The Indispensable booklist

[Emeraldweapon7d]

any good books on ancient metallurgy? things like alloy composition from that big expensive analysis done on little chunks of metal.

[Tarbicus]

Here's an extensive bibliography of Hannibal Research Resources, from Prof. Yozan D. Mozig , used in his studies of Hannibal:

[url:zloigalq]http://betty-boop.unk.edu/uploadedFiles/academics/psychology/mosigy/Hannibal.htm[/url]

And the Roman Army bibliography from California State Uni Northridge, including a link to RA.com

[url:zloigalq]http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/armybibl.html[/url]

[Theo]

Greetings,

The books by Ian Stephenson, all 3 published by Tempus and available direct, on Amazon and at Oxbow books are all good. They cover the infantry of the 3rd century, the infantry of the 4th to 6th centuries and the cavalry of the imperial era. The colour illustrations are a matter of taste ( I got used to them) but the text is worth the read.

I would add that the Bishop and Coulston book, now in its 2nd edition, is essential reading, too.

All the books by Graham Sumner on uniforms and armour (3 in Osprey and one in Brasseys[out of print] are all worth a serious look as they deal with textiles and so on in archaeology - which is rare.


Has anyone read Spaul's book on the cavalry - I just ordered a copy.

Theo

[Robert Vermaat]

The books by Ian Stephenson, all 3 published by Tempus and available direct, on Amazon and at Oxbow books are all good. They cover the infantry of the 3rd century, the infantry of the 4th to 6th centuries and the cavalry of the imperial era. The colour illustrations are a matter of taste ( I got used to them) but the text is worth the read.

We have to disagree there. Yes, I say read them, but no, they are not good. Stephenson misses the boat now and then. Especially in his book book about Late Roman infantry.

I would add that the Bishop and Coulston book, now in its 2nd edition, is essential reading, too.

Absolutely.

All the books by Graham Sumner on uniforms and armour (3 in Osprey and one in Brasseys[out of print] are all worth a serious look as they deal with textiles and so on in archaeology - which is rare.

I would also put them on the 'must have-essential reading' list.

[D B Campbell]

The books by Ian Stephenson ... are not good.

I would have to agree there.

I don't believe an author should be criticised for his writing style, provided he has mastery of his subject. But I find Stephenson's conversational style and his haphazard grammar and punctuation very irritating, and much of his material is simply lifted from other authors (most notably Bishop & Coulston).
Why waste funds purchasing a second-hand account when you can have the real thing: i.e. B&C II.

[Salvianus]

The Late Roman Army, Southern, P. and Dixon, K.R., (2000) Paperback edition, London: Routledge

An overview of the army from Septimius Severus up to the beginning of the sixth century, including the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine, recruitment, pay and conditions, equipment, fortifications and siege warfare. They describe morale, motivation and identity in the context of increasing cultural mix within the late Roman army. It has been criticised for containing some mistakes and for its caution in drawing new academic conclusions, but I think it provides an excellent starting-point.

Comitatus book reviews

[wdial]

I currently own the following
Roman Warfare -Adrian Goldsworthy (my first 'Roman' book)
The Fall of Carthage -Adrian Goldsworthy
Gallic Wars -Caeasr
Civil Wars -Caesar (or not)
Alexandrian and Spainish War -Caesar (or not)
The Complete Roman Army -Adrian Goldsworthy
In the Name of Rome _again Adrian Goldsworthy (I've read this many times)
Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World -Written by a lot of people http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Techniqu ... 420&sr=8-1
Greec and Roman at War -Peter Connolly (newest version)
Solders and Ghost -J. E. Lendon (a professor right here in the ol' Virginia)
Lives of the Noble Romans -Plutarch
Meditations -Marcus Aurelius (I admit I've never finshed it)
Complete Letters -Pliny the Younger (surpisingly fun to read)

I plan on expanding, I'd love guidence as to a next book.
Oh and in college history when studying Rome, the one person the text book author always refenced to was Livy. I was fit to be tied, of all the primary sources about Rome why use Livy.
Tis all

[petrinus]

the decline and fall of the roman empire ...which i am reading now is a must i think, to understand why we are in fact chasing after what was instead of living and lingering in what i wish still was. it is a laborious read, dry at times but fascinating none the less, so very informative though obviously its greatest concentration is on the late empire as it fragments and falls into....well i shant go on i feel the tears already welling up inside, but it does hit the earlier highlights before it all falls apart. i recommend reading it.

also thank you everyone for your recommendations, i shall see my next paycheck spent on learning a great deal!

[Decebalus]

When I was a little boy my interest for all things Ancient was awaked by Hollywood-movies like Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis etc.
So my favourite "bedside-table-book" is:

Markus Junkelmann:
"Hollywoods Traum von Rom. Gladiator und die Tradition des Monumentalfilms" (Mainz 2004)

It is an in-depth study of the evolution of the "sandal-movie" from the silent movies to "Gladiator" and their historical (in)accuracy.

462 pages full of pictures from wellknown and less known films and the archeological sources.

Does anybody know for example the Italian movie "Scipio l'Africano" (1937) or the (historically very accurate) Polish "Quo Vadis" (2001)?

As far as I know there is no English edition of this book ?:

Btw what about a "best-of" list regarding ancient-films?

Greets,

Decebalus/Andreas Gagelmann

[Paullus Scipio]

Here's a few that I have enjoyed, and which might be considered indispensable :-
"The Army of the Caesars" Michael Grant - covers the relationship between Army and Society, its role as 'king-maker', a general history of the army in context.
Pretty much anything by Michael Grant is well worth reading - for a general history, his "History of Rome" is hard to beat.
"The Roman Imperial Army" Graham Webster - a detailed look at the army of the first and second centuries A.D.
"Hannibal's War","The first Punic War" and "The Spartan Army" and anything else by J.F. Lazenby.

And for those looking to gain a perspective on Late Romans:-
"The Later Roman Empire 294-602 A.D." - A.H.M Jones
"The Fall of the Roman Empire - a Reappraisal" - Michael Grant (again!)
"The Fall of the Roman Empire -the military explanation" - Arthur Ferrill
Finally ( for now!!),
"Generallisimos of the Western Roman Empire" - John Michael O'Flynn - a look at the role of Arbrogast, Stilicho, Constantius, Aetius and Ricimer and Odovacer in the break-up and evolution of the Western Empire

[Paullus]

I have been mightily impressed by Adrian Goldsworthy's "The Fall of Carthage". A fresh, well written take on the Punic Wars. Excellent purchase.

[richsc]

the Italian movie "Scipio l'Africano" (1937)

I have a copy of it. Remarkable scenes with the elephants, but exceptionally cruel too.

[PhilusEstilius]

I must recomend 'On The Trail Of The Legions' by Raymond Selkirk, it is not just a book. It is yet another follow up of all the wonderfull work that this man did in his life, he did of course do some excavation himself. However if some more archaeological follow up was carried out, we would find that the work he did has re written the history of the Romans in the north of England.

[Triarius]

Peddie, John; The Roman War Machine Grange Books, 1997. Peddie essentially compares Roman practices to those of the British Army, and frankly it doesn't work well, except for one thing: his analysis of Roman logistics on the march, which is the most sensible analysis I've found.

[SMC]

For warfare in the east in late antiquity there are two must have source books with useful commentaries.

M.H. Dodgeon and S.N.C. Lieu, The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars, AD 226-363, (London, 1991).
G. Greatrex and S.N.C. Lieu, The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars, AD 363-628, (London, 2002) - now out in paperback

For fortifications see
S. Johnson, Late Roman Fortifications (London, 1983).
J. Lander, Roman Stone Fortifications, Variation and Change from the First Century AD to the Fourth (BAR.Int.Series, S206, Oxford, 1984).