Mounted Archers of the Steppe 600 BC-AD 1300 (Elite)

Book Description

For more than 2,000 years hordes of mounted nomadic archers from the vastness of the steppe and from Central Asia spewed out into China, the Middle East, and Europe. Feared and reviled, they were a formidable threat to the lands they invaded. Their influence on military history is incalculable: the whole foundation of late Classical and Medieval Western and Middle Eastern military thought was based on the reality of a highly mobile, tough and unconventional foe, one which could strike almost anywhere at will and with highly effective long-range weapons. This book details the history, weapons, equipment and tactics of these fascinating warriors.

Customer Reviews:

Too many years, too little space.......2007-03-31

As with previous reviewers, my main complaint is this-this is way too little a book to cover such a huge time span, and consequently, some peoples (like the Scythians, who already have their own men-at-arms and were known for their axes and spears as much as their bows) get lots of attention while others (Sarmatians, Parthians, Sassanids, Huns, Iranians, Mongols, Khazars, Uighers, Seljuqs, the Golden Horde, Timur's Horde, Magyars, Lithuanians, shall I continue?) receive a minimum, for those that are even mentioned. The plates are still well worth the money (well, this is Angus McBride!), and the text still has some very useful information. Overall OK, just way too long a period of time.

Anything by McBride is worth it!.......2005-08-02

This is a colorful book with an interesting text, well written and carefully researched by Antony Karasulas. Much of the research seems to come from Russian and Eastern Museums, always welcome. Anything from Angus McBride is always welcome as well...a fine book.

An unusual subject.......2005-07-02

I liked this book because it has Angus McBride illustrations in it. The Subject itself is a bit off the beaten track of popular history but the text tries hard to do the right thing.

haven't we seen this before.......2004-11-30

I truly was looking forward to this book, so when I got it I naturally wanted to see the proof of its great claim - 1800 years of mounted archers of the Great Steppe. Curiously delineated - why end at 1300, after all it all has fallen apart in the 16th century, with Crimea subjugations to the Ottomans, Golden Horde defeat by Ivan IV and Russian conquest of Siberia, Chinese subjugation of the later Mongols etc, but that is another matter. So going back to the claim of 1800 years of mounted archers - the book delivered nothing of that sort, but rather some more of that already published, by different Osprey authors, information on the Scythians, with some information on Sarmatians, Huns, Avars, and Mongols. When compared with, let's say, Gorelik's Warriors of Eurasia it is nothing but a college level intro to the Scythian with some bland references to other major tribes and peoples. Yet there is no even one mention of the Saka, Kushans, Parthians (but for the Parthian shot), Alans, the curious Bosphoran kingdom, the Turks (or using Mr. Lev Gumilev's name the Turkuts) and their empire, Uygurs, Bulgars, Khazars, Kyrgyz or the later Atabeq states from the Central Asia. The map, always an area of great weakness for Osprey publications, describing the Great Steppe does not even show the steppe between Caspian Sea and the Black Sea on the northern foothills of Caucasus, yet adds some Asia Minor territory to the family, one may ask whether these are some selective omissions or simply ignorant blunders.
Horses - well, here it starts well, the author mention of the Przewalski horse but then he never moves away from that wild ancestor horse which is hilarious considering nomad appetite for those equids during the same time period this book purports to cover. The Caspian horses are completely omitted although in any good history of the equids these horses are listed as ancestors to many ancient and modern breeds (and proven by scientific genetic research). The undisputed fact is simpler: instead of riding wild and edible Przewalski they developed many different breeds, long time before the period covered by this book, of which some still survive -Turanian, Turkoman, Akhal-Teke, Yomud, etc. It could have been a great thing to include a description of the murderous yet very effective Turkoman training of their warhorses, perhaps similar to what all the other nomads did with their mounts. Additionally, the Akhal-Teke begs mentioning here since this golden horse of the steppe was sought after by Chinese, Persians, and Arabs etc, while archeologists discovered its remains in many the Scythian kurgans, e.g. Pazyryk.
The bibliography is inadequate, especially that since the early 90's the research and knowledge of the steppe cultures have increased many times (one more recent listing is the ATARN site that has been idle since 1999). Moreover, considering the awfully painful weakness of Anglo-American research and knowledge in the field of Great Steppe ethnohistory, author demonstrates that he is even more unfamiliar with many Russian, German, French authors that have published their research within last 20-30 years and these books are available in English -and some even on Amazon.com, naturally then this work suffers because of that lack of refined and updated research.
Finally, the illustrations - the black and white are good but have no reference in text as much as they should require, and I never found any visualization of the Hunnish bow although there are many references to it and the Scythian, Turk and Mongols are shown strung and unstrung. The color plates are ok, I am a great fan of Mr. McBride, but they are not as good as previous Osprey ones on the similar subjects - Attila and the Nomad Hordes, the Mongols, the Scythians, the Sarmatians etc. In that respect I tend to put the blame on the author and not Mr. McBride since the artist did what he was told, I presume. The pictures simply do not conjure the mounted archers as they may appeared since the author disregarded the archeological findings and other evidence to recreate their possible appearance. In conclusion, the book cannot deliver its promise - the 1800 years long story of the mounted archers of Eurasia, for many reasons listed above

Great Book.......2004-11-29

When I bought it I was expecting to find little or no information about the various tribes, and when I did its was wow! Also the Pictures and the information is good too. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the field of Horse Archers.

Average customer rating:
The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, Volume B
Lynn Hunt , Thomas R. Martin , Barbara H. Rosenwein , R. Po-chia Hsia , and Bonnie G. Smith
Manufacturer: Bedford/St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312417683

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The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures Since 1560, volume II
Lynne; Martin, Thomas R.; Hsia, R. Pochia; Smith, Bonnie; Rosenwein, B. H. Hunt
Manufacturer: Bedford/St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTHG0Y

Book Description

*2 full-length practice tests

*Diagnostic test to target areas for score improvement

*Detailed answer explanations

*Proven score-raising strategies

*New online component with additional practice and help

*Sample essays for Free-Response questions

*Targeted review of all labs and tested subjects including cellular energetics, molecular biology, and ecology

*Key terminology defined in context

*Glossary of biological terms

Customer Reviews:

Chockful of information.......2006-05-09

I decided to skim through Kaplan AP Biology a few days before the AP Biology exam. This book is BIG, a lot thicker than the Princeton Review's version. Although there is a TON of helpful information in this book, it did go too much in detail for the AP exam itself. I was worrying so much about specifics because this book goes into detail in a lot of topics (which it did a good job of), but when I took the AP exam, the multiple choice section was a breeze, and the free-response was very doable. Better to be overprepared than underprepared, though, so I am glad that I skimmed this book.

I believe this book is more useful for the AP Biology class over the course of a year. There were topics like evolution and genetics that I was shaky on because our biology book provided so much information that it was confusing to digest, but Kaplan summarized topics - less than the college text but more than, say, Princeton Review, which tends to provide students with JUST enough for the AP exam. The summaries of the 12 recommended labs, genetics, and ecology were so helpful that even though I did not need about 80% of what I had read for the actual AP exam, I am glad that I have this information downpat for future use!

My analysis therefore is: This is an informative book with an excellent summaries. However, do not read this big book cover to cover the night before the exam because it is long and oftentimes more specific than you need to be for the AP exam. You'll probably end up despairing over the fact that there's so much information and panic, which is not a good idea!

Not So Bad After All.......2006-05-09

I reviewed for the AP using this book. I only read the first three chapters or so, and read the lab portion (which, by the way, is extremely helpful).

I also used one of the two practice tests. The answer explanations were excellent, and explain not only why a certain answer is right, but why the others are wrong. I felt well prepared after taking the 1994 and 1999 AP Bio tests for practice in addition, and an SAT II.

This book covers everything that was on the AP that was not presented in my particular course book. I took the AP this morning and found that quite a few concepts I reviewed last minute in this book came in handy. However, it is a little boring to read at times, so if you plan to use it begin well in advance.

*******
Edit: I got my score, and it was a four. Much better than my grade in the class was-- I think this book helped a great deal.

great book.......2006-02-21

This book is very good. I didn't take any AP biology class. I just went through a text book and skimmed this prep book and landed myself a 5. Beware of lab questions though. This book under represented lab questions in its practice exams.

Clear and Concise Review.......2005-08-13

I purchased this book 2 months prior to the AP biology in 2005. I hadn't started reviewing the AP topics before that, although I was competent in our AP biology class at school. The book was a great resource for me. It doesn't require much previous knowledge and is able to summarize huge concepts in a couple of paragraphs and make the reader get the whole picture. The practice questions at the end of the chapters were very helpful because they accurately measured how well one had understood the topic. I am pleased with all aspects of the book. I got a 5 and I think I partly owe it to the clear and comprehensive review of this book

Helpful book. Well worth the money........2005-02-17

This book was very helpful for studying for my AP Biology Exam. It showed me what to know for the test. Ecology, Five kingdoms, the cell,etc. were all written very clear to study from--very thorough. I also highly recommend: The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations by Patrick Leonardi Volume 1, 2 and 3. These three study guides were especially helpful for the multiple choice section of the AP Exam. This is because the complexity of the questions were similar to AP type.

Kaplan AP Biology, 2004 Edition (Kaplan AP Biology)

Average customer rating:

Great preparation for students who already know bio basics!
half-hearted effort
BEST BY FAR
Decent Review, No Substitute for Good Teacher
Confusing!!

Kaplan AP Biology, 2004 Edition (Kaplan AP Biology)
Kaplan
Manufacturer: Kaplan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743241355

Book Description

Are You Ready for the AP Biology Exam?

AP Biology 2004 Edition comes complete with a targeted review of biology, two full-length practice tests, plus Kaplan?s renowned test-taking strategies. This powerful combination makes AP Biology 2004 Edition a highly effective way for you to score higher on this challenging exam.

In-Depth Review of all the material on the exam from the test prep experts.
Exclusive Strategies to help you manage your time more effectively and successfully answer every question type.
Intensive Practice for the exam with hundreds of practice questions and a detailed explanation for every answer.
A Special Glossary of biology terms to help you understand the key biological concepts that you?ll see on the exam.

Customer Reviews:

Great preparation for students who already know bio basics!.......2004-08-11

I read, highlighted, and wrote all over this book during the last month before AP exams. It is a great combination of text and diagrams.
This is not a "Cliffnotes" book--- you will have to read some. However, what is written is NECESSARY information.
Best of all, the text is straightforward.

WARNING:
+ If you had a really, really, really bad teacher, this is not the book for you--- it does make some assumptions about your knowledge.
+ If you are trying to get a "night before the AP" preparation, this just won't work-- give yourself at least 1-2 weeks (if not more).

Good luck! (I got a 5!)

half-hearted effort.......2004-03-15

the information in this book is not bad, but the way in which it is presented is confusing and poorly edited. there are many mistakes, from the quiz answers assigned to the wrong questions to misspelled words. i would highly recommend cliffsap biology in place of this.

BEST BY FAR.......2003-09-07

Easy to read but it says it all. I had a B in AP bio class...read the major sections in the book and got a 5 on the test. Buy it...Youll need it.

Decent Review, No Substitute for Good Teacher.......2002-12-16

This book offers a decent review of most overall AP Biology concepts. However, it skimps on some main themes. While an adequate supplement to a good class and a good textbook, it cannot stand alone. However, I had a less than perfect teacher and used this book to supplement her assigned readings. I passed the test with a 3. The book is great for cramming the night before. It's concise in that way. Good Luck!

Confusing!!.......2001-07-19

I really wanted to get a good grade on the ap exam, so i bought the ap bio cliff notes and kaplan ap bio pre book. I found the kaplan book so confusing. Some notes were good, clear, and thorough. However, i found most of the them to be very confusing and difficult to absorb. The good thing about this book is that they have a lot of great diagrams taht are very useful. I also have to say that using the practice exams in the end of the book really helped. Practice can make all the differences. One last thing, the cliff notes of ap bio is really really good. I advise you to buy that, along with another prep book. Using two can really help. ps. i got a 4 on the exam without answering the lab essay question or the lab multiple choice questions.

Kaplan AP Biology 2006 (Kaplan Ap Biology)

Average customer rating:

NOT HELPFUL...
For Future Test Takers...Dont buy this book

Kaplan AP Biology 2006 (Kaplan Ap Biology)
Kaplan
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study Skills | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Testing | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743265602

Customer Reviews:

NOT HELPFUL..........2006-07-08

This book does not contain enough information. I read it in 3-4 days and felt like it had not done me any good. It's ok for getting practice questions and practice essays but not for studying. In order to study for the ap biology test, I recommend getting the barron's ap biology and the cliff notes ap biology. Those two books are the only books needed to ace the AP biology exam.

For Future Test Takers...Dont buy this book.......2006-06-05

Well where to begin...first of all, the whole text is in font 8 so you will get blind by the time you are done reading its tiny text. The topics are covered inadequatley. I used Princeton Review and all the questions were similar.

Average customer rating:

Kaplan AP Biology 2009
Linda Brooke Stabler
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Testing | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419552384

Average customer rating:

Kaplan AP Biology 2010
Linda Brooke Stabler
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Testing | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419553283

Kaplan AP Biology, 2008 Edition (Kaplan Ap Biology)

Average customer rating:

Kaplan AP Biology, 2008 Edition (Kaplan Ap Biology)
Linda Brooke Stabler , and Mark Metz
Manufacturer: Kaplan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study Skills | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Testing | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

Study Guides | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419551647

Book Description

*2 full-length practice tests

*Online component with additional practice and help

*Diagnostic test to target areas for score improvement

*Detailed answer explanations

*Proven score-raising strategies

*Sample essays for Free-Response questions

*Targeted review of all labs and tested subjects including cellular energetics, molecular biology, and ecology

*Key terminology defined in context

*Glossary of biological terms

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