The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World from Marathon to Waterloo

The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo is a book written by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy and published in 1851. This book tells the story of the fifteen military engagements, which, according to the author, had a significant impact on world history. The selection reflects the worldview of a 19th-century European with a classical education: fourteen of the battles took place in the arc of historically interconnected military theatres which stretched from Persia through the Mediterranean Basin to Europe, and one was fought by European powers and former colonies in North America. Contents: The battle of Marathon -- Defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse, B.C. 413 -- The battle of Arbela, B.C. 331 -- The battle of the Metaurus, B.C. 207 -- Victory of Arminius over the Roman Legions under Varus, A.D. 9 -- The battle of Chalons, A.D. 451 -- The battle of Tours, A.D. 732 -- The battle of Hastings, A.D. 1066 -- Joan of Arc's Victory over the English at Orleans, A.D. 1429 -- The defeat of the Spanish Armada, A.D. 1588 -- The battle of Blenheim, A.D. 1704 -- The battle of Pultowa, A.D. 1709 -- Victory of the Americans over Burgoyne at Saratoga, A.D. 1777 -- The battle of Valmy, A.D. 1792 -- The battle of Waterloo, A.D. 1815.

Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy (12 September 1812 - 17 January 1878) was an English historian and jurist.
He was born the son of a Land Agent in Bexley, Kent, England and educated at Eton College (where he won the Newcastle Scholarship in 1831) and King's College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar in 1837[1] and appointed assistant judge at the Westminster sessions court.[2]
In 1840, he began teaching history at the University of London and wrote a number of historical books including The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (1851).
Creasy was knighted in 1860, and spent the next decade and a half in Ceylon as Chief Justice of Ceylon (1860 to 1875). He then returned in poor health to England and died in London on 17 January 1878.
Whilst in Ceylon he served as President of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1861 to 1864.[3] In July, 1864 Creasy founded the Colombo Rowing Club.
Creasy's best known contribution to literature is his Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (1851). It is typical of 19th century European sentiment, highly Eurocentric, with references to the barbarism and immorality of non-Europeans.[4] The reason Creasy gives for the significance of many of the fifteen battles, is that they denied Eastern peoples access to European soil