Caesar Against the Celts

Rating:
Summary: Fine Description of Roman Campaign
Review: Mr. Jimenez book is a very good overview of Ceasar's campaign against the Celts. He does a fine job describing the tactics and strategies that Ceasar utilized as well as the political environment, both in Gaul and in Rome, in which Ceasar operated. Where the book fails is in similar descriptions concerning the Celts. While there are cursory descriptions concerning several of the Celtic tribes and their leaders, one does not get any feeling for who they were or what they believed in.

This a good book to obtain a understanding of the Roman perspective in the Celtic Campaign. It is well written and the writing flows nicely.

Rating:
Summary: I came, I read, I loved it
Review: A great read and very informative. I can now bring up Vercingetorix in casual conversation. One caveat: the maps could have been much better done. They are dark and hard to read and tend to precede the narrative somewhat, so they give away what little suspense there is. (OK, we know that Caesar ultimately prevails but he did lose a few along the way.) Read a few pages beyond each one and then go back.

Rating:
Summary: What's so bad about popularizing ancient literature ?
Review: Excellent little introduction to our old friend Julius Caesar, the role model for Napoleon and many another big risk-taker. Much superior to reading Caesar's work itself unless you want to wade through a lot of political self-promotion. Books like this one do a lot to rescue ancient history from the dank cellar of its earlier scholarship.

Rating:
Summary: A rather unimaginative and unoriginal venture
Review: For the novice of classical studies this book would be a good start at learning the Roman point of view concerning the subjugation of the continental Celtic tribes. Mr.Jimenez has an excellent chapter on the conflict between Pompey and Caesar. However, he seems to have made little, if any effort in coming up with a new, or original look at Caesar's war with the Gauls. Since all of his information comes from Caesar himself and Mr. Jimenez has failed in his duty as a historian to be investigative and as objective as possible, one would do just as well as purchasing Caesar's Gallic Wars.

Rating:
Summary: Ceasar's Obsession with conquering Gaul.
Review: For those who prefer a color commentary on Caesar's exploits in Gaul, look for "Caesar Against the Celts" by Ramon Jimenez -- a great read on this topic. Not only does Jimenez add character depth to Caesar's accounts, but he brings to light likely points of exhageration and ommission on Caesar's part.

This book also provides a background for The Civil War. I thought I understood the conflict between Pompey and Caesar, but after reading this book, I see their dynamic in a whole new light. Read this book BEFORE you read The Civil War and AFTER you have read The Conquest of Gaul.

Rating:
Summary: What's so bad about popularizing ancient literature ?
Review: I had no thought of reading this wonderful little book until I chanced upon the two highly negative reviews below. Despite their somewhat silly attempts at erudition, the authors of those reviews evince a wholly unpleasant snobbery that seems to want to deprive popular audiences of the fun and fascination of the study of classical history and literature. Such, I am convinced, is the mark of the true ignoramus. As a long-time teacher of ancient Greek and Latin, I am all too aware that most students today will never experience the joy of "hearing Caesar's voice" in his native tongue (and that others will never even muddle through a translation). What then is so wrong with a popular account of Caesar's campaigns, particularly such a delightful one as this? As one who has devoted my career (however humble) to promoting classical scholarship, I am proud to recommend this book to both the hobbyists so despised by the reviewer below, and to any newcomers who may be inspired to learn more about the stories and languages of antiquity. Come. Read. Enjoy. And for the Visigoths among us--lighten up, okay?

Rating:
Summary: Victories in Gaul: Caesar's achievement
Review: The author had carefully traced Julius Caesar's war against the Celts in a yearly basis.This book is a useful supplement to the book written by the protaganist himself - 'The Gallic Wars'. As we read through the book, we can see how Caesar managed to subdue the fierce Celts, and unknowingly, managed to postpone the Germanic tribes invasion of Gaul for the next 300 years.

Rating:
Summary: Caesar thrashing through Gaul on his way to Roman leadership
Review: This book chronicles the period in Caesar's life when he conquered Gaul and crossed the english channel into England. It was the largest crossing until world war 2. The book is fast paced and details organization and engineering feats that Caesar's armies performed.In under 300 pages you get a good background of Caesar's years prior to returning to Rome.