In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Phoenix Press) [Paperback]

Adrian Goldsworthy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Phoenix Press | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Adrian Goldsworthy has received wide acclaim for his exceptional writing on the Roman Empire—including high praise from the acclaimed military historian and author John Keegan— and here he offers a new perspective on the Empire by focusing on its greatest generals, including Scipio Africanus, Marius, Pompey, Caesar, and Titus. Each chapter paints a fascinating portrait of a single general, offering in-depth insight into his leadership skills and victories, as well as each one’s pioneering strategies, many of which are still used today. In the process, this absorbing, reader-friendly history tells the complete story of Roman warfare, from the bitter struggle with Carthage in the 3rd century BC to the last desperate attempt to win back the Western Empire in the 6th century AD. A selection of the History Book Club.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Here is a highly readable compendium of military experience; Goldsworthy knows his material inside out, and he concentrates on key episodes in the campaign of outstanding Roman commanders... This is a rewarding study of the luck and judgement of powerful men, and how they put it to use in the service of Rome's imperium. HISTORY TODAY (Nov 2003) . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His first book, THE ROMAN ARMY AT WAR, was recognised by John Keegan, the general Editor of THE HISTORY OF WARFARE, as an exceptionally impressive work, original in treatment and impressive in style. He has since written five other books, to great acclaim.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753817896
• ISBN-13: 978-0753817896
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Adrian Goldsworthy was born in 1969 in Cardiff. He was educated in Penarth and then read Ancient and Modern History at St. John's College, Oxford, where he subsequently completed his doctorate in ancient history. His D.Phil. Thesis was the basis for his first book, The Roman Army At War 100 BC - AD 200, which looked at how the Roman army actually operated on campaign and in battle.

For several years he taught in a number of universities, and began to write for a wider audience. A succession of books followed dealing with aspects of ancient military history, including Roman Warfare, The Punic Wars (which was later re-issued as the Fall of Carthage), Cannae, In the Name of Rome and the Complete Roman Army. More recently he has looked at wider themes, combining the military focus with discussion of politics and society in a biography of Caesar, and a study of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, titled How Rome Fell (although released in the UK as The Fall of the West). His latest book is a paired biography of Antony and Cleopatra.

He is now a full time writer, and no longer teaches, although he is currently a Visiting Fellow at the University of Newcastle. However, he frequently gives one off lectures and talks both to universities and other groups in the UK, USA, Canada, and Europe. In the last couple of years audiences have included local history societies, graduates and undergraduates in a range of countries, the cadets of VMI, and the distinguished cast of a new production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. He frequently appears as a talking head or presenter in TV documentaries and has acted as consultant on both documentaries and dramas. He will appear in six of the eight episodes of the forthcoming When Rome ruled series for National Geographic. He often appears on radio.

More information can be found on his website - www.adriangoldsworthy.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous, October 30, 2004

By 

T. Warner "SPQR" (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Phoenix Press) (Paperback)

Goldsworthy successfully draws a picture of how Roman generals actually commanded their armies. This book is in similar style to Goldworthy's first book "The Roman Army at War", which covers how the Roman Army actually fought its battles.

Besides the story of individual generals, this book also traces the development of the Roman style of command as it evolved along with changing Roman society. The story starts with Fabius Maximus and Claudius Marcellus who are elected leaders of citizen soldiers in the Second Punic War and ends with Belisarius, a member of the Imperial household, who is general of an army of unruly mercenary cavalry and questionable infantry. A definite "Roman", style of command emerges which Goldsworthy then follows past the end of the Roman world and into modern times through leaders like Gustavus Adolphus, du Picq and especially Napoleon.

The main Roman leaders covered in the book are:

Fabius Maximus (2nd Punic War)
Claudius Marcellus (2nd Punic War)
Scipio Africanus (2nd Punic War)
Aemilius Paullus (Conquest of Macedonia)
Scipio Aemilianus (Numantia)
Gaius Marius (Jugurthine War / Cimbri & Teutones)
Quintus Sertorius (Roman Civil war in Spain)
Pompey the Great (Conquest of the East)
Julius Caesar (Conquest of Gaul)
There is also a chapter on Pompey vs. Caesar in the Civil War.
Germanicus Caesar (Reprisal war across the Rhine after defeat of Varus)
Domitius Corbulo (Armenian War)
Titus Vespasianus (Siege of Jerusalem)
Emperor Trajan (Dacian Wars)
Emperor Julian (Career on the Rhine and in Parthia)
Belisarius (Persian Wars / Battle of Dara)

Goldsworthy also manages to work in many other prominent Roman generals such as Sulla, Lucullus, Agrippa and Paulinus Seutonius.

If you are interested in military leadership, ancient military history or Roman history in general you should read this book.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sound Theory With An Interesting Narrative, May 16, 2005

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Hardcover)

Roman-era expert Adrian Goldsworthy has written an outstanding history of seven centuries of Roman generalship with his latest volume, In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire. This is Goldsworthy's first volume that is focused primarily on individuals, rather than organizational studies of the Roman Army, but he handles the material deftly and brings these characters into sharp focus as individuals, rather than as mere ciphers. Goldsworthy also attempts to divine general lessons about the nature of the Roman command style from the behavior of these generals, many of whom are not well-known to modern readers.

Each chapter in this volume details the career of one or two generals in a given period and the chapters are arranged sequentially, covering the period from the Second Punic War to the 6th Century A.D. Generally, Goldsworthy covers each of these Roman commanders in 25-30 pages as well as providing background material about contemporary conflicts and leaders. It is particularly impressive that Goldsworthy has been able to construct such a rich narrative on these generals, given the fragmentary and incomplete nature of the historical record. The chapters on Sertorius and Corbulo were particularly enlightening. Readers may also note that Goldsworthy's discussion of the Emperor Julian's generalship is far less complementary - although probably more accurate - than some modern accounts that attempt to rank him alongside Julius Caesar.

Goldsworthy disputes the oft-held opinion that Roman generals were military amateurs and instead depicts them as professional public figures who alternated between military, civic and political roles. One of the chief attributes of Roman leaders that Goldsworthy cites is Virtus, the steadfast ability to endure setbacks and to endure until final victory was achieved. Although Roman armies were often defeated, they were rarely demoralized and they usually recovered quickly. While only a few Roman generals were truly gifted soldiers - Scipio Africanus and Julius Caesar being exceptions - most learned how to employ the operational art and tactics that served Rome so well for centuries (unlike modern military leaders, who must constantly update their professional knowledge due to changes in technology and doctrine).

As Goldsworthy notes, Roman generals did not typically participate in close combat, as Greek generals did. Rather, the role of a Roman general on the battlefield was to "serve as a witness to his troops' acts of bravery" and to dispense rewards. Goldsworthy's theory is essentially that Roman troops were primarily motivated by the anticipation of rewards. It is a good theory and certainly one that tracks well with what we know about other armies in history, such as Napoleon's Grande Armee. Goldsworthy also discusses changes in the Roman Army over these centuries, including a greater degree of professionalism and the fact that soldiers became more loyal to their commanders (the one who rewarded them, anyway) than the state. Goldsworthy's hypothesis appears solid and the narrative supports it well. Although readers familiar with Caesar's commentaries, Tacitus and other Roman histories will find few new details here, the skill and clarity with which Goldsworthy weaves together all these accounts into a coherent narrative is truly commendable.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable, intelligent and comprehensive military history, January 13, 2005

By 

BCA Bortignon (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Hardcover)

I am a new-comer to military history, and thought I should start with the Romans, the ancestors of tactical warfare. I am glad I picked up Mr. Goldsworthy's book. By selecting various generals who have influenced or been indicative of some evolution in military/political atmospheres Goldsworthy has created an extremely broad and interesting history stretching from Fabius Maximus in the Second Punic War right up to Belisarius fighting for the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Before delving into their military achievements, Goldsworthy outlines the historical context, as there are many century long jumps or more in later chapters where generals became less influenial (or were not allowed to be by paranoid emperors afraid of being toppled), then gives a brief biography of each general - perhaps too brief for my liking. I would have preferred Goldworthy to extend the book by a couple of hundred pages and hand out some more detailed information and analysis of their lives and times; at present these often one or two page linkages are forgotten by the end of the chapter, and certainly by the end of the book. His writing and research is of a high enough standard for any reader to accept such extensions.

On the plus side - and there are many plus sides - Goldsworthy presents a detailed (as detailed as ancient sources can provide) and comprehensive account of military tactics and concerns which are absolutely fascinating. Contrary to popular belief, battles of the time were not simply two big armies walking in to each other. It was a complicated game of flanking and routing, feints and deception, supply line maintenance and organisation, sieging and recruting.

The maps and diagrams are an excellent addition, though I sometimes wish there was a section dedicated purely to maps of the different discussed periods so I can be at least vaguely aware (even if the location is mostly hypothetical) of the locations of provences, cities and enemy lands - though to be fair there are maps sprinkled throughout the volume, but not nearly enough. On the flipside, the glossary and timeline is invaluable.

After reading and immensely enjoying this book, Mr. Goldsworthy can safely say about military history what Gaius Julius Caesar said about himself over two-thousand years ago: "veni, vidi, vici!"