Book excerpt: The Boy's Book of Battles by Eric Wood, first published in 1913. Eric Wood was the author of: Thrilling Deeds of British Airmen (1917) and Famous Voyages of the Greek Discoverers (1920). He was also the author of a series of books for boys in the early twentieth-century, with titles including: The Boy s Book of Adventure (1912), The Boy s Workshop (1912), The Boy s Book of Battles (1913), The Boy Scouts Roll of Honour (1914), The Boy s Book of the Sea (1915), The Boy s Book of Heroes (c1915), The Boy s Book of Buccaneers (1917), The British Boy s Annual (1921), The Outdoor Boy (1923) and The Boy s Book of the Open Air (1924). This book focuses on the military exploits of dozens of the most important battles in world history. Although a brief overview of the political issues involved is usually given, the main focus is on the daring deeds, strategies, and exploits of the battles themselves. Many critical battles from world history are given, including Marathon, Tours, Agincourt, and the Armada, but the book also strongly emphasizes 19th century battles, including Waterloo, Trafalgar, Balaclava, Palermo, Gettysburg, and Koniggratz.