Greece and Rome at War

Rating:
Summary: good simple introduction
Review: Connolly has written an almost comparative book which lays out clearly some of the agreed upon and not so agreed upon "facts" about ancient warfare in Greece and Rome. This is a great starting point for research into ancient war and weapons though not detailed enough for the specialist.

Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: Excellent image/pictures, graphics and text to go with it. Connolly has managed to take an overwhelming subject and hit just the right points for novice as well as expert. For the novice, concise but detailed explanations on a huge range of subjects; from pitching camp on the march, to type of cloak worn underneath a legionnaire's cuirass. For the expert, not often seen or described details regards Camp minutia. Fluid writing, detailed graphics to compliment the text. Well worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: I very like this book !
Review: This book is magnificent benefit, which maintane describe of military antique world (Greece and Rome), armour and arms. My opinion, that this book will be interested all people, who like military history and men at arms. Thank You, Peter Connolly! I will be very glad to acquaint with you.

Rating:
Summary: not bad, not bad at all
Review: This book was pretty sweet. Peter Connoly really knows his Ancient Greeks and Romans. Copious detail is given about just about everything you ever wanted to know about Greek and Roman Warfare. Like other Connoly books the pictures are at least half the fun(if not more) and this book includes totally fly pics of everything from archaeological remains to modern reconstructions. I would say the copious info and incredible pics from a consummate professional in the field make this book well worth your time and deserving of five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Study in Ancient Warfare
Review: This is the best book I have read since doing research into the Viking age and using "The Viking World". Bold color photographs and illustrations help to drive home the text. I am very pleased with the amount and quality of the information provided within this volume.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Study in Ancient Warfare
Review: This is the best book I have read since doing research into the Viking age and using "The Viking World". Bold color photographs and illustrations help to drive home the text. I am very pleased with the amount and quality of the information provided within this volume.

Rating:
Summary: The Primer on all things Greek and Roman
Review: This is truly an outstanding book that does an excellent job of sketching the advancement of the Greeks and Romans in the Military Art. There are outstanding illustrations that give as accurate a picture as possible of the arms, armor, and tactics of these two dynamic civilizations. Most of us are visual learners and the diagrams of the warriors, equipment, and formations of this period helps one to visualize the Greek phalanx or the Roman cohort in the attack and what were their strengths and weaknesses. There are also outstanding illustrations of siege equiment, ships, and fortications. I must confess that this book helped to inspire me to write the novel, The Chief Centurion, as I was able to picture in my mind much clearer what that soldier looked like and what it must have been like to have had to march and fight in the armor of the period. I strongly reccommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the Greek or Roman soldier and wants to be able to visualize how he looked and fought.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the first book you should buy on ancient wafare
Review: Why do I say this? First of all, it's very readable and approachable. Even kids will love it. (OK, admittedly, few will read it cover-to-cover, but that's hardly the point. DON'T be surprised if they do, though. In spite of its density and scholarship, I've known a few lads who've mined seemingly every page.) The pictures in it are absolutley wonderful, as well. Connolly is an excellent illustrator, and his pictures are still unsurpassed. (Incidently, Connolly put out some excellent children's books as well, some of which are still in print.) For the older reader, though, Connolly is still a must-have. He knows the archaeology as well as anyone. What makes him unique is that he's enough of a craftsman to go out and try to make these things so that he could get a feel for how they were used. Thus, his attempt at re-creating a Roman shield found in Egypt caused him to create a revolutionary theory for how the legions fought in the republican period. Likewise, his reproduction of a Greek hoplite shield led him to modify his understanding of how the Greek and Macedonian phalanx differed. Further, while most books before him concentrated heavily on the "ideals" (i.e., the fully developed Roman legion or Macedonian phalanx), Connolly took some time to spin some theories on the transition phases through which these things developed. Thus, for example, he spins a novel theory on how the Macedonian phalanx developed out of the Theban tactics of Epanimondas and that the odd-shaped "boetian" shield was a part of this development. All of this is not to say that he is an unquestionable authority on such matters where we are bumping up against the available data and controversy results. Nevertheless, Connolly is a wonderful teacher in those areas where consensus reigns and an important voice to take into account even where he may be controversial.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the first book you should buy on ancient wafare
Review: Why do I say this? First of all, it's very readable and approachable. Even kids will love it. (OK, admittedly, few will read it cover-to-cover, but that's hardly the point. DON'T be surprised if they do, though. In spite of its density and scholarship, I've known a few lads who've mined seemingly every page.) The pictures in it are absolutley wonderful, as well. Connolly is an excellent illustrator, and his pictures are still unsurpassed. (Incidently, Connolly put out some excellent children's books as well, some of which are still in print.) For the older reader, though, Connolly is still a must-have. He knows the archaeology as well as anyone. What makes him unique is that he's enough of a craftsman to go out and try to make these things so that he could get a feel for how they were used. Thus, his attempt at re-creating a Roman shield found in Egypt caused him to create a revolutionary theory for how the legions fought in the republican period. Likewise, his reproduction of a Greek hoplite shield led him to modify his understanding of how the Greek and Macedonian phalanx differed. Further, while most books before him concentrated heavily on the "ideals" (i.e., the fully developed Roman legion or Macedonian phalanx), Connolly took some time to spin some theories on the transition phases through which these things developed. Thus, for example, he spins a novel theory on how the Macedonian phalanx developed out of the Theban tactics of Epanimondas and that the odd-shaped "boetian" shield was a part of this development. All of this is not to say that he is an unquestionable authority on such matters where we are bumping up against the available data and controversy results. Nevertheless, Connolly is a wonderful teacher in those areas where consensus reigns and an important voice to take into account even where he may be controversial.