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On amazon.com I found news of a brand new book by Stephen-Dando Collins entitled "Ceasar's Legion: the epic saga of Julius Ceasar's elite 10th Legion"<br>
Has anyone else noticed it or has plans to get it?<br>
Ever read anything by this author? <p></p><i></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
I haven't seen this book yet, though I'll be looking for it. Actually, I had this idea a few years back, & spent quite a bit of time researching the tenth. But, I concluded that there just wasn't enough material available to fill 150 pages or so without a whole lot of speculation the sources wouldn't justify (to my satisfaction, at least). I see this book is 300+ pages! I'll be interested to see just how he handled it.<br>
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jjh <p></p><i></i>
I forgot to add to the last that I notice Barnes & Noble has this title for a little less than amazon (as usual). And Half.com has it for still less. In case anyone is looking to buy it.<br>
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jjh <p></p><i></i>
It's hard to tell if this is just a general history of the Tenth, or some sort of historical fiction.<br>
I would like to have a better understanding of the extent the final incarnation of X Fretensis is linked historically and traditionally to Caesar's X Equestris and the later X Gemina, and if some form continuity existed through these incarnations other than the number. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/uthecaesarionsection.showPublicProfile?language=EN>The Caesarion Section</A> at: 2/22/02 8:48:54 am<br></i>
Hey guys,<br>
<br>
I actually had this book in my hand the other day, but opted to buy "The Punic Wars", by Nigel Bagnell instead. As I was leafing through the book on the 10th, it looked like a very descriptive story based on the 10th's service under Caesar. It didn't have any dialogue, I guess it was more of a narrative. But, I read a few bits and pieces here and there in the book to get a feel for it, and it sounded pretty good, if not 100% accurate, it sounds like a good read.<br>
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<p>Tiberius Lantanius Magnus<BR>
CO/Optio,<BR>
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix"<BR>
(Matt)</p><i></i>
There is no connection between X Fretensis and Caesar's X Equestris (except that they likely faced eachother across the bay at Actium). A few inscriptions from the early Principate refering to 'Legio X Equestris Gemina', however, seem to pretty much seal the lineage there. All in all, Keppie's analysis of the links between the legions of the Triumvirate and those of Augustus seem to hold up well.<br>
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Best,<br>
<br>
John<br>
<p></p><i></i>
I bought this book last month and wish I had my money back. 3/4 of it is history of the Gallic Wars and the Civil Wars, slanted from a 10th Legion perspective. The last part of the book follows the history of X Fretensis NOT X Gemina. Why? Because X Fretensis is mentioned in the history books while X Gemina is not. There are also numerous errors in this last section. III Augusta in the Jewish revolt instead of III Gallica, VI Victrix instead of VI Ferrata, and other errors that just had me shaking my head. It called into question the rest of the book and it was hard to decide what was real and what he simply made up. <p></p><i></i>
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Not worth paying full price for!<br>
Many problems, from confusing the various Legions who were given the number "X", with neglecting or explaining away contemporary sources that don't fit with the author's theories, and with creative history used to fill in the gaping holes in the main theory without making any difference between the solid sources and the additional bits.<br>
Buy this on the remainder rack.<br>
Yep, he doesn't really think there really was a separate LEG X FRETENSIS, the tiles and records must be wrong.... <p>"Just before class started, I looked in the big book where all the world's history is written, and it said...." Neil J. Hackett, PhD ancient history, professor OSU, 1987</p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
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yers I was given this one, 18 months ago...............<br>
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very amusing.......<br>
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next time I read it, I'll make sure I have a pencil handy <p><img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.martin/AUXILIA/icon.gif" width="46" height="65" align="right">
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That book sucks. For instance he only used english sources and thinks that legio VI ferrata was named so because of the introduction of the segmentata in the 40's AD....You cannot do proper academic research on the 10th legion Gemina leaving all the german and french and spanish literature out.<br>
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The whole book is filled with errors and he spend 30(!) years of research in it.<br>
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This book is not a compliment to our unit<br>
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Ursinius<br>
optio LXG <p></p><i></i>
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This is the first I have heard of this author. I picked up Stephen Dando-Collins, *Caesar's Legion* (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002), the other day at Borders... I have found the sections I have scanned "interesting." I am in process of thinking out a review to submit to the RMRS's next issue of the "Cornu."<br>
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I am not happy with this book. Not because of the assertions he makes that fly in the face of "received wisdom," but because of his appalling lack of a serious academic approach to the subject to explain his assertions. I just had the pleasure of sitting through an explanation by Peter Connelly this summer as to why he thinks the pilum heads were NOT malleable, and I find his arguemments convincing, so I am not adverse to taking on new ideas about the Roman army. Dando-Collins tells us he has worked hard to make his book "accessable" and hence he has "translated" (my word) the ranks of Tribune and above to Colonel and various shades of General Officer -- as if! I suspect that the unforgiveable lack of footnotes (or endnotes) to explain his assertions is also to make it more "accessable."<br>
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For example, Dando-Collins asserts that Augustus retained twenty-eight legions after the Civil Wars. OK, most agree with that. But he tells us they were numbered sequentially from "I" to "XXVIII" but gives no substantiation for this at all (pgs. 269-71). Likewise, he asserts it was the 19th, 25th and 26th that were lost in the "Clades Variana," when accepted scholarship shows it was almost surely the 17th, 18th and 19th. I would also add that, as already noted, Dando-Collins' suggestions for the source(s) and/or meaning(s) for many titles are fanciful at best and laughable at worst.<br>
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In sum, as the bulk of the book seems to be little more than a highly readable retelling of Caesar's Commentaries, the book may well be worth a bit more than the price of a remaindered item --- for the casual reader. For someone interested in serious scholarship (as I was) it is a waste of your resources. <p>==========================================<BR>
"If there's one thing we don't want to see, it's Americans fighting Americans. I won't stand for it, not here, not anywhere." Sergeant Frank Tree, 10th Armored Division, Saturday, 13 December 1941... a little after 0701 hrs... somewhere near Santa Monica, Calif.</p><i></i>
Duane C. Young, M.A.
Nighthawk,<br>
Could you ltell us why Peter Connolly believes that the heads of the Pila were not malleable? I asked you the question on the military/archeology site, please respond there. thanks <p></p><i></i>
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