The Imperial Roman Army

Rating:
Summary: A Good Companion Book
Review: If you like Adrian Goldsworthy you'll probably like this book as well, it has a similar focus on the small details instead of simply presenting biographies of the commanders. Readers not ready to dive into detailed technical assessments of the Roman military will appreciate the excellent visual presentation of the book and concise writing that will not have you hunting for a Latin dictionary. It covers a bit of everything: soldier names, location of Legion camps, economic life, diet, religion, training, etc.

If the book has a fault it's that it only provides the barest of details on many of these aspects (notably soldiers and Roman law), probably expecting the reader to refer to other sources if they want more information. Yet the bibliography is not very useful to the English reader as they are almost all French or German sources! Not unexpected as this is a translation, but still annoying.

Rating:
Summary: Most Informative and Interesting to date
Review: This book is the best written book for the Roman Army and History layreader, yet. I cannot express how, after reading it twice front to back, I pick it up to read various areas of the book, again! The attention to detail, the presentation of its sources, and the GREAT manner in which this book is written makes this an enjoyable, easily read, book.

Rating:
Summary: Good Overview
Review: Yann Le Bohec's book is an excellent synthesis of many specialized studies of the Roman army in the period from the time of Augustus to the end of the third century. This text is actually a paperback reissue of the English translation of the 1989 French orginal. Nonetheless, Le Bohec's text updates and surpasses earlier treatments and is the most reliable overview of the subject at the present time. I found the chapter on the practical and symbolic value of "training" fascinating, and the chapter on the strategic deployment of the legions is valuable for an understanding of the attempts Rome made to deal with external threats. Less successful is the book's brief "history" of the army--essentially a chronological look at the emperors and how they rated as generals. The treatment is far too compressed. However, Le Bohec's final chapters on the socio-economic impact of the Roman army on Europe are first-rate. A fine treatment and one of interest to anyone who studies Roman history.