steppe: A Military History Of Central Asia, 500 B.c. To 1700 A.d.
The Scythians, Huns, and Mongols--some of history's fiercest fighters--get  their due in this creative book by Erik Hildinger. Nobody has previously attempted to capture the  military history of the various nomads who mounted their horses and wreaked constant havoc on  both Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. Their remarkable archery skill and sturdy horses  combined again and again to create an almost unstoppable force that well-organized but sedentary armies could not overcome. Only their inability to create political institutions  in the wake of conquests prevented these people of the steppes from building empires.  Finally, the advent of firearms made their highly successful methods of attack obsolete. Their legacy, however, is well rendered on the pages ofWarriors of the Steppe.