Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Armageddon is an accessible and authoritative introduction to an idea so deep-rooted in our culture that it's often referred to as the end of the world. Written by Egyptologist and lecturer of archaeology Joann Fletcher, Armageddon explores the true history behind the biblical prophecy of the destruction of the world at the 'hill of Armageddon': Megiddo. Inside you'll learn we need not wait for the armies of heaven and hell, for the battle of Armageddon has already been fought, over and over again. Since the first recorded battle in history took place at Megiddo in c.1457 BC, 34 major conflicts have been fought in the last 34 centuries. With its violent past ever present, Israelis and Palestinians continue to kill each other across their shared landscape, in which the hill of Megiddo reveals little of what lies beneath - over four millennia of war, fire, blood, death, and humans' pathological inability to ever learn from the past. Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture. For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.