- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Phoenix; Mass Market Paperback edition (16 May 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 075382258X
- ISBN-13: 978-0753822586
- Product Dimensions: 1.9 x 12.7 x 19.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 231,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
A renowned historian looks at why the Roman Army was the most professional fighting force in ancient history
Product Description
When Alexander the Great carved out his empire, Rome was just one of many city states on the Italian peninsula. Yet it conquered its neighbours one-by-one, defeated Carthage and eventually overwhelmed the Greek successor states too. As its republican institutions gave way to Imperial rule by Augustus and his heirs, the Roman Empire extended from the French Atlantic coast to Syria. Later conquests included Britain and much of modern Romania. How did Rome overcome opponent after opponent? What was the grand strategy of the Roman Empire? Adrian Goldsworthy reveals why Rome developed the most professional fighting force of the ancient world and what it was like to be a soldier in the legions.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Traditionally, the founding of the Roman state is set as 753BC. Nine hundred years later Roman soldiers were patrolling Hadrian's Wall 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 favourites 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 vitually 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.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a very good basic introduction to the subject, as you would expect from this author. The text is supported by a good selection of maps and illustrations. The chapters are
P017: Introduction
P025: Early Rome and the Conquest of Italy
P041: The Wars with Carthage and the Hellenistic Kingdoms
P077: World Conquest 202 BC - AD 14
P113: Controlling the World AD 14-193
P161: Crisis and Reform
P195: Collapse in the West, Recovery in the East
P210: Tables, Bibliography, Index etc.
For a more recent book on the same subject, I would recommend Michael Pitassi's The Navies of Rome. This looks at the same content, but in more detail - as it is not as lavishly illustrated - and considers Rome's campaigns from the view of Roman seapower, including riverine warfare. It covers the land campaigns in much more depth than this volume, as it has more space to work with.
P017: Introduction
P025: Early Rome and the Conquest of Italy
P041: The Wars with Carthage and the Hellenistic Kingdoms
P077: World Conquest 202 BC - AD 14
P113: Controlling the World AD 14-193
P161: Crisis and Reform
P195: Collapse in the West, Recovery in the East
P210: Tables, Bibliography, Index etc.
For a more recent book on the same subject, I would recommend Michael Pitassi's The Navies of Rome. This looks at the same content, but in more detail - as it is not as lavishly illustrated - and considers Rome's campaigns from the view of Roman seapower, including riverine warfare. It covers the land campaigns in much more depth than this volume, as it has more space to work with.
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
if you share my interest in the roman empire and the legions but don`t know where to begin, this is a good starting point.
You will learn how, and why,a small city became an empire and created the most astonishing fighting machine the world had ever, or would ever, see. Notwithstanding other great empires throughout human history, most, if not all, were based upon a ruler, be it a man or a family, that collapsed after their demise. This book will show you why that was not the case with the romans, since they not only created an agressive army but armed it with much more than weapons.
The legion on the march brought with it the rule of law, civil administration, religious tolerance and a wish to absorb the new conquered people into their midst, conceding citizenship and trading benefits once victory was reached.
Their amazing fortitude in batlle, not giving up despite huge losses, magnanimity once it was all over or ruthless massacres to prevent further revolts if necessary, can only be seen as instruments of a much higher design when on top of it all from the conquered later on came the new legionaires, senators, consuls, and even emperors.
How it ends is also shown. And a version of why, presented.
"Roman Warfare" shows it all. And made me want to go deeper.
What else can you wish for your money on a book ?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
excellent
great introduction to Roman warfare through the ages. Very readable and informative. The information is presented in a very easy to digest way and there are numerous illustrations,... Read more
Published 13 months ago by flashman_at_the_charge
excellent!
Adrian Goldsworthy describes the tactics and weapons of the legions that conquered the whole of the known world in such a relatively short space of time. Read more
Published 22 months ago by rob_hawke
Fantastic overview of roman warfare throughout the Roman ages
I really enjoyed this book; I did not need to have a great deal of background knowledge (although I do have some; readers with no knowledge of Roman history will probably be lost). Read more
Published 23 months ago by Ingela
xmas present
My brother in law read this book within 2 days he is really interested in roman history so he was really pleased with his xmas pressie:)
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by Ms. Lynda Mcgarry
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