Roman Warfare (History of Warfare)

Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: Adrian Goldsworthy managed to squeeze an impressive amount of info about the composure of the Roman warmachine from the Foundings of Rome through the Principate and eventual collapse. If you want something that will give you a taste of Roman Warefare...This is it!

Rating:
Summary: Roman Warfare 101
Review: I am not an expert on Roman Warfare by any stretch, and bought this book to fill a gap in my own knowledge. It certainly suceeded, and admirably so for a book of its smaller size.

As is noted below, the topic of Roman warfare is vast, and is alos worth considering that a lot of the specialist knowledge is buried in specialist academic works, and generally inacessable to the general reader, and unable to act as a general introduction.

This work serves as an excellent introduction to the topic, by placing the history of the Roman army in context , and relating that to the evolution of tactics and weapons, and relating that to the social and political developments in the Roman empire. It is well illustrated with photographs of surving materials, and even more impressivly, diagrams of key battles. The latter were most enlightening.

All in all I was highly impressed with the book. It is not deep by any stretch, but for the novice, you will do no wrong. I am not an expert, but I dont think a person with greater than passing knowledge will learn much from this.

Grade: B+

Rating:
Summary: Sweet Action!!!
Review: I recently read this book and discovered it was totally sweet. The elegant prose made it hard to put down and the pictures and illustrations were pretty darn awesome as well. I found his ideas about manipular tactics different from ones I've read about before(he states that the Roman lines didn't fill in gaps before charging the enemy as other modern historians have argued), but like the rest of his ideas presented he argues his view rather convincingly. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wishes to taste the sweet nectar of Roman military history.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet Action!!!
Review: I recently read this book and discovered it was totally sweet. The elegant prose made it hard to put down and the pictures and illustrations were pretty darn awesome as well. I found his ideas about manipular tactics different from ones I've read about before(he states that the Roman lines didn't fill in gaps before charging the enemy as other modern historians have argued), but like the rest of his ideas presented he argues his view rather convincingly. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wishes to taste the sweet nectar of Roman military history.

Rating:
Summary: AVE CAESAR! HAIL CAESAR!
Review: The field of Roman warfare is an area of interest that has attracted widespread fascination from the time of the Roman Caesars themselves. Many of the surviving representations of Roman art, such as the Arch of Titus and the Column of Trajan, show us Roman legionaries like those commanded by General Maximus (Russel Crowe) in the new Ridley Scott/Dreamworks' epic "Gladiator!" Adrian Goldsworthy's superb book Roman Warfare could not come at a better time, since the field of historical reenactment of the time of the Roman legions is more popular than ever. In England, where the outdoor battle scenes of the "Gladiator" movie were filmed, reenactment groups like the Ermine Street Guard have raised the art of historical reenactment to true perfection. Many of the extras in the movie "Gladiator" probably came from these British reenactment groups! Coming out now from Cassell, a British publishing house with a firm reputation in military publishing, Adrian Goldsworthy's Roman Warfare is a welcome addition to the growing field of Roman military history. With the new information continually coming to light about the brave Roman legions from archaeologic excavations at historical sites in England and in Europe, Goldsworthy's book is an essential addition to the book shelf of anyone interested in the Roman legions which wrote so much of European history. Roman Warfare clearly focuses on all the aspects of the Roman war machine, which for centuries ruled the battle fields from Hadrian's Wall in England to the frontier of the Danube River and the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa. Close attention is paid to the many campaigns of the Roman Army--featuring great generals like Julius Caesar--as well as to a clear explanation of the organization of the army which made the legions of Rome supreme against any adversaries. Joining a clear text with well-chosen illustrations, a combined operation of real sophistication, the book is a welcome find for any scholar and a fine introduction to anyone inspired by the "Gladiator" movie to learn more about the soldiers of General Maximus. Goldsworthy's book comes packed with much information that will lead to rewarding further study of this exciting subject. As the Roman legionaries would say themselves, "Ave Caesar!" "Hail Caesar!"

Rating:
Summary: Clear, informative.
Review: This book follows the evolution of warfare and military life in Rome from the days before its founding to its eventual collapse. Other books, I've found, focus on Rome's battles and the tactics of her individual commanders, but never giving insight as to how the Roman military machine actually ran or the life of the individual soldier. Rather than just giving the tactics of Roman commanders (though these are certainly included), Mr. Goldsworthy focuses on the organization, training, and mentality that bred such men, and how this changed with the political climate.

There can be no doubt that the Roman legions were the most dedicated, disciplined, and technically proficient force that existed in ancient times. These levels of conditioning and organization among military units have not reemerged until recently, after the world had twice gone to war.

There is one error that should be mentioned. In Rome's early days, it was organized military units and not armed citizens that were not allowed within the city walls. This policy continued until it was reversed by Ceasar's treason. As the author is British, I can forgive this misunderstanding.

Rating:
Summary: A fine work
Review: This book is not the definitive history of Rome's wars, but a well-constructed survey of how it prepared, equipped, manned and made war, using selected illustrative examples from each stage of development over the thousand-year period.

Goldsworthy sets his task as tracing the development of warfare within the context of the evolution of the army and state: the nature of the army, why and with what objectives if fought a war, and the way in which it operated, taking into consideration the military institutions of the main enemies in each era. Matters such as arms,armor and equipment are handled succinctly by use of drawings and diagrams, which are especially good at depicting battle tactics for the major encounters. The positions of troops are shown as if from an aerial view rather than the bare schematic bars and squares usually shown.

Despite being touted as a general, introductory text, there is plenty to keep the knowledgeable reader interested as well. I found new insights in every chapter, which follow a chronological rather than topical arrangement.

Being pitched at the general reader, as is required by Cassell's _History of Warfare_ series, the book is heavily illustrated. This has its good and bad features. Mostly, the illustration are taken from columns, gravemarkers, monuments and ruins of forts. They are usually provided with detailed captions to explain the significance of the features shown therein. My only complaint is that some of the pictures occupy a full-page or two-page spread where a smaller image would have sufficed. I expect this is due to the publisher's required text-to-illustration ratio.

Here is an example of Goldsworthy's exposition, taken from his section on Caesar in Gaul. After a brief excerpt from Julius Caesar's _Bellum Gallicum_, describing the battle at Sambre in 57 BC, Goldsworthy remarks:

"It is worth noting that Caesar, although he had moved into the front line, does not bother to tell us whether or not he actuallt fought hand-to-hand. What he does stress is that he exposed himself to danger in order more effectively to do his job of encouraging the battle line. The general's job was to lead and control his army, not inspire them with his personal prowess, like the warrior aristocrats of early Rome or Alexander the Great who consciously emulated the behavior of Homeric heroes."

The book is filled with such helpful commentary.

Every epoch (including that of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, of _Gladiator_ fame) is depicted, showing how the financial and political policies of the emperors and senate affected the abilities of the armies to do what was expected.

A detailed chronology, a glossary that actually explains rather than merely annotates terms, a brief review of the ancient sources for each chapter, mini biographies of each of the luminaries, and a well thought out reading list for each chapter all add to the books usefulness.

Highly recommended both as a "first book" for novices and a handy references for old hands.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of Roman Military History
Review: This is a small book that takes on a large task and does it very well. It shows the origination of the Roman Military System, the development to its peak in the late republic- early empire period, and the decline of the Roman military along with the Empire.

Key battles are used for illustrative purposes, and give an excellent picture of the effectiveness of the manipular system, the use of cavalry and the importance of reserves.

Where this book is a bit light is that it does not give a detailed description of the gear of a legionnaire, rank uniforms etc. Also, the legion structure could be laid out more clearly in the appendices.

Where the book excels is in explaining the drift from a republican citizen army to a professional army, and from a Latin army to one made up of conquered peoples. It also explains the transition from armies led by Consuls and Governors to legions led by Imperial Legates, and ultimately by professional soldiers from non-Senatorial classes. All of this is fundamental to the shift from a Republic to an Empire, and is key to any study of the history of Rome.

This makes it a book valuable to students of Roman politics who have little or no interest in the Military History. Goldsworthy establishes that regardless of whether the political events changed the army or vice versa, a proper study of Rome cannot ignore impact of the Military Arm in dictating the Path of Romes affairs.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of Roman Military History
Review: This is a small book that takes on a large task and does it very well. It shows the origination of the Roman Military System, the development to its peak in the late republic- early empire period, and the decline of the Roman military along with the Empire.

Key battles are used for illustrative purposes, and give an excellent picture of the effectiveness of the manipular system, the use of cavalry and the importance of reserves.

Where this book is a bit light is that it does not give a detailed description of the gear of a legionnaire, rank uniforms etc. Also, the legion structure could be laid out more clearly in the appendices.

Where the book excels is in explaining the drift from a republican citizen army to a professional army, and from a Latin army to one made up of conquered peoples. It also explains the transition from armies led by Consuls and Governors to legions led by Imperial Legates, and ultimately by professional soldiers from non-Senatorial classes. All of this is fundamental to the shift from a Republic to an Empire, and is key to any study of the history of Rome.

This makes it a book valuable to students of Roman politics who have little or no interest in the Military History. Goldsworthy establishes that regardless of whether the political events changed the army or vice versa, a proper study of Rome cannot ignore impact of the Military Arm in dictating the Path of Romes affairs.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to a vast subject.
Review: Traditionally, the founding of the Roman state is set as 753BC. Nine hundred years later Roman soldiers were patrolling Hadrian's Wall - virtually the present-day border between Scotland and England - and maintaining a frontier line which extended across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Rome's achievement is often seen as a cultural one - as the triumph of a superior civilisation over inferior barbarians. The Romans, indeed, saw themselves as the favorites of the gods, with the absolute right to invade, conquer, and enslave other peoples. Their cultural and economic success, however, was built on the dynamic skills - military and administrative - of a professional army.

The most striking feature of Rome's Army, in fact, is its very professionalism. At a time when virtually every other society relied on ad hoc groups of warriors and armed retainers, Rome developed a full-time, career institution which demonstrated almost clockwork reliability in its creation and defence of empire.

Goldsworthy's account of the army, its evolution and growth is accomplished in a beautifully illustrated and very enjoyable volume. Inevitably, he cannot provide the in-depth detail a keen student would require, but 'Roman Warfare' is an excellent introduction which successfully blends visuals and narrative, and which should encourage the casual reader to delve further into the subject.