Customer Reviews

For the Glory of Rome: A History of Warriors and Warfare

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Informative without being pedantic, light enough for pleasurable reading but by no means fluff, For the Glory Of Rome brings to life the Roman legionnaire in a fresh and exhilirating way. The author describes Roman military men as both soldiers and warriors, by no means always the ant-like disciplined troops as they are so often portrayed. Single combat, the "unofficial" rules and specific episodes, brings the participants to life worthy of the great illustrations, graphic and photographic. Not just the Romans, but their enemies are written with vivid empathy. Tired of wading through Tacitus? This book is the sort of change of pace that can revive flagging interest or spark a new one.

Ross Cowan's FOR THE GLORY OF ROME: A HISTORY OF WARRIORS AND WARFARE provides a survey of the Roman warrior, an analysis of strategy and campaigns, and a survey of the role of single combat in battle. College-level and in-depth collections strong in ancient military history will appreciate the depth of analysis here, which examines individuals and warriors, from their techniques to their motivations in defending the Roman Empire with their lives.

The author gives us a distinct perspective in the military history of the Legions of Rome and that is through the eyes of the soldiers. He confronts the idealized version of the roman legionnaire as perfectly disciplines quasi robotic killing machine and present us men in the flesh with their passions and flaws. The Romans presented were passionate warriors fighting at first for the survival of their city always surmounting great odds until they became the dominant power in the Mediterranean world and ultimately defend the vast empire against mass invasions of Barbarian nations. We are presented in detail with the campiagn of Pyrrhus of Epirus and his surprise at the discipline and valor displayed by the Romans confronting him, the role of single combat in deciding battles, the blood thirst but also the nobler passions such as the self sacrifice of the Roman commanders in order to achieve victory displayed by the Greatest warriors of the ancient world as were the Romans. This is a nice read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.