11-04-2006, 01:01 PM
It's a nicely produced book, well illustrated with original photographs and the text is sound. (It could probably have done with more than one map, though: the attempt to show the growth of the Roman empire over 400 years on a single map is not really successful.)
It has been criticised for lack of references, but there is a large "Further Reading" section at the back. Equally, it can be criticised on details -- e.g. from my own field of siege warfare: on p.93, he states that the earthworks at Woden Law are Roman siege lines, but this is no longer thought likely; and the diorama of Masada on pp.190-191 has the Roman camps/forts all the wrong shapes, for some reason.
But if you have no other book about the Roman army, then I'd recommend this one.
It has been criticised for lack of references, but there is a large "Further Reading" section at the back. Equally, it can be criticised on details -- e.g. from my own field of siege warfare: on p.93, he states that the earthworks at Woden Law are Roman siege lines, but this is no longer thought likely; and the diorama of Masada on pp.190-191 has the Roman camps/forts all the wrong shapes, for some reason.
But if you have no other book about the Roman army, then I'd recommend this one.
