Roman Body Armour by H & J Travis

[mcbishop]

Meh, I think I'll be avoiding this book, from what I've read here. Thanks for the discussion so far!

Which is exactly why I dislike reviews (academic or otherwise) so intensely. If you are serious about studying, displaying, or talking about Roman armour then you need to read this book. You may not agree with everything (or even anything!) in it, but then I don't agree with a lot of what is in Lindenschmit, Couissin, or Robinson, but this is how the academic process works. Knowledge builds upon knowledge. Dismissing a book just because others don't like it, are lukewarm about it, worry about wrist bracers, dislike the number of typos etc etc is not to allow your mind to be broadened. Roman children were taught to argue both sides of a case (typical lawyers...) so you need to be familiar with all sides of the interpretation of the evidence. For example: we don't know how girth hoops were fastened on Kalkriese segmentata - I offered one explanation in LS1, the Travises, having built a cuirass, offered another; we don't know who is right (well, I do ;-) ) but if a member of Joe Public wanders up to you at an event, sees you in all your kit and assumes you know what you're talking about, and then proceeds to ask you how girth hoops on Kalkriese segmentata were fastened (and there will always be some little b*gg*r who will), are you in a position to give both sides of the argument? At too many re-enactment events I have been to I wince when I hear things stated as categorical fact when what is actually being offered is supposition or factoid. It may be inconvenient that we do not have nice pat answers to everything, but that is the way of things in archaeology and ancient history (both of which disciplines nuzzle each other uncomfortably in the sack of re-enactment).

End of rant. hock: Now buy/beg/borrow (but don't steal) the book, read it, and then by all means disagree with it, but if you are a re-enactor who wears mail/scale/segmentata and expect to be asked questions by those who are not so knowledgeable, that is the very least you can do.

And don't get me started on book designers. Did I ever tell you about the colour plate section in B&C1?.... :roll:

Mike Bishop
(who still thinks a preview button is essential)