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Warfare in Antiquity: History of the Art of War, Volume I Paperback – February 1, 1990

by Hans Delbrück (Author), Walter J. Renfroe Jr. (Translator)
4.5 out of 5 stars 19 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Series: Warfare in Antiquity
  • Paperback: 604 pages
  • Publisher: University of Nebraska Press; Revised ed. edition (February 1, 1990)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 080329199X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0803291997
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #487,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsAudacious Revisionist History- From the 19th Century!
By Jonathan Leybovich on December 11, 2000
Format: Paperback
Hans Delbruck's "Warfare in Antiquity" is an amazing critical history. Amazing not only because of the startlingly original conclusions it draws, but also because, in the 100+ years since it was written, it still remains the best examination of the practice of ancient warfare.
Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Delbruck, being a Prussian military officer, can instantly sniff out absurdities in the sources that most other historians just credulously accept. The best example of this is Polybius' description of Roman pre-cohort battle formations. According to Polybius, a legion would be arranged in checkerboard fashion so that, during crucial moments in the battle, rear lines of fresh troops could advance and continue the fight while soldiers in the front would withdraw to recuperate. More conscientious historians (see Osprey's "Armies of the Carthaginian Wars") have at least tried to address the problem of why an enemy wouldn't just pour through the gaps in the front line and attack the Romans in the flanks. Only Delbruck has been brave enough, though, to abandon any attempt to reconcile this fanciful description with military reality and argue that, instead of a fighting formation, Polybius' checkerboard square instead describes a pre-battle MARCH formation.
This is only one example of how Delbruck persuasively challenges classical warfare's conventional wisdom.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsFinally someone who set the record straight
By Rodrigo Fenton on April 16, 2001
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I have been reading both BH Liddel Hart's book on Strategy and JC Fuller's "Military History of the Western World" at the same time as Delbruck. While the first two books may be more valuable for someone searching a overview of ancient struggles, Delbruk's book shines in the description of ancient warfare.

Delbruk is brave enough to argue and discard many things that historians bypass or take as true, like the supposed numerical superiority of the Persians in their conflicts with the Greeks and Macedonians, the true use of elephants in battle or the way the ancient Roman maniples were an improvement to the phalanx. He practically rewrites many battles (Marathon, Salamis, Issus, Zama, Alesia), discarding absurd notions and finding a logical interpretation for the flow of the battle that would explain the outcome. I my opinion, he describes these battles much better than most other authors I've read (Including Herodotus himself).

As noted by other reviewers, you should have a general idea of the general history of the conflicts and their outcome, because Delbruk only discusses pure military aspects and not the background. This is not a book for beginers.

If you ever felt that the overwhelming numerical superiority of barbarian armies was a gross exaggeration or that Roman tactics seem absurd when explained by non-military historians, you MUST get this book.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA Rare Look at the Truth of Historical Warfare
By James Richard C. on January 17, 2000
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I stumbled upon this book several years ago while doing research for a computer game concerning ancient warfare and was simply stunned by Delbruck's insights. He lays bare the truth behind the myths we've all grown up believing, and the result is something of an expose, providing such startling conclusions as the fact that the Greeks actually outnumbered the Persians at the battle of Marathon!
While much of Delbruck's writing seems to fly in the face of accepted convention, he does such a masterful job of backing up his conclusions with hard facts and indisputable logic that one is rapidly converted to his way of thinking. These books are a rarity in a society that still takes ancient history at face value: Delbruck digs deep to find the truth, and as a result these works (the entire series is fantastic) are vital reading for anyone interested in truly understanding the history of warfare. I can't reccommend these books highly enough.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA fantastic book on late Roman military history
By A Customer on July 11, 2000
Format: Paperback
If you are passionate about history or military history, and if you are keen to understand how the powerful Roman civilisation transitioned to a European feudal society, then this book is for you.
Hans Delbruck writes at the end of the 19th century and follows the steps of other excellent German historians such as Mommsen. The book, though, could well have been written yesterday. Delbruck's erudition is simply incredible, and the author's intimate knowledge of ancient languages, including old German, allowed him to systematically cross-check what little remains of manuscripts written between the 3rd and 6th century AD.
For the reader, the most enjoyable aspect of the narrative is perhaps that it goes right down to a level of details rarely seen in a history book. Following Delbruck's thread of reasoning you can well imagine how Roman legions lived and fought, and how German tribes were socially organised. You can also easily understand the process by which these formidable Roman legions slowly dissolved and how the German political, social and military systems progressively took over in the course of four centuries.
The topic itself is extremely complex, not least because of the scarcity of reliable contemporary testimonials. The legends and exagerated tales of huge German hordes crossing the Rhine to destroy a flourishing civilisation are nowadays so entrenched in our Western culture that it takes the patience and intelligence of someone like Delbruck to disentagle the facts.
Finally, be warned that this is no historical romance. Delbruck's style is as dry and precise as Germanic scientific litterature can be, and each section is followed by an Excursus in which the author argues around alternative theories.
Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsfor maps, and for easier reading, see Richard A. Gabriel's books

From "Soldiers & Ghosts- A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity," (2005), by J. E. Lendon, Bibliographical Notes, on page 394, "Frustratingly perverse but a... Read more

Published 12 months ago by bowonwing
5.0 out of 5 starsMilitary History revised

An excellent account of warfare in the ancient world, succinct yet informative. An essential guide complementing the existing works of the period in addressing the basic logistical... Read more

Published on March 15, 2012 by Denny H
4.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant in basics yet errors greatly in advanced statements of...

Warefare in Antiquity Volume I: Five stars.
A brilliant reworking of the figures for military sizes in antiquity. Read more

Published on September 21, 2010 by Jack Bert
4.0 out of 5 starsVery good, but a bit hard to read

The book is not just a window to the Ancient World military history but also to the scholar writing of late 18th Century. Read more

Published on September 8, 2009 by Captain Spider
5.0 out of 5 starsOne word: Unmatched.

I've lost count of the number of books that I have read on ancient warfare, especially those featuring Hannibal and/or Caesar and accepted most that they were realistic reporting... Read more

Published on November 29, 2007 by Anthony Bates
3.0 out of 5 starsImpressive (with some reservations)

The debate over the accuracy of Delbruck's revisionist approach to historical battle accounts aside, Warfare in Antiquity is an impressive effort by a meticulous author. Read more

Published on March 1, 2003 by Arthem
5.0 out of 5 starsDelbruck's Logical approace to Military History is perfect.

This book and its sister volumes are a must have for any serious or amature historian. He is methodical in the extreame in fully backing up the conclusions he reaches. Read more

Published on September 19, 2002 by Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsinteresting, but I would'nt take it too seriously.

While Delbruck does offer some interesting theories, his scheptic attitude toward Roman historians, ie Livy, while not to be taken too literally, does offer some merit. Read more

Published on August 22, 2002 by mike esposito
4.0 out of 5 starsNarrow, Ethnically Biased ... Great

Splitting the classical era into two separate volumes was an ingenious move. Delbruck allowed himself enough room to explore the downfall of the Roman Empire (and clear up some... Read more

Published on June 26, 2002 by Glenn McDorman
5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant

Delbruck's four volume History of the Art of War is both the first modern approach to military history and one of the best. Read more

Published on June 26, 2002 by Glenn McDorman

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