War Camel
How desert armies turned an animal into a weapon. Every piece of equipment — howdah, saddle, armor — illustrated in cross-section.

























English Language

Each Page is Human-Drawn
The Codex is a 328+ pages hand-drawn encyclopedia of warfare by Ukrainian artists in a Da Vinci–inspired style, from ancient blades to the future of war.
USA, UK & Asia: In stock. Delivered in 3–8 business days.
All other locations: Pre-order. Your copy ships in the first wave when stock arrives at your local warehouse.
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In the tradition of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks — each spread shows not just how wars were fought, but why they were won. The weapons. The strategies. The commanders whose decisions changed the course of history.
All of it illustrated by hand, era by era.
✓ Verified Buyer
"I bought this for my father, a military history obsessive who owns every book on the subject. He called me an hour after it arrived. He had never seen anything like it. That is the highest compliment I can give.""
Daniel J .United States
Six eras. 900+ Illustrations. Illustrated Military history.
The first stone, the first blade, the first organized kill. How survival pressure turned human hands into weapons — and weapons into civilization.
Roman legions. Egyptian chariots. Spartan phalanxes. The commanders who built empires on discipline, engineering, and the willingness to march further than anyone before them.
Knights, castles, crossbows, and siegecraft. Not a dark age — a brutal laboratory where armor, architecture, and tactics evolved faster than almost any era before or since.
The cannon ended the castle. The musket ended the knight. Napoleon rewrote the rules of every army in Europe. Roughly 400 years that made the modern world.
Trenches. Tanks. Aircraft. The atomic bomb. The 20th century not as a calendar of wars, but as a cascade of inventions that made each one more devastating than the last.
Drones, AI, exoskeletons, and cyber warfare. Treated with the same historical seriousness as the crossbow — because in 100 years, it will be.
The Masters of War
In The Codex of Military History, we feature some of history's greatest military minds — leaders, strategists, and inventors whose decisions shaped the art of war and the fate of civilizations.
In The Codex of Military History, we've highlighted the commanders, strategists, and military inventors whose ideas changed how humanity fights — and how it survives:
I was impressed with "The Codex". It has far exceeded my expectations. This is truly the best book in its genre I have ever encountered. My husband and I received it last week and were immediately captivated. We absolutely love everything about it—the content, the illustrations, and the wonderful sense of humor. You've done an amazing job, and we honestly couldn't believe how fantastic it is.
Built for the curious minds in your family
The Codex of Military History is the kind of book a father opens for himself and a son never wants to put down. Its hand-drawn spreads make the mechanics of warfare — the formations, the weapons, the commanders — immediate and visceral in a way no textbook ever achieves. Not a lesson. A conversation.
"I bought this for myself. My kid picked it up the evening it arrived and we spent two hours going through the WWII aviation chapter together. They had questions I couldn't answer. That almost never happens with a book."
What arrives
Created in Ukraine during wartime
Rebel Thinkers was founded by three friends from Ukraine, Vlad Khvyshchuk, Nazar Ozhho, and Danylo Ozhho, united by a love of history, art, and beautifully made books.
In early 2024, the team was deep into the creation of The Codex when heavy russian strikes hit civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. The 12 illustrators, support specialist, and co-founders, working across Kyiv, Lviv, and smaller cities, faced a difficult choice: stop the project or keep going.
They kept going.
Some relocated. Some lost electricity for days at a time and continued working by candlelight and natural light. In the end, the project raised $508,241 from 5,327 backers on Kickstarter.
Every page in this book exists because they chose to keep creating, even in wartime.
It is one of the few books I would like my grandchildren to inherit as an ageless classic. A clear display of Ukrainian craftsmanship and entrepreneurship that I hope continues to inspire future generations.
I would have rated it 6 out of 5 — but I'm limited to 5. Absolutely stunning. The book, the content, and the packaging are all incredible. From the moment you open the box to the first turn of a page.
Perfect gift
For the history obsessive who already owns every book on the subject. For the strategy lover who wants to understand how the world actually works. For the curious mind who never got a satisfying answer about why civilizations rise and fall. Crafted to surprise, impress, and be kept for generations.
Both by design, but informative first. Every illustration is created to explain — how the weapon worked, how the formation held, how the battle was won or lost. You can spend five minutes on a single spread or read it cover to cover.
It is made primarily for adults and older teenagers with an interest in history, strategy, and military art. Many parents find their children enjoy exploring it together with them. The content covers warfare honestly — not graphically, but seriously.
Yes. Our previous book sold out twice without warning. The current print run is available now in USA, Canada, UK and Asia.
For all other regions it is on Pre-order.
USA and Canada: 1 to 7 business days
UK: 4-13 Days
Asia: 5-15 Days
Rest of world: Pre-Order.
All orders are fully tracked.
Yes. Every final illustration was created by one of 12 Ukrainian artists. No stock imagery and no AI-generated final artwork.
Only for brainstorming and early-stage sketch exploration. Every final illustration in the book is hand-drawn, and the finished creative work is entirely human.