The Thracians 700 BC-AD 46 (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Christopher Webber (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: September 25, 2001

Throughout the three centuries before Christ many hundreds of thousands of Thracians, in more than 40 tribes, occupied the area between northern Greece, southern Russia and north-west Turkey. Skilled horsemen, masters of light infantry fighting in broken terrain, and renowned for their ferocity, the Thracians were feared by even the greatest of their contemporaries, who were eager to employ them as mercenaries. After surviving invasions by the Persians, Greeks, Macedonians and Celts, the Thracians were finally conquered by Rome in AD 46. This concise but lavishly illustrated study of their history and material culture includes the results of the latest archaeological research, notably some remarkable tomb paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Christopher Webber was born in Reading in 1961 and lived in the UK, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka before moving to Sydney in 1972. Having gained a number of degrees and diplomas he is currently studying Ancient History at the University of New England, Armindale, NSW and works as a manager of a health computing project. He has visited and assisted at digs on Thracian archaeological sites in Bulgaria. His many interests include writing, creating web sites (he has created a massive web site about the Thracians, their neighbours, and ancestors at http://members.nbci.com/thrace), cycling, singing, bushwalking, and wargaming.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763292
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763293
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Webber grew up in England, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Australia. He has been studying the Thracians part-time for 30 years, participated in archaeological digs in Bulgaria, and visited the region many times. He studied Ancient History at the University of New England, Armidale and is currently working towards his PhD at Sydney University. As well as his books, he has published many magazine and journal articles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful work about an interesting people., January 21, 2006

By 

Red Harvest (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Thracians 700 BC-AD 46 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This is a good, accessible summary work about the Thracians. It packs a lot into a small package. The plates capture a good range of settings and styles.

On the negative side: I have to agree with the other reviewer about the author quoting negative contemporary stereotypes of Thracians as if they were established fact. As the other reviewer noted, the Thracians did not leave behind written accounts to counterbalance. However, the author would have been better served to point this out to more casual readers.

I will recommend this work enthusiastically, with the caution above about relying too heavily on quotes of other cultures about Thrace.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thracian Warriors, March 31, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: The Thracians 700 BC-AD 46 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Excellent introduction to an overlooked people. Masters of all major troop types except heavy infantry, the Thracians were one of Europe's most aggressive warrior peoples, and their mercenary armies got caught up in Classical politics time and again. This book also does a good job of portraying the substantial material wealth of this people. The plates alone are worth the money, being by Angus McBride.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ...they were of great height, with glitering shields..., February 11, 2005

By 

alter idem (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thracians 700 BC-AD 46 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

First of all, I have to commend Osprey for issuing this title before they tackled such better known peoples of antiquity as the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Hitites. I am sure the publishing of this booklet was due to the great success of the "Thracian Gold" travelling exhibition. It is still a welcome addition of starter kits for anyone interested in military history.
Cristopher Webber's text contains some interesting portions on the dress, armour and tactics of this people - something very difficult to find in a compiled form elsewhere. His historical outline, though, suffers from the same biased attitude that most of the historical sources are soaked in. The ancient Greek and Roman writers considered all non-Greek or non-Roman peoples as "barbarian" (one only has to read their descriptions of the Celts) and their lopsided descriptions of those peoples can hardly be taken at face value - especially if the nation in question had no written language. As a comparison, Osprey's Elite Series "The Huns and the Nomad People" is so much more objective in its treatment of its subject! It is surprising to me that Webber would not incorporate a little critical analysis of the ancient writers, apart from him ommitting such facts as the Thracian origins of Spartacus and the Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax. I believe a "chronological outline", like some other Osprey titles, would have been more appropriate. For a more detailed information on the history I suggest other books, like Alexander Fol's "Ancient Thrace" - unfortunately a very difficult book to find (I bought mine in Bulgaria).
Angus McBride's illustrations are, of course, some of the best in the Osprey line-up. One thing I cannot understand is why he almost always have to depict the figures in a battle scene, making it difficult to exhibit more detail. I have always assumed that the color plates are an illustration rather than art work (although this doesn't mean they can't be artistic). Once again I would have to refer you to his splendid plate A in the Osprey's "The Greeks". Of course, my last gripe is that this format only allows for a maximum of 3-4 figures per plate - a far cry from the wealth of information in other Osprey titles.