12-13-2012, 11:34 PM
Quote:I greatly enjoyed Simon James' 'Rome and the Sword', published Nov 2011. The book is a military history of Rome, with the development of the sword used as a central focus. James' approach (as with his previous research) is based on modern archaeological t(/T)heories, but what makes his writing especially compelling is that he has an absolutely unromantic view of the Roman military and the Roman empire as a whole. This makes his work a refreshing development from the 'Roman war machine' school of writing used by many other writers hoping to cash in on Rome's glamorous martial reputation - indeed, the volume also serves as a critique of this approach. The book is well referenced and illustrated throughout (although could do with far more colour images).
I also enjoyed this very much. Might have to re-read it if I get the chance. As I remember, very readable - blew through it on the metro in about a week or two.
Alexander
