Roman Britain Books - Need advice

[Nerva]

Hi All

Unfortunately our galley was washed up on the shores of Hibernia some years ago, so we're relatively ignorant of what our brothers on the isle of Britannia have been up to.

With such a multitude of books on Roman Britain I'm looking for some advice on what you consider to be worth buying. We have been given a meager educational allowance by the Legate and will have to make it stretch to cover this.

[sulla felix]

Peter Salway's Roman Britain, Professor Frere's Britannia, or the Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain would be top of my list (not sure if any of these are still in print though!).

[Jon Eaton]

Try 'An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire 54 BC - AD 409' by David Mattingly. A good up-to-date read!

[zugislander]

Since you mentioned the Galley ... Roman Britain and the Roman Navy by D.J.P. Mason does a nice job of discussing the various roles of the Classis Britannica. And remember, then as now, not much happened in Briton without the Navy being involved. 8)

By the way, it is always fun to get to spend someone else's money ... legally I mean.

Best wishes.

Michael

[Graham Sumner]

Unfortunately our galley was washed up on the shores of Hibernia some years ago, so we're relatively ignorant of what our brothers on the isle of Britannia have been up to.

With such a multitude of books on Roman Britain I'm looking for some advice on what you consider to be worth buying.

Peter Salway's Roman Britain, Professor Frere's Britannia, or the Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain would be top of my list

I grew up on books like these and back then everything seemed much more simple. Four known Legions of smartly dressed Roman legionaries in red tunics arrived at Richborough in 43 AD and after a couple of years with the odd minor glitch conquered the best parts of Britain which for nearly four hundred years was a happy smiling province of Rome until the same bunch of smartly dressed Legionaries sailed away back to Italy.

Overall the Roman occupation, like the British Empire which was also ruled by the same benevolent civilising types and who coincidentally also had smartly dressed red coated soldiers, was a good thing and after-wards the country sank into a period of oblivion known for evermore as the Dark Ages!

(Echoed in modern history too, because back then Liverpool, who were also smartly dressed in red, were the greatest football team but then like those Saxon devils from the north, Manchester United arrived and even though they dressed in red too the country sank into a second Dark Age!)

Nowadays historians are quick to point out that everything about the above statements is completly wrong, except for the bit about Liverpool and the smartly dressed legionaries in red tunics but only re-enactors carp on about that bit! :wink:

If you read something like Guy de la Bedoyere's book 'Roman Britain' he is quick to point out, repeatedly, that in fact we really know very little about Roman Britain and probably never will find out all the answers.

In addition for some strange reason most documentaries on the Romans are now also presented by archaeologists like Julian Richards, Francis Pryor or Neil Faulkner who tell us the country was better off before and after the Romans were here and that the Romans like all imperialists were also a nasty bunch as well! Even if they were smartly dressed!

Ignorance is bliss. So you might just as well read 'Roman Ireland' by Vittorio Di Martino who believes that many more galleys like yours landed in Ireland ( but not by mistake) and begin a crusade to get Irish archaeologists to investigate all those Roman sites he says are there!

Graham.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Roman Britain, by Guy de la Bedoyere.....not too bad a book in my opinion.

By the way, just found it and the bog book, right under my nose, to anyone I may have moaned to about its loss! :oops: :oops: :oops:

[John Conyard]

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed and sympathised with Graham's account of Roman Britain. One of my son's is currently running around with a Ladybird book with great illustrations of those smart Legionaries.

But I do feel honour bound to point out that between the smart red uniformed legionaries (Liverpool), and the barbarian Saxons (Manchester Utd.) there was a time of colourful, artistic creativity, when warfare was brought to it's highest art form (Arsenal).

[Simplex]

Dear fellow threadmates,
Unfortunately I Do not know the other books, but since I read the Salway, his book surely will get my vote as it made me read it in 1 go.
("No sleep 'till Hammersmith", so to speak)
Now that's what I'd call suspense, Mr. Hitchcock, in'it ?!

Simplex

Siggi K.

..addicted to love ...... (Robert Palmer)
..addicted to books .... (Siggi K.) :wink:

[sulla felix]

But I do feel honour bound to point out that between the smart red uniformed legionaries (Liverpool), and the barbarian Saxons (Manchester Utd.) there was a time of colourful, artistic creativity, when warfare was brought to it's highest art form (Arsenal).

GOONERS 8)

[Graham Sumner]

JOHN CONYARD WROTE:

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed and sympathised with Graham's account of Roman Britain. One of my son's is currently running around with a Ladybird book with great illustrations of those smart Legionaries.

Which reminds me I forgot about the Roads, which in the Ladybird book were wonderful but now the Vindolanda Tablets tell us even the roads were bad!

But I do feel honour bound to point out that between the smart red uniformed legionaries (Liverpool), and the barbarian Saxons (Manchester Utd.) there was a time of colourful, artistic creativity, when warfare was brought to it's highest art form (Arsenal).

You have been reading too many myths John! :wink:

[D B Campbell]

One of my sons is currently running around with a Ladybird book with great illustrations of those smart Legionaries.

Ah, sweet memories ...

[Tarbicus]

when warfare was brought to it's highest art form (Arsenal).

"Quickly nurse, Mr Conyard needs his medication!"

[John Conyard]

I will gratefully accept the medication, while still pointing out the validity of my argument!

[Ceannt]

The GONNERS come back when you have a real sence of tast twisted:

[Robert Vermaat]

People people, back to topic please. 8)