I came across this site by browsing through The Librarian’s Internet Index. I don’t advise reading all of it, unless you’re interested in the Battle of Thermopylae, but there is a little section at the bottom of the first page that gives some information about how different militaries of the era equipped themselves.
This page has some background on the Battle of Salamis, including the Greek strategy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mention Artemisia at all, but it should be somewhat useful as background information.
Here is a translation of a section from Herodotus that deals with Xerxes and reveals some of his character.
