Warfare in the Classical World: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome

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Summary: An excellent book about warefare of ancient civilizations
Review: I have borrowed this book from the public library for three times. Finally, I decide to have my own copy after referring it for so many time while engaging in lots of historical discussions on some Internet groups. This book has everything one average history reader wants: evolution of the ancient warfare, organization and weapons development, major battles and their after effects, etc., all in clear text explanation and well crafted illustrations. This is a must for anyone who is interested in the ancient warfare, especially after being aroused by the Oscar-awarded movie, Gladiator.

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Summary: The perfect introductory work
Review: I was introduced to the ancient world by films like 'Ben Hur' and Richard Burton's 'Alexander the Great' as a child. Time passed and the subject of those films was almost forgotten. Had it not been for that memorable sea-battle from Ben Hur, this book would have never caught my eye. A frequent book buyer, I noticed the cover of this book and decided to look at it. It took a few more visits and a few more glances, but something made me buy this book. Before I knew it, I had amassed a collection of 30 volumes about this subject and countless library hours in personal research in an effort to learn more. I I recommend this book for anyone with even the slightest curiosity on the subject.

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Summary: BUY IT NOW
Review: IF YOU ARE REMOTELEY INTERESTED IN CIVILIZATIONS OR WARFARE FROM THE CLASSICAL ERA THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK. OLDER SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL FIND IT EXTREMELY HELPFUL IF THEY ARE STUDYING THIS SUBJECT AND ADULTS WILL ALSO BE VERY PLEASED WITH IT.PLENTY OF ILLUSTRATIONS WILL KEEP EVEN THE CASUAL READER VERY INTERESTED.AN IDEAL COMBINATION WITH MORE SERIOUS WORKS ON THE SUBJECT.

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Summary: Excellent Primer
Review: Illustrations, presentation and text are excellent. A great primer and illustrative reference for those studying other detailed books of this era.

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Summary: Fantastic book!
Review: This book is a must for anybody interested in classical warfare, military history, wargaming. When I first read this book many years ago, it really brought the classical period to life for me. The colorful illustrations, the diagrams of famous battles and force dispositions. Its all here including how different military systems, cavalry, foot and siege warfare have evolved from Greek to Roman times. As a history buff and wargamer, I find myself going to this book for reference constantly. Really a must for anyone interested in an introduction to classical warfare.

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Summary: Wonderful illustrations, and an expansive timeline.
Review: This book is a necessity for lovers of warfare in the ancient world. It's coverage of Rome is extensive and the color plates are magnificent. The timeline on the bottom of each page is a quick identifier for sections of the book that might interest. I highly recommend it!

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Summary: A wonderful reference on Classical Warfare
Review: This is a beautifully balanced book. It covers the classical period between 1600BC and 800AD in a very organised and readable way. Each period is prefaced with the heading "Ancient Authorities" and outlines where the following information is sourced. Then the period is discussed in flowing narrative which highlights the key personalities and events of the time along with an indepth look at the mechanics of warfare. The strategy and tactics presented is blended nicely with the historical discussion. The numerous battle maps and accompanying data are a treasure for the military, history and wargaming buffs. The artwork throughout is first class as are the maps. I particularly like the full page colour depictions of combatants from different armies with detailed explanatory notes, some of the best I've seen. I found the middle part of the book focussed a little more heavily on the historical aspect. It did not contain as many battle maps as the first and latter part did, and I found myself flicking ahead to see when I would reach one of the battle descriptions and maps. In summary, this is a terrific encyclopedia and ranks as one of the nicest books I have seen on the subject. Superb.

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Summary: an all encompassing history of classical warfare
Review: This is a superb "history" of classical warfare as practised by Greek and Roman armies. The reason I state "history" and not just an encyclopedia is because the book is set out in a chronological order and not purely as your typical encyclopedic style ie. not alphabetically. However this presentation is much more logical and lucid. The writing is very good and not at all dry and the illustrations are superb. This book has all one needs to know about warfare in the classical world of Greece and Rome and even includes details and illustrations of the various foes fought by the Greeks and Romans such as the Persians, Carthaginians and Celts. My only difficulty now is to decide whether this book is better than "Greece and Rome at War" by Peter Connolly....

Rating:
Summary: an all encompassing history of classical warfare
Review: This is a superb "history" of classical warfare as practised by Greek and Roman armies. The reason I state "history" and not just an encyclopedia is because the book is set out in a chronological order and not purely as your typical encyclopedic style ie. not alphabetically. However this presentation is much more logical and lucid. The writing is very good and not at all dry and the illustrations are superb. This book has all one needs to know about warfare in the classical world of Greece and Rome and even includes details and illustrations of the various foes fought by the Greeks and Romans such as the Persians, Carthaginians and Celts. My only difficulty now is to decide whether this book is better than "Greece and Rome at War" by Peter Connolly....

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Summary: A Wargamer's Review
Review: This is an exceptional book for wargamers interested in the art of war in Classical times. The text is clear, concise, and gives a good overview of the political and cultural events that shaped the art of war and the history of the particular period in a particular chapter. The illustrations give good looks at uniform and organisational details, and the descriptive maps/illustrations give a decent look at tactics.
Getting all of this in one volume at a reasonable price makes this a "must-buy" for wargamers (particularly beginning wargamers) looking at the Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, Cathaginians, and/or Romans as potential armies for the tabletop.