History is full of events that tip the scales and continuum of the world. Marriages, protests, rebellions, scientific achievements, and wars. Wars are some of the most earth-changing events in history and they're full of battles and moments and of such bravery and heroism that nobody can be unmoved by them.

What battles do you find most inspiring, heroic, or bravery? What's the one battle you have to keep digging to know everything you can?

I have several, I find the determination of Task Force Ranger in the First Battle of Mogadishu (portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down) to get everyone they could out safely inspiring. I also find the determination of the Spartans at Thermopylae and the Russians at Stalingrad inspirational.

What are yours?

PS: Answers may be included in a challenge I'm writing for Holy Worlds.

I've always been fascinated in the Civil War.

Why? Mostly because, as a military brat, it pulled at my heart strings as a kid. I view war differently than some people, probably because of my upbringing. However, this war gripped me. You had brother fighting against brother. We turned on ourselves, and not because of slavery *cough cough, won't go there, cough cough *. It isn't my "favorite" battle, but it is the one that has always gripped me.

Now, from a military standpoint of what battle I like to research, Constantinople, hands down. I love the military strategy used in protecting the city against Mehmed and his Janessarian troops.

Yes, I'd forgotten about Constantinople, er, Istanbul, my history's a bit spotty in that region.

I love the poison gases, the blowing up the enemy tunnels being built under the city! It's so exciting!!!!

I write mostly about the Civil War, since I basically know the most about it. I've written a couple of stories (that I didn't finish) about that.

I really really like the Civil War (well, as much as a Civil War can be liked, that is ), and it interests me, particularly for the reasons Kaitlyn mentioned. Also, the strange period in time during which they used outdated techniques with more modern weapons meant they killed many more men than they needed to. That sort of...dedication...to walk towards a line of muskets knowing you're going to die is just...unfathomable.

Second, I really loved reading about the conquering of the Central Asian khanates in the eighteenth century. Highly recommended reading is the Great Game by Peter Hopkirk (it's 600 pages, but still worth it ). Just seeing Britain and Russia vie for dominance in an area of the world so often forgotten is interesting. Hmm...that's not a specific battle though, is it. I guess the Siege of Toshkent would be the specific battle from that war which interests me, as symbolically Toshkent, Khiva, and Samarkand were the bastions of Central Asian power in the region.

Somalia and Mogadishu have always interested me, Varon, although more the old era back in the AD 800s when Mogadishu was the center of a huge empire which stretched into Saudi Arabia. The Battle of Mogadishu I have read a little about, though.

eru

Yeah, the use of old tactics always boggled me. I guess it takes time to adapt to new technologies.

I hadn't even heard of those wars in Central Asia.

For some reason, older battles don't really interest me that much.

I find older battles more interesting to me than the newer ones which are all bombs and trenches, etc. I like the old charges, etc. (Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned)

eru

They don't really use trenches anymore, artillery is accurate enough it could place all the shells in the trench from beyond the horizon.

In Desert Storm there was an armored charge across the desert.

My Daddy always say "How is standing in a line across from each other honor?" He can't stand watching the movies where everyone lines up and starts shooting.

I never did understand why they didn't come up with a better way to fight, other than they couldn't hit each other without standing in lines.

The Revolutionary War in the US had some very cool philosophical reasoning behind it, and it was pretty civilized, as opposed to modern wars, so it's definitely one of my favorites. As far as specific battles, Washington crossing the Delaware and the battle that followed were pretty amazing to dig into, especially reading the background and strategy of it.

It was before the idea of total war came about.

I believe it was Trenton, and that is an interesting battle.

The battle of Thermopylae and the battle of Crécy have always been some of my favorites.

Those are definitely turning-points in history, a changed outcome would mean innumerable changes in history and our time.

Now, which battles would you would find interesting to rewrite as fantasy? (A challenge on this is forthcoming and in progress)

It would be easiest to use an ancient battle, with less-developed technology, if the fantasy version is supposed to mirror the original. For example, it would be hard to recognizably imitate some of the major battles of WWII {especially after the atomic bomb}. However, that said, it would also present some pretty neat yet workable challenges to devise a cobha-type weapon that would imitate the effects of an atomic bomb.

Precisely, that's why I'm writing the challenge.