Roman Military Dress [Paperback]

Graham Sumner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0752445766 | ISBN-13: 978-0752445762 | Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Despite the great interest in the Roman Army, particularly in the many re-enactment societies, up until now it has been surprisingly difficult to find out information about the uniforms they wore and the textiles that were used in those uniforms. Graham Sumner’s book redresses this balance, presenting in an informative and accessible way the evidence for the types of clothing utilized by the Roman soldier. With full scale color illustrations drawn by the author, who is an experienced historical illustrator, along with patterns and diagrams of clothing finds and information on the latest archaeological studies, this book provides a comprehensive insight into the development of the Roman soldier’s uniform from the Late Republic to the advent of the Byzantine Empire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752445766
• ISBN-13: 978-0752445762
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roman Military Dress, September 24, 2009

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roman Military Dress (Paperback)

If you are one of the rare individuals who has a particular interest in the clothing of Rome's soldiers, this book is going to be your Bible. And really, anyone with a particular interest in Roman military history in general - especially those reenactors who strive for great accuracy - need to buy this book.

To a point this is a much longer and more thorough version of the three volumes that Graham Sumner published for Osprey's men-at-arms series several years ago. But here in this much larger book he has room to give lengthier discussion and present very nearly all the evidence we have, literary and archaeological, for fabrics, colors, etc.

Even on a visual level this book is a gem - in addition to numerous photographs and line drawings the author presents us with sixteen paintings he has done of Roman soldiers, ranging from the days of the Samnite wars all the way down to the era of Justinian, and these are a beauty to look at besides adding clarity to the actual appearance of Rome's fighting men through the centuries.

This title does much to destroy the overdone stereotype of all Roman legionaries being clad in loricas and red tunics and cloaks - it reveals the diversity of style, fabric, and color that existed in the Roman Army, and the influence other cultures had on Roman dress. I imagine this title would be especially valuable for an artist, reenactor or wargamer needing to get their depictions of Roman clothing as accuracy as possible.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, February 19, 2010

By 

R. N. Sulentic "Reader Bob" (Directly above the Center of the Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roman Military Dress (Paperback)

This is a wonderful work on Roman military clothing. Sumner breaks the subject down into basically six chapters:
1. Tunics
2. Cloaks
3. The Clothing industry (clothing industry and cost)
4. The Clothing indsutry (dyeing industry)
5. Evidence for the color of military clothing
6. Other garments

Sumner ranges from the Republic to the Late Empire, and illustrates the volume copiously with examples of sculpture, painting, artifacts, drawings of artifacts and some reconstructions in color plates.

I expect this will become the reference volume on the subject.