12-22-2012, 12:15 AM
My copy finally arrived today so this is just a first impression.
The book is very attractive, packed with illustrations and photographs. Many of the photographs will probably be familiar and a lot of use is made of Victorian paintings.
For those of you like myself who may have been looking for some new research in particular with regard to clothing, the book will be a huge disappointment. Almost all of the re-constructions are derived from Osprey books or artwork by Peter Connolly. For example all of the naval troops are copied from the Osprey book on Roman Naval Forces. Similarly the late Roman-Byzantine troops are clearly all based on the books by Timothy Dawson.
It is easy to spot the artworks based on paintings by Angus McBride. It is almost fair to say that they are McBride paintings brought to life if that is the correct way to describe them. Some are so similar to the original Osprey artwork one could wonder if it even raises issues of copyright!
Three illustrators have been used all using computer generated images and the standard varies. The better ones look like exceptional paintings while the others look like photographs of modern people with varied quality of kit pasted onto them. I recognise some familiar faces including Paul Karremans twice and even the model from one of the Indian armour catalogues.
Seeing my own artwork given this treatment is a bizarre experience but I suppose imitation is a form of flattery as they say.
What is sadly a major disappointment is that there is no bibliography but basically as I have said the artworks all derive from Osprey's Roman books or Peter Connolly's 'Greece and Rome at War'.
Therefore one can only say at this moment in time without reading the text that if you do not have any Osprey Roman books then this book will save you a lot of money.
Graham.
The book is very attractive, packed with illustrations and photographs. Many of the photographs will probably be familiar and a lot of use is made of Victorian paintings.
For those of you like myself who may have been looking for some new research in particular with regard to clothing, the book will be a huge disappointment. Almost all of the re-constructions are derived from Osprey books or artwork by Peter Connolly. For example all of the naval troops are copied from the Osprey book on Roman Naval Forces. Similarly the late Roman-Byzantine troops are clearly all based on the books by Timothy Dawson.
It is easy to spot the artworks based on paintings by Angus McBride. It is almost fair to say that they are McBride paintings brought to life if that is the correct way to describe them. Some are so similar to the original Osprey artwork one could wonder if it even raises issues of copyright!
Three illustrators have been used all using computer generated images and the standard varies. The better ones look like exceptional paintings while the others look like photographs of modern people with varied quality of kit pasted onto them. I recognise some familiar faces including Paul Karremans twice and even the model from one of the Indian armour catalogues.
Seeing my own artwork given this treatment is a bizarre experience but I suppose imitation is a form of flattery as they say.
What is sadly a major disappointment is that there is no bibliography but basically as I have said the artworks all derive from Osprey's Roman books or Peter Connolly's 'Greece and Rome at War'.
Therefore one can only say at this moment in time without reading the text that if you do not have any Osprey Roman books then this book will save you a lot of money.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
