Rating: 
Summary: Semper Fidelis?
Review: Let's face it -- the problem with writing a book about events which took place 2000 years ago is that you must rely on accounts that may not be what we would view today as being "objective journalism". Even today, most people who chronicle an event at the time it is happening have an agenda (covering up massacres, covering their own a**es, making someone else look bad, etc...). That is the problem faced by Dando-Collins in "Caesar's Legion", and I say he comes through admirably.
The author covers a broad time period, from the founding of the Tenth Legion some 100 years before the birth of Jesus until the storming of the Jewish fortress of Masada in 73 A.D. Along the way, we get to learn about the inner workings of a Roman Legion in fascinating detail. Perhaps most important, this detail is easily accessible. This could very easily have been an extraordinarily dry, "academic" type book. But Dando-Collins' writing style is easy and flows well, not like some juiced up Ph.D dissertation. The reader will truly be amazed at the accomplishments of the Roman Legions and some of the rulers of Rome who controlled them. Plus there are loads of, "wow, I never knew that the Romans were responsible for that" moments in this book. For example, do you know why Switzerland is called the "Helvetian Republic"? Read this book and you'll find out.
Some of the posts reviewing this book are critical of Dando-Collins for not being able to state with pinpoint accuracy that this legion or that legion did that act or this act at this or that time. I think they miss the point. Dando-Collins is the first to admit in the book that although he tries to be as faithful to recorded history as possible, where certain historical accounts conflict a choice must be made as to what may be more accurate than not. But at least he makes an educated guess after much consideration, and whether he is right or wrong, it's still an interesting read to get a taste of life in the Legion. And while I have not read all of Dando-Collins' source material (as another reviewer claims to have done), I have read enough to know that he's not just pulling things out of thin air.
So grab your scutum and pilum and jump into line, mister. You're in for an interesting march.
Rating: 
Summary: Caesar's Legion
Review: Step back in time, and experience what life was like for the men in Caesar's Tenth Legion, the leading military unit of its time. These pages offer a look at daily life for the legionaries, from the bloody fighting to what they ate for breakfast. Based on the author's extensive research, insight on Caesar and Roman times has never been as compelling
Rating:
Summary: spaniards?
Review: the "spaniards" soldiers, of the X legion are always, like the Cortes, Pizarro and Frnacisco Franco soldiers, people from Spain, spanish soldiers, with litlle or none roman blood and of course the "spanish" roman cesars are indee of roman blood.
Rating:
Summary: SPQR
Review: The critical reviews on this site utterly miss the mark. Do we not weary of the "historian's" tiresome delusions regarding objectivity? This is a delightful read and easily as "factual" as anything the "academic guild" can manufacture. Read it and enjoy it. There are many other wonderful books that I have seen criticized on this site by some failed academic whose tiny bit of the world is, at last, made interesting by a writer from outside of the guild. Save the general intellectual reading public from the professional historians.
Rating:
Summary: SPQR
Review: The critical reviews on this site utterly miss the mark. Do we not weary of the "historian's" tiresome delusions regarding objectivity? This is a delightful read and easily as "factual" as anything the "academic guild" can manufacture. Read it and enjoy it. There are many other wonderful books that I have seen criticized on this site by some failed academic whose tiny bit of the world is, at last, made interesting by a writer from outside of the guild. Save the general intellectual reading public from the professional historians.
Rating:
Summary: SPQR
Review: The critical reviews on this site utterly miss the mark. Do we not weary of the "historian's" tiresome delusions regarding objectivity? This is a delightful read and easily as "factual" as anything the "academic guild" can manufacture. Read it and enjoy it. There are many other wonderful books that I have seen criticized on this site by some failed academic whose tiny bit of the world is, at last, made interesting by a writer from outside of the guild. Save the general intellectual reading public from the professional historians.
Rating: 
Summary: Many fabrications, badly researched, not footnoted
Review: The premise is good, but this is not historical research. The author tries to mix the histories of three different units in the Roman military, and leaves out anything that doesn't fit. Of course, history is never 100% certain, but if the author wants to differ from the historical record in a written book, he must give adequate proof of his sources.
This is a great Roman historical novel, with many attachments and references to history, but the author really messes up when he tries to ignore the proven history of Legio X Fretensis, saying it didn't really exist. Then he unsucessfully tries to fit the Roman civil/military officer into some framework of modern military ranks. If that doesn't confuse the dedicated historian, he again makes a leap of research and takes and mixes recruiting practises from the late Republic, the Caesarian civil wars, and the first century A.D. into a soup of concrete. It may look good on the surface, but it doesn't hold weight, and it is not good history.
This is a quick read, and has been the subject of a lot of discussion among Roman military historians when there isn't anything more amusing to discuss over dinner. If you desire to know the history of the Tenth Legion of Julius Caesar there is a good chapter in the book.
This is a cute Roman "military history" book, but please don't use it for serious research. Of course with the weak endnotes, lack of footnotes and glaring errors, even a weekend historian will want to choose something else when spending his or her hard earned money. (Buy this one used!)
Rating:
Summary: Not worth a serious reader's time. Sad but true.
Review: The premise is good, but this is not historical research. The author tries to mix the histories of three different units in the Roman military, and leaves out anything that doesn't fit. Of course, history is never 100% certain, but if the author wants to differ from the historical record in a written book, he must give adequate proof of his sources.
This is a great Roman historical novel, with many attachments and references to history, but the author really messes up when he tries to ignore the proven history of Legio X Fretensis, saying it didn't really exist. Then he unsucessfully tries to fit the Roman civil/military officer into some framework of modern military ranks. If that doesn't confuse the dedicated historian, he again makes a leap of research and takes and mixes recruiting practises from the late Republic, the Caesarian civil wars, and the first century A.D. into a soup of concrete. It may look good on the surface, but it doesn't hold weight, and it is not good history.
This is a quick read, and has been the subject of a lot of discussion among Roman military historians when there isn't anything more amusing to discuss over dinner. If you desire to know the history of the Tenth Legion of Julius Caesar there is a good chapter in the book.
This is a cute Roman "military history" book, but please don't use it for serious research. Of course with the weak endnotes, lack of footnotes and glaring errors, even a weekend historian will want to choose something else when spending his or her hard earned money. (Buy this one used!)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent interesting read
Review: This book is very well written and is laid out very well and is accurate. Though the author mentions that the Xth legion was composed of "Spaniards", in actuality, during that time and into the 2nd century A.D., the legions from the provinces were composed of soldiers who considered themselves Roman and/or Italian, and were recruited from the decendants of the Italian-Roman settlers, merchants,soldiers, and veterans who settled throughout the Mediterrean basin as Rome expanded. These original soldiers composed of "Spaniards" ,in most cases, had very little, if any, Iberian blood. The "Spanish" emperors Trajan, Hadrian, etc., themselves born in Spain in the town/area of Italica, were decendants of Italian-Romans from Umbria of the Umbrii Tribe/Family, and considered themselves nothing but Italian Romans, as did the soldiers of Ceasar's famed Xth Legion. This is important to understand the psych and loyalty that these "Spanish" Citizen Soldiers had in fighting for Roma because Rome/Italy was not considered "foreign", though the Iberians of Spain were considered "foreign". Of course, intermarriage changed this landscape greatly in the coming generations. Otherwise, this is great stuff, the stories, the accuracy of the army makeup and organization. EXCELLENT.
Rating:
Summary: A good and entertaining source for Roman Warfare and History
Review: This book plot goes around the story of the most famous Legion of all times: Spanish 10th Legion. Raised originally by Julius Caesar around 61 BC while in charge of the governorship of Farther Spain (nowadays Andalucia) he personally raised and trained a Legion originally meant for his conquest of Portugal and which would later become a part of history.The author tells us how Caesar trained the legion, took it to Lusitania (Portugal) for its baptism of fire, and how it played a key and vital role in the Invasion of Britain and the querrel of Vercingetorix's rebellion in the Gaul.
Apart from that, he mentions anecdotes about Roman lifestyle and traditions whenever possible, making it more enjoyable. I strongly reccomend this book for everyone interested in digging more about Roman History and Military Tradition.
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