Roman Artillery (Shire Archaeology) [Paperback]

Alan Wilkins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Shire Archaeology | Publication Date: March 4, 2008

After examining the Greek origins of torsion-powered catapults, this book describes the machines used from the time of Caesar onwards, their dominance in the warfare of the western world for over a thousand years, and their importance in the history of technology.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alan Wilkins read Classics at Cambridge University, specialising in ancient history and archaeology. He has excavated on Roman military and civilian sites in Britain and was a field assistant to Sir Ian Richmond. He has publishsed and field-tested updated reconstructions of the Roman army's catapults based on his revised versions of the Greek and Latin artillery texts and the latest archaeological finds of catapult parts. The giant 'ballista' featured in the BBC programme 'Building the Impossible' was based on his new edition of Vitruvius' Latin text.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Shire (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074780575X
• ISBN-13: 978-0747805755
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.2 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,809,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Excellent Information in a small book!, January 11, 2011

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DaChipmunk - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Roman Artillery (Shire Archaeology) (Paperback)

For its size, compared to the vast majority of other books on siege engines and authentic Greek and Roman Artillery you get a lot in this book. Personally I am very grateful to have it. (I've been involved with archery since the late 1950's, been a member of the National Archery Association, National Field Archery Association, several clubs and a university team, an archery instructor, a medieval re-enactor in several groups over almost 30 years, and am now a member of the Society of Archer-Antiquaries. I hope to build a reasonably authentic Roman scorpion myself and have been doing research on the subject very similar to Mr. Watkins. I am however a disabled craftsman with serious neuro-muscular problems. But you still love what you always loved.)

I've seen Alan Watkins demonstrate his reproductions on television and was impressed enough to look for him on the internet hoping he had a website. I did find and buy this book and the research he did is compiled from many primary sources. It really is exceptional. (I have a large majority of the same primary sources myself.)

He has been very thorough and the book is packed with photographs and drawings of often measured artifacts, partial plans and excellent explanations. There is a very useful first rate bibliography and a great listing of relevant museums. He has picked the best of the current evidence that is useful and put it in one tome. In many regards this little book is a wonderful introduction and starting place for anyone getting into the study of the subject. If you locate those same resources and compare them to what's in this little book you will be very aware of what a great job he did compiling them as clearly as possible in the size limitations of a Shire book. I really hope he enlarges on what's here in a bigger book because I would love to build copies of his machines but I suppose publishing complete plans of a modern interpretation might open someone to litigation since these weapons are inherently dangerous and skills and common sense vary widely with those likely to build from them.

While there is no complete set of plans for a Roman scorpion or ballista the basis for building them is more clearly explained here than the ancient Romans who give you ratios related to skein sizes to work with to develop your plans from. Mr. Watkins uses these too - but he explains them more fully and includes projectile sizes and discusses the advancements in the designs of the machines over time.

DaChipmunk's Husband