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 enlarge | Author: Adrian Goldsworthy
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $10.03
You Save: $7.92 (44%)
New (27) Used (10) from $8.28
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 52473
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0060838523
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.00937
EAN: 9780060838522
ASIN: 0060838523
Publication Date: September 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good information March 17, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Goldsworthy produces yet another good description of the Roman way of war to complement his other offerings on the Roman Army, leaders and individual Roman wars. Recommended reading.
 Great overview book March 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'd never been a big fan of ancient history but the TV show "Rome" helped convince the wife and I that we should visit the city. And then while researching the visit and after the trip, I decided I wanted to learn more about the Roman history and the military history in particular. Goldsworthy does a great job of quickly going over the subject matter. I emphasize quickly because I really enjoyed how he covers a wide subject with a minimum of text. It is a very enjoyable read and not like digesting a dissertation. The text does a fine job of summarizing the evolution of the Roman military from the battles vs Carthage to the age of Caesar and Pompey all the way to the 4th century when Rome was fighting "barbarians" on many fronts. Also included, probably since it is a Smithsonian book, are many excellent figures, maps, and charts describing battles.
This is a great book and I've ordered 2 more of Goldsworthy's books to hopefully give me more depth in my Ancients history..
A Quick Overview February 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Adrian Goldsworthy gives us a brief overview of Roman warfare from the age of the Republic up to the fall of the empire. Since it does cover hundreds of years of history in only 200 plus pages, it does not go into depth on the strategy of Roman warfare. However, for those who are looking for a brief overview of the wars of Rome, this is a nice introductory text. Once you find out which era of Roman history you favor, then you can move on to meatier books. The thing that I particularly liked about this book is that there are several diagrams of famous battles from a birds-eye-view for about half a dozen battles. These were fascinating to look at. This book might make a good present to someone who enjoys Roman history or even just likes the TV series "Rome" if they haven't done much reading on the subject.
A Nice Introduction to Roman Military Politcs September 28, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The book by Adrian Goldsworthy presents a neat summary on Roman Warfare from the early Republic to the late Imperial age. The work is not intended to focus on any specific aspect of Roman military strategy, rather it provides a very succinct overview of this vast subject. The author nonetheless remarks some key factors in the development of Roman Military politics and contrast them with standard scholarly ideas. The importance of Romans approach to warfare and the evolution of Army's structure and deployment in response to political and military necessities are the main points that can be inferred from the book. Despite the conciseness the author supports these arguments with references to historical and archaeological sources. A nicely written essay to start a great adventure into Roman military history.
Best brief guide to Roman warfare available June 11, 2006
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
Adrian Goldsworthy's short guide, Roman Warfare, is easily the best book of its length that I have read. If you're looking for a concise yet detailed survey of Roman military history, this is the book to buy.
Goldsworthy cuts the fat from the subject, stripping away the mundane details that typically bog down the casual reader or armchair historian. He charts the development of the Roman army from its earliest forms through the end of the empire, relying on impeccable research and a very clear style. He clears up a lot of confusing ideas (such as the composition of the republican-era triplex acies formation) and, unusual for an historian dealing with figures like Caesar, Scipio, and Hannibal, he never indulges in hero-worship (something which, sadly, cannot be said of the otherwise excellent historians Theodore Dodge and B.H. Liddell-Hart).
Another thing that makes this book worthwhile is the copious amount of maps and illustrations, all of which support the text in a clear and easy to understand manner.
If you enjoy this book and would like something a bit deeper, I'd also recommend Goldsworthy's The Fall of Carthage, a very good history of the three Punic Wars.
Roman Warfare is highly recommended reading for anyone new to Roman military history or history in general.
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