A military history of the campaigns of Belisarius, the greatest general of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor Justinian. He twice defeated the Persians and reconquered North Africa from the Vandals in a single year at the age of 29, before going on to regain Spain and Italy, including Rome (briefly), from the barbarians. It discusses the evolution from classical Roman to Byzantine armies and systems of warfare, as well as those of their chief enemies, the Persians, Goths and Vandals. It reassesses Belisarius' generalship and compares him with the likes of Caesar, Alexander and Hannibal. It will be illustrated with line drawings and battle plans as well as photographs.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By P. Halme
Format:Hardcover
Well, I finished the book three days ago ...
It is a good narrative / chronological history of this enigmatic figure Belisarius with an emphasis on analyzing the battles from a strategic / tactical point of view: in short a picture of Belisarius as a general. It gives a good account of the problems the byzantine empire had to face in the east with the persians, in the south with the vandals and in Italy with the goths. The authors interpretation that Justinian didn`t have any "masterplan" about regaining the lost west is also plausible. Justinian more or less just reacted to the opportunities opened due to the internal weakness of his enemies and serving his domestic politics at the same time.
One thing I noticed that the roman arms & armour depicted on the book are a bit "4th centurish" but then again we unfortunately don`t have very clear evidence of the arms and armament of the army of Belisarius at that time. Anyway in my opinion his army could have looked more or less like the armies of his enemies rather than wearing Intercisa / Burgh Castle-type helmets etc. The evidence on arms / armour of the byzantine army of this period is unfortunately sparse.
Anyway a good read, recommended to anyone interested in Belisarius especially as a general and strategist of a late roman / byzantine army.
Recommended!
It is a good narrative / chronological history of this enigmatic figure Belisarius with an emphasis on analyzing the battles from a strategic / tactical point of view: in short a picture of Belisarius as a general. It gives a good account of the problems the byzantine empire had to face in the east with the persians, in the south with the vandals and in Italy with the goths. The authors interpretation that Justinian didn`t have any "masterplan" about regaining the lost west is also plausible. Justinian more or less just reacted to the opportunities opened due to the internal weakness of his enemies and serving his domestic politics at the same time.
One thing I noticed that the roman arms & armour depicted on the book are a bit "4th centurish" but then again we unfortunately don`t have very clear evidence of the arms and armament of the army of Belisarius at that time. Anyway in my opinion his army could have looked more or less like the armies of his enemies rather than wearing Intercisa / Burgh Castle-type helmets etc. The evidence on arms / armour of the byzantine army of this period is unfortunately sparse.
Anyway a good read, recommended to anyone interested in Belisarius especially as a general and strategist of a late roman / byzantine army.
Recommended!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Nrhlangman
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent book, easily read. Narrated in a trotting and sometimes galloping style. I enjoyed it so much I bought Mr Hughes next book "Stilicho................" Mr Hughes gives Belisarius a great deal of personality. OK a great deal of the content comes from Procopius whose prose is extremely readable, but Hughes adds flare and interest to a topic that is a bit peripheral.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Cella Mauro
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a first thing don't be put off by the book's small size. The paucity of contemporary sources on Belisarius doesn't allow for hefty tomes if the writer's purpose is history and not speculation. And Hughes' purpose is to make the facts clean about Belisarius' military record and assess his worth as a commander.
The book is well furnished with drawings and maps to allow the reader a quick grasp of the situation.
The chapters are kept well short, allowing the reader to focus on the single events yet never lose sight of the broader picture.
Hughes also introduces up-to-date knowledge, especially when describing the "Roman" army, its enemies and their weapons and equipment.
Differently from other authors, Hughes always keeps an impartial posture: he doesn't set out to demolish Belisarius or exalt his deeds. I won't spoil what his conclusions are.
However there are two problems with this book.
The first is in some chapters, especially those dealing on the relationship between Belisarius and his wife Antonina, Hughes' style becomes convoluted and much harder to follow. It's obvious Hughes would have preferred to do away with analyzing this relationship but, as Antonina's machinations often affected Belisarius' military and public career, he had to do it.
The second is there are some errors in the text which obviously made it past the editing process. The blame here lies probably more with the publisher than with Hughes.
All in all this is an excellent book, highly recommended to all of those even remotely interested in the history of Byzantium.
The book is well furnished with drawings and maps to allow the reader a quick grasp of the situation.
The chapters are kept well short, allowing the reader to focus on the single events yet never lose sight of the broader picture.
Hughes also introduces up-to-date knowledge, especially when describing the "Roman" army, its enemies and their weapons and equipment.
Differently from other authors, Hughes always keeps an impartial posture: he doesn't set out to demolish Belisarius or exalt his deeds. I won't spoil what his conclusions are.
However there are two problems with this book.
The first is in some chapters, especially those dealing on the relationship between Belisarius and his wife Antonina, Hughes' style becomes convoluted and much harder to follow. It's obvious Hughes would have preferred to do away with analyzing this relationship but, as Antonina's machinations often affected Belisarius' military and public career, he had to do it.
The second is there are some errors in the text which obviously made it past the editing process. The blame here lies probably more with the publisher than with Hughes.
All in all this is an excellent book, highly recommended to all of those even remotely interested in the history of Byzantium.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I bought this book with good expectation. Interesting in parts it is often repetative and plodding. History shows Belisarius was a good general but this book doesn't get to the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by stimmo
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, but only up to a point
As three other reviewers have noticed, this is a good book on a very interesting man - Belisarius, general of Justinian - but it also has many problems. Read more
Published 14 months ago by JPS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
Not only does this book give you a clear sight into the wars fought by Belisarius but it's also really good for the a light introduction into the age of Justinian. Read more
Published 17 months ago by History student
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Perfect, But the Best Biography Available on a Great Man
First off, this book is a military history. Viewing it as anything else is going to be counterproductive. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2009 by Arch Stanton
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of Rome's greatest generals - or was he?
A very different beast indeed to Lord Mahon's biography of Belisarius, this is a work very much for the military history enthusiast concentrating on the battles and campaigns of... Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2009 by E. L. Wisty
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