Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs

By Adrienne Mayor,

Book cover of Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Unconventional Warfare in the Ancient World

Book description

A gripping and groundbreaking history of how ancient cultures developed and used biological, chemical, and other unconventional weapons of war

Flamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease: are these terrifying agents of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot. In this riveting history of the origins…


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Why read it?

1 author picked Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book is a history of chemical and biological warfare in antiquity that is full of fascinating revelations. Adrienne Mayor investigates ancient texts and legends to explore early methods of warfare that continue to have relevance today. This book illustrates that ethical debates over the use of chemical weapons are as old as humanity itself.

From Thomas' list on chemical weapons.

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