Caesar (Paperback)

by Theodore Ayrault Dodge (Author) "CAESAR'S legion was more like the Greek phalanx than like the legion of the Second Punic War..." (more)
Key Phrases: mural hooks, intervals between cohorts, lesser camp, Cisalpine Gaul, Asia Minor, Mark Antony (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Gallic campaigns firmly established Julius Caesar as one of the greatest commanders of all time. In this history, Theodore Dodge, one of the only military historians to have visited every one of the great general's known battlefields, makes full use of other chronicles and supplements them with his insightful descriptions of the battles. 253 illus.

About the Author

Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Ayrault Dodge (1842–1909) served in the New York volunteer infantry during the Civil War. His books include Alexander, Hannibal, The Campaign of Chancellorsville, A Bird's Eye View of Our Civil War, Gustavus Adolphus, Cesar,and Napoleon (in four volumes).

Product Details

• Paperback: 818 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306807874
• ISBN-13: 978-0306807879
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive Detail On Caesar & Roman Arms., May 20, 1999

By A Customer

In his typical simple & clear substantial style of prose Dodge presents the history of Roman arms & details Caesar's campaigns in impressive & compelling manner.He begins by the changes that took place during the time of Marius from the 2nd Punic War,highlighting then to the life of Caesar & effortlessly narrates his campaigns.His analysis of Ceasar' personality & military skill & with his comparison of the man & his other fellow greats in military antiquity Hannibal & Alexander make some very moving reading,none the least to say truly inspiring.Dodge is one of the greatest military historians ever,& in the case of this book he has travelled to all the battle sites Caesar was involved in,giving more soundness & validity to his account.All of his books are definitely recommended.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How the West Was Won, October 10, 2001

By	Matherson (New York) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

You will enjoy Dodge's grand study of Caesar's military career once you accept its central premise: this is "purely" a military study. Dodge NEVER strays into either a description of the political scene, and is loathe to render moral judgments. This may be occasionally frustrating: the Egyptian sojourn, for instance, is merely a lesson on why a general should not separate himself from his main legion. Cleopatra is little more than a marginal note. The clashes with Pompey, and the fateful decision to cross the Rubicon, are purely a matter of assessing the strengths and dispositions of the competing legions. Once or twice, Dodge will stray from his pedantic terms of reference, for example, he joins many others in condemning Caesar's cruel and dastardly massacre of around 430,000 German tribesfolk during the Conquest of Gaul. But Dodge - like any good West Point man of the c.19th - is far more interested in the engineering feats, of fording and bridging rivers, of marching armies vast distances in a day, of fortifying camps, of digging trenches and of building elaborate siegeworks. In this respect, Dodge's study is methodical and brilliant.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a worthy addition to your library!, February 3, 2000

By	Caius Fabius "caiusfabius" (Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

I use this as a reference work, but it is also written on a level where I can offer it to people with only a basic interest in Caesar, Rome or Ancient Warfare. A must for ancient's wargamers, historians and students of military history. There have been conflicting opinions, but this work is well worth the reading. If you came here looking for a good work on Caesar's military, or the Roman Army of the 50's BC, buy this one!