The Roman Invasion of Britain (Roman Conquest of Britain) [Paperback]

As part of renowned British archaeologist Graham Webster's trilogy, The Roman Invasion of Britain examines some of the few key turning points in British history prior to and after the invasion of Britain. This book describes Britain pre-Roman conquest and discusses the thriving culture that inhabited the region before Caesar crossed the English Channel in 55 BC. Webster provides extensive background as to the various archaeological resources which he uses as historical evidence that there was a flourishing culture in Britain before the Roman conquest.
The first part of the book closely scrutinizes the various sources of evidence from which archaeologists and ancient historians have had to work with. Among the evidence he discusses, he addresses the fact that there are not many excavators who are specialists in the field of the Roman army. Therefore, the best evidence is tombstones which offer irrefutable evidence regarding the soldier's full name, rank, unit, years in service and in some instances, age. But of course the most abundant evidence is pottery. However, Graham claims that there is a problem with using pottery to determine if the area being excavated was indeed invaded and conquered by Romans. He speculates that perhaps the British wanted to destroy all things Roman, and therefore it is difficult to determine if pottery shards are pre- or post-conquest.
The second part of the book deals with the Celtic people in Britain, their early migrations across Europe and settlement in the British isles as well as Caesar's campaign into Britain in 55 BC, and his contact with these peoples. Graham then goes on to discuss the tribes of Britain and the ruling hierarchy that governed them as well as the forces who opposed them. Webster examines Celtic warfare, and explains how the Celts viewed war as a part of life. The Celts had initiation rites for young warriors who were bred in the tribal society. Graham spends a good deal of time discussing Celtic battle, and states that to the Celts "there was no concept of war and peace as being philosophically undesirable or abhorrent, they were necessary states of existence" (76). This is an intriguing observation as it allows the reader insight into the Celtic military hegemony which allowed a band of "barbarians" the strength to sack the powerful city of Rome centuries earlier in 390 BC.
Webster offers detailed accounts of the various personalities who were important on the British frontier, from Caesar to Claudius. He also takes a look at a few key battles as case studies. From the organization of the Roman army, such as the legions and auxilia to exploring the motivations behind the Roman invasion of Britain during the reign of the emperor Claudius this book offers compelling insight into the Roman invasion itself, what internal factors led to the conquest and how the Romans were able to make Britain a valuable province. Webster asserts that it was the valuable iron deposits available in Britain that made Britain so viable. In addition, the political atmosphere of Britain was so anti-Roman at the time of Claudius' "seizure of the country by force of arms" (84), that Claudius basically had no choice but to invade.
The author's thesis is that the invasion of Britain by the Roman army was only the first step towards making Britain a Roman province. Webster maintains through a careful examination of various settlements, pottery, and weaponry, etc., that the "conquest" of Britain did not occur at the time of invasion by Caesar's troops or by the invasion of Claudius' years later. Through clear and concise maps, Webster illustrates a Roman frontier that developed over time yet was never fully "Romanized" as Roman history would like to maintain. Rather, Britain was a thriving province prior to the Roman conquest, and maintained its culture regardless of the many attempts to Romanize it. Webster maintains credibility in this assertion in the various archaeological evidence he uses to support his theory. I do feel that Webster could have contributed more explanation to the political and tribal hierarchy that existed in Britain as well as discussed the various tribes' relationships and channels of communication with each other in more detail. However, what Webster lacks in his examination of the social atmosphere of Britain, which he acknowledges that there is not much evidence on, he makes up for in clearly describing the key players and battles which contributed to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 BC.

This new version of Webster's Work on the Roman Invasion of Britain includes the latest fieldwork and is for the serious researcher as well as the student who just wants to get smarter quickly. The well written prose, unobtrusive references, clear maps, crisp line drawings and extensive Appendixes make this a top shelf addition to your library. The photographic plates, while in Black and white, are clear and supplement the text. You should get this, even if you have an earlier edition, for the revisions and corrections are worth the paltry cover price.