Ancient Goddesses The Myths and the Evidence by Lucy Goodison

Ancient Goddesses The Myths and the Evidence by Lucy Goodison this is made up of a collection of essays. As the title suggests, it discusses the archaeological evidence for the "mother Goddess". This was the idea that various societies at one time worshiped a goddess to the exclusion of male deities. Supposedly the societies was peaceloving and ruled by women. The essays showed no culture actually had this in practice. The essays discuss areas including the Fertile Crescent, Egypt and Western Europe. Each of the authors is a self proclaimed feminist. Which nicely takes away an argument against the book. Sections concludes with a further reading list. Lots of illustrations of the different artifacts.

Highly recommended!

The Roman Soldier by G. R. Watson

The Roman Soldier by G. R. Watson published in 1985 this book uses a slightly unusual method in describing the roman army of the western empire.  This is done through going through a soldier's experiences from beginnings through retirement.  Most histories deal with this by discussing different ranks separately but Watson believes that this means that, commonalitys are lost.  The usual primary sources are referenced as well as archaeological finds including tombstones and inscriptions.

Recommended.

So given a genuine specimen from the time of Christ the carbon dating does work

Burial cloth found in Jerusalem cave casts doubt on authenticity of Turin Shroud.

Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe by William Rosen

Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe by William Rosen this is one of those attempts to determine the transition point between two eras of history as a title suggests the ancient and medieval. This is done through looking at three different phenomena that took place roughly at the same time during emperor Justinian's reign. These were new techniques in architecture, bubonic plague pandemic and Byzantine campaigns to reconquer Italy. Unfortunately the book gets bogged down in some strange digressions. Rosen talks about arguments for evolution and creationism which really seemed out of place. This could have been made a lot tighter with some judicious editing.

Not recommended.

Roman Forts in Britain by David J. Breeze

Roman Forts in Britain by David J. Breeze short highly illustrated book on well what the title says. Nice amount of information crammed into 64 pages. Explanations are concise. He's willing to admit where there's no information. If you're interested in the topic a must have.

Highly recommended.

History of the Art of War, vol.I Warfare in Antiquity by Hans Delbruck

History of the Art of War, vol.I Warfare in Antiquity by Hans Delbruck this is the 3rd edition originally published in 1920 and translated into English in 1975. Delbruck's massive 4 volume history is famous for its critical analysis of sources and use of modern equivalents. For example in a widely quoted section he points out that the Persian army could not be as large as claimed by Herodotus because it would stretch over hundreds of miles long. He argues that with professionalism came military advantages over adversaries.

One minor frustration is that the book is littered with analogies to current affairs or German history. I would have preferred it if the translator would have provided some explanatory notes. I can understand why he wouldn't want to break up the text but they could have been included in the back of the book.

This is a must-have for anyone serious about military history.

Highly recommended!

Cavalry: The History Of Mounted Warfare by John Ellis

Cavalry: The History Of Mounted Warfare by John Ellis is a heavily illustrated history of fighting on horseback from prehistory through the 1950s. The book is just over 80,000 words with photos drawings and diagrams on nearly every page. The text is a summary so there is a tendency to gloss over certain areas but Ellis hits the high points in a readable style. Each chapter covers an era of history it concludes with a technical note that discusses changes in harnesses, weapons and armor. There isn't just coverage of the West. There's also information on India, China, Africa and a little bit on the native peoples of North America. The bibliography is extensive and contains lots of ideas for follow-up. If you're new to the subject or need a quick refresher like I did this is an excellent book.

Recommended!

Ancient Greek Fortifications 500-300 BC by Nic Fields

Ancient Greek Fortifications 500-300 BC by Nic Fields is yet another Osprey title this one from the Fortress series. I'm not sure if it's a lack of material or what but Fields seemed to have trouble filling the 60 some odd pages. What there is here is a discussion of the construction of the walls around Athens. Then there is material on an outpost. The last section describes a city that was destroyed by the attacker diverting a nearby stream.

I did find it rather strange that in the middle of the narrative there is a digression that discusses climactic battle. That doesn't actually have anything to do with fortifications. The only thing I can figure is that Fields needed to justify the rather scanty information. Or for that matter its padding plain and simple.

Not recommended!

The Fall of the Roman Empire. The Military Explanation by Arther Ferrill

The Fall of the Roman Empire. The Military Explanation by Arther Ferrill lays out his reinterpretation of the collapse of the Western Empire. I first was exposed to this when during my undergrad I did a special project on whether the Roman Empire had a grand strategy. I recently came across a copy and wanted to know if it still held up all these years and books later. I'm happy to say that for the most part it does.

Ferrill argues that there were two major threads of failure in the West, bad decision-making and the absorption of Germanic tactics and equipment in the Roman army. There was also a relaxation of levels of training as well as recruitment that led to Roman military failures.

There's a decent enough summary of the major theories behind Rome's collapse. Some like the lead poisoning idea are mentioned just to make fun of them while others are dealt with more seriously. He also tries to make the case that the Empire in the West actually did in fact fall instead of transitioning into the successor states without any changes.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.

Roman and Native in North Britain edited by I.A. Richmond

Roman and Native in North Britain edited by I.A. Richmond is a chronological look at how the Roman invaders influenced and were influenced by the native Britons. Essays cover the Iron Age through to the collapse of Roman rule in the fifth century. Most of the analysis is based upon politics and warfare. There are occasional references to trade.

Evidence is either archaeological or from primary sources. This book was published 50 years ago so much of the archaeological material is probably been superseded by new discoveries but presumably much of the primary source analysis should still hold up. I was quite surprised to note that some of the secondary sources touched upon had been published within occupied Europe during the second world war.

Mildly recommended.

Is available through AbeBooks.

The Age of Attila by Colin Douglas Gordon

The Age of Attila by Colin Douglas Gordon was originally published in 1960. This book contains translated fragments from ancient historians about the fifth century A.D. Gordon points out that this era of Roman imperial history is particularly lacking in sources the information being broken up between obscure texts. So he provides them grouped into one place. He is solely interested in political and military history which I was quite happy about.

As the title suggests the Hun invasions are central to the events discussed in the book. Particularly interesting were the descriptions of Attila's character. His behavior towards several Roman embassies are enlightening as well as the perception of the Huns by the Romans. There doesn't seem to be much your about battles only their outcomes.

These sources are connected by introductions that give background on chronology and some contextual analysis of the sources. The book concludes with a discussion of dating the sources as well as their authorship. The book gives an excellent illustration of how often so much of what we know about the past is based on very brief material. Always something that historians should keep in mind.

Recommended.

Is available through AbeBooks.

History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian [2 volumes] by J. B. Bury

History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian [2 volumes] by J. B. Bury. This is a narrative of Roman history that spans approximately 395-565. It is written in the grand tradition. I suppose in many respects it helped create this tradition. There is a narrative of events with substantial footnotes that often argue points of analysis as well as provide citations. This is primarily political and religious history with occasional nods towards warfare and the citizens. It was originally published in 1958.

Bury is trying to show that the collapse of the Western Empire was less of a fall then a continuation by the barbarian peoples. They often looked to the Byzantines to provide legitimacy and support. They also continued many Roman traditions both legal and political.

A substantial chunk of the second volume is taken up with the Byzantine conquest of Africa and Italy by the general Belisarius. The descriptions of the military campaigns are pretty good. For once I don't have to quibble about this. More than likely this has to do with the work being published prior to social history rearing its ugly head.

There's quite a bit on church history particularly different theological debates within the Christian Church. There is also a discussion of Justinian's codification of Roman law. Not being an expert I was a little worried going in but the argument is laid out in a way that I could follow.

When reading through something this old the question arises of how much it stands up to modern revision. I still see this referenced in modern works so I presume it has stood the test of time. An important piece on of Byzantine history.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Envy of the Gods: Alexander the Great's Ill-Fated Journey Across Asia by John Prevas

Envy of the Gods: Alexander the Great's Ill-Fated Journey Across Asia by John Prevas is a colorful popular history of the Greek conqueror. What becomes quickly apparent is that Prevas really doesn't care much for Alexander. He considers him to be a megalomaniac. Unfortunately the book contains many of the faults of popular history.

The narrative starts with the Greek seizure of the Persian capital. Prevas says that this was the beginning of the madness that took hold of Alexander. With the seizure the war of revenge against Persia had been successful and it would be possible to break up Alexander's army. He didn't do this because he wanted to take control of the rest of Persia and kill the king. That would give him the authority to rule. Even after this was accomplished Alexander wanted to expand his empire through modern Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. This led to a series of disastrous campaigns for the locals. Only after the mutiny of his army did he turn back.

Much is made of the relationship between Alexander and his Macedonian contemporaries. The tension between Alexander's desire to be treated like an Eastern potentate and God with the traditional ideas of Macedonian leadership and law. The various assassination attempts and reprisals are described in gory detail.

There are some quasi-fictional sections to the narrative that I don't think are supported in any existing source. There's description of palaces and cities which sound like they've been polled right out of a novel. The most colorful stories of Alexander's cruelty and other failings have been trotted out without many provisos about the sources they are drawn from. Not much here from a military history perspective if you are looking for that. Some of the references to current conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan were mildly interesting but were nothing new at least to me.

Not recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

The Generalship of Alexander the Great by J.F.C. Fuller

The Generalship of Alexander the Great by J.F.C. Fuller. This is a classic account of this Greek Empire builder. The narrative is broken up into two sections. The first section is a strategic overview of Alexander's various campaigns. The second portion consists of thematic chapters about tactics, siege craft, Alexander as a politician and his command style. There is quite a bit of material crammed into this book. Fuller certainly did a lot of research. The conclusion attempting to make this discussion relevant to modern decision-makers falls flat. He ends up ranting about World War II which seemed a little out of place.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.

Ruling the Later Roman Empire by Christopher Kelly

Ruling the Later Roman Empire by Christopher Kelly. This is a scholarly look at the Roman empire's bureaucracy in the second and third century AD. Much of the analysis is based upon the writings of a member of the bureaucracy John Lydus. This is supported with inscriptions and occasionally artwork. The corruption built into the system is described. It is argued that by legislating payments to bureaucrats this removed personal relationships out of the equation as well as limited the amount of work that the system had to deal with. There is a substantial section of notes. The writing style is rather uneven the same point is made over and over this tends to be a failing of some academic writing.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Rome's Enemies (2): Gallic and British Celts by Peter Wilcox

Rome's Enemies (2): Gallic and British Celts by Peter Wilcox. This is from a larger Osprey series on Roman enemies. The book tries to cover quite a bit of history which occasionally leads to sweeping generalizations. I would have preferred if it had been broken up into two. That being said there's quite a bit of information on the uniforms, tactics and strategies employed.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

The Army of Alexander the Great by Nick Sekunda

The Army of Alexander the Great by Nick Sekunda. This is a somewhat thin history of Alexander the great's army. The tactics as well as different units are described. Like other Osprey titles much is made of the uniforms of the soldiers. Unfortunately there isn't much material to go on so a lot of the book is based on a couple of sources. When best guesses are made the reconstruction is acknowledged so full points for that. Still it's pretty apparent the author was straining to get to the correct length.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Armies of the Carthaginian Wars by Terence Wise

Armies of the Carthaginian Wars by Terence Wise. Time for another Osprey title. This is a pretty good summary of the equipment and training of both sides of this ancient conflict. Most of the reconstructions are based upon archaeology and educated guesses. Most interesting was a discussion of the Iberians who were used as auxiliaries. I haven't heard much about these before. As usual lots of illustrations and photos.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.

Scythians 700-300 B.C. by E.V. Cernenko

Scythians 700-300 B.C. by E.V. Cernenko is an Osprey title on these nomads of the Russian step. This was originally published in the 1980s. Osprey commissioned and translated the Russian experts text. Since there aren't any existing records by the Scythians themselves it's difficult to describe their history. The reconstruction is done through the accounts of the Greeks and Persians. Most of the book describes archaeological finds particularly scale armor. Naturally with an Osprey title one of the main attractions is the art work which is lovely as usual. I'm sure their have been all sorts of new findings in the last 20 years but this is still a nice introduction.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.



For more ancient history book reviews Take a look at My Ancient History bookshelf.

Famous Welsh battles: Where battles were fought, why they were fought, how they were won and lost by Philip Warner

Famous Welsh battles: Where battles were fought, why they were fought, how they were won and lost by Philip Warner this is part of the larger series on British battlefields. I previously reviewed the offering for the Midlands. The battles covered in this book starts with the conflict with the Romans. The strategies as well as descriptions of the various battles are clear and easy-to-follow. The bulk of the book consists of the various attempts of the English to take control of Wales. The invasion of Edward I is naturally discussed at length. There's also a nice short discussion of fortifications throughout the Middle Ages. The book concludes with the English Civil War battles and a brief mention of the aborted French invasion during the French Revolutionary wars. There are appendices providing excerpts from some primary sources. Strangely they're not in chronological order. There's also reference to ordinance maps [probably out of date this was published in the 1970s] as well as suggestions for visiting the sites. A further reading section would've been nice.

Recommended.