Roman Body Armour by H & J Travis

[Nathan Beal]

This was posted elsewhere, don't think i have seen mention of it on here.

amberly books

Has anyone seen a copy or a review of it?

N.

[ClaudiaCrisis]

Yes, I've seen it.

[Medicus matt]

Well yes, but you wrote it.

[john roberts]

But that answers the poster's question, doesn't it?

[Medicus matt]

True.

[Dan Howard]

Not really. It is just a summary of the book. I'd like to see a review also since I'm interested in buying it.

Edit: should this thread be moved to the review section?

[Gaius Colletti]

I would love to get my hands on a book like that, does it just cover body armor, or helmets and equipment as well? (naturally I would assume to a lesser degree on the laters)

[Dan Howard]

Not really. It is just a summary of the book. I'd like to see a review also since I'm interested in buying it.

Edit: Should this thread be moved to the review section?

Never mind
http://www.ancient-warfare.org/index.php...&Itemid=40

[ClaudiaCrisis]

Some sample artwork

[ClaudiaCrisis]

Chapters synopsis

[jvrjenivs]

I like the cavalryman. Just ordered a copy and if I'll finish reading it before anyone else on here (which I don't think so) I'll post a review

[Ron Andrea]

Really nice illustrations.

[Nathan Beal]

Well yes, but you wrote it.

Well since we have the author on hand i'll pose my thoughts as more of a question.

It arrived this morning, so i have had chance to review the introduction and run straight ahead to the section on mail (being the thing i do). Must admit the section left me mildly confused, perhaps the authors can help me better understand their approach:

* it looks like the reproduction is butted (maybe i'm wrong) no discussion on riveting techniques is my copy missing something or was the repro intended for use to 'field-test this against various weaponry, with and without any associated padded undergarment' [p75]. Would love to see any unpublished discussion of a simulated riveting process (presumably this was done as timing estimates are proposed later in the section.

* In discussion of medieval mail in the Royal Armouries 'Examples from horse armour, however were frequently found to be simply butt-jointed', would that by any chance be the indo-persian stuff from the oriental gallery or were you thinking roman period mail here?

* This is then used as the basis for speculation that 'if mass producing for low-status legionary or auxiliary use, butt joints may have been used to kit out a large number of men quickly. It is possible in these cases that the individual soldier would gradually replace sections of his armour with patches of more robust riveted mail later' [p75], wondered if there was uncited support behind this or if it was pure speculation as it seemed odd in conjunction with the idea that 'Mail production is a highly specialised craft, and as a consequence requires a specialist toolset' [p80] so i assume i must be missing something here.

Illustrations are very nice, look forward to hearing comments from those who know the other areas covered well as to their thoughts on the other sections.

Regards
Nathan Beal

[sonic]

I'd like to ask if the book covers the army of the Late Empire? A quick look through the synopsis etc. doesn't appear to answer the question.

Ian

[Dan Howard]

This is then used as the basis for speculation that 'if mass producing for low-status legionary or auxiliary use, butt joints may have been used to kit out a large number of men quickly.

This makes no sense to me. By the time you get to the stage of actually making links from the wire, the vast majority of work has already been done. The difference in cost and manufacture time between butted and riveted mail is inconsequential until modern mass production technologies can churn out reels of cheap wire. IIRC every sample of Roman mail that has been properly analysed (i.e. xray analysis) has turned out to be riveted, not butted. On top of that, nobody has ever given a sensible argument why the Romans would have bothered with butted mail. The most common threat was from spears and arrows. Butted mail provides no protection against either of these.