10-17-2012, 05:13 PM
I can't comment on Stephenson (and would be interested to hear what others think) but the following should set you up nicely:
A.D. Lee. War in Late Antiquity: a social history. Blackwell, 2007. 282 pages
This one's a favourite of mine - very clearly written and solidly researched.
Martinus Johannes Nicasie. Twilight of Empire: the Roman army from the reign of Diocletian until the Battle of Adrianople. J.C. Gieben, 1998. 321 pages
This is a rather academic text, and hard to find (or expensive to buy), which has given it great cachet. Actually I prefer Lee, but Nicasie is comprehensive and detailed.
Paul Elliot. The Last Legionary: Life as a Roman soldier AD400. Spellmount, 2007. 208 pages
A more 'popular' read, with fictionalised aspects, but lots of great stuff about soldiers' diets, everyday life and the ground-level experience of battle.
Ramsay MacMullen. Soldier and Civilian in the Later Roman Empire. Harvard University Press, 1963. 217 pages.
Another favourite - see my review here. Basically covers everything the army did when it wasn't fighting!
A.D. Lee. War in Late Antiquity: a social history. Blackwell, 2007. 282 pages
This one's a favourite of mine - very clearly written and solidly researched.
Martinus Johannes Nicasie. Twilight of Empire: the Roman army from the reign of Diocletian until the Battle of Adrianople. J.C. Gieben, 1998. 321 pages
This is a rather academic text, and hard to find (or expensive to buy), which has given it great cachet. Actually I prefer Lee, but Nicasie is comprehensive and detailed.
Paul Elliot. The Last Legionary: Life as a Roman soldier AD400. Spellmount, 2007. 208 pages
A more 'popular' read, with fictionalised aspects, but lots of great stuff about soldiers' diets, everyday life and the ground-level experience of battle.
Ramsay MacMullen. Soldier and Civilian in the Later Roman Empire. Harvard University Press, 1963. 217 pages.
Another favourite - see my review here. Basically covers everything the army did when it wasn't fighting!
Nathan Ross
