\"The Complete Roman Legions\"

[Virilis]

Hi!

Any opinions on this book?:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Roman-L..._dp_s_cp_3

[Praefectusclassis]

Ought to be much better, considering the authors, than the slightly older book of the same name...

[Virilis]

Ought to be much better, considering the authors, than the slightly older book of the same name...

Wow, even better than works of Dando-Collins :grin: !

[Alexand96]

All that I know is I picked it up briefly in the bookstore to rifle through it and was not very impressed with the images. I already own Thames and Hudson's "Complete Roman Army" by Goldsworthy, and there really aren't any impressive new images.

HOWEVER, I do have one point of contention/interest to note. There is a large image of a segmentata that looks almost as if it had been created with direct reference to Trajan's Column, and then aged to look period. Although I don't have the book and cannot quote directly atm, I could have sworn that the caption stated, or at least directly inferred, that this exact segmentata was discovered in the Corbridge Hoard...need I say more?

Hopefully, I was just browsing too quickly and I am very mistaken about what the caption stated.

[Praefectusclassis]

I'd say you don't buy this kind of book for the images... 8)

[Virilis]

I'd say you don't buy this kind of book for the images... 8)

Thanks Jasper, I already ordered it. That suits me fine, I don't look at the pics of porn magazines either, just reading the texts ...

[John W Davison]

I read it a few weeks back and found it a perfect antidote to the aforementioned SDC volume of the same name. The volume does not contain any new artwork but there are quite a few photos which did not look familiar to me so I think some of the images are worthwhile. On the text, the Republican and Late Imperial sections are quite short (which I thought was a good thing) as the bulk of the book focuses on the legions of the Principate, where the authors are able to trace long-term unit biographies in more detail.

Structurally, the work clusters the legions into main geographical groupings (Rhine, Britain, Spain etc) although obviously this involves a little subjectivity as some of the units moved around.

It reads well and I especially enjoyed the discussion of the legions with "anomalous" features (Egypt & equestrian prefects, III Augusta & the senatorial proconsul, II Parthica being based in Italy).

By the way, on the subject of new books on the Roman army (and at least these are relatively inexpensive volumes):

1)Bingham's "The Praetorian Guard" is now available. I have not yet read it but one thing I can say (in relation to another recent thread) is that it does not major on the circumstances of the abolition of the guard.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Praetorian-Guard...229&sr=1-1

2) RATers should be aware that "Policing the Roman Empire" is very substantially about Roman military interaction with civilians. Local civilian policing is also covered (mainly in one chapter), but this one is very much a book which is largely concerned with the Roman army's role as "interior ministry troops" or "gendarmerie" (to use modern parlance) within society:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Policing-Roman-E...399&sr=1-1

Regards,
John

[Alexand96]

I'd say you don't buy this kind of book for the images... 8)

They say I'm a "visual learner"...I like to think of myself as "artistically inclined."

[Virilis]

Thanks guys! I am glad to see at last an english general history of the praetorian guard. :-)

[Renatus]

HOWEVER, I do have one point of contention/interest to note. There is a large image of a segmentata that looks almost as if it had been created with direct reference to Trajan's Column, and then aged to look period. Although I don't have the book and cannot quote directly atm, I could have sworn that the caption stated, or at least directly inferred, that this exact segmentata was discovered in the Corbridge Hoard...need I say more?

Hopefully, I was just browsing too quickly and I am very mistaken about what the caption stated.

I am afraid that you are not mistaken. The caption states specifically that it comes from Corbridge and, further, that it is the most famous example of its type. It is things like that that make one doubt the scholarship of the whole enterprise.

[Nathan Ross]

It is things like that that make one doubt the scholarship of the whole enterprise.

I suspect it might be that the authors of the text were not responsible for the images or the production of the book as a whole.

Heretical as it might seem, I do wonder what the point of a book like this is. This is general information, after all, of the sort readily available on the internet (Livius, even Wikipedia, have decent legion and general Roman military histories). The pictures used in this book are mostly taken from elsewhere (and if the segmentata is anything to go by, perhaps not very wisely selected). Connolly's old pictures get another airing - they're very good, but very seen-before too. Not sure what this book adds really, beyond a print corrective to certain less sober recent publications...

[Alexand96]

HOWEVER, I do have one point of contention/interest to note. There is a large image of a segmentata that looks almost as if it had been created with direct reference to Trajan's Column, and then aged to look period. Although I don't have the book and cannot quote directly atm, I could have sworn that the caption stated, or at least directly inferred, that this exact segmentata was discovered in the Corbridge Hoard...need I say more?

I am afraid that you are not mistaken. The caption states specifically that it comes from Corbridge and, further, that it is the most famous example of its type. It is things like that that make one doubt the scholarship of the whole enterprise.

Yes, I was very shocked to see this, and almost immediately put it down. I understand what you say as well Nathan, that it might not be the authors themselves responsible for images/layout etc., but you are right - what more does this work of "general history" have to add to what is freely available online?

[Graham Sumner]

I have a Time Life book from a few years back entitled 'What Life was Like When Rome Ruled The World'. The same picture of the armour appears in there too, although it say's it is a replica.

If it is a movie prop I am not sure from what movie.

Graham.

[Virilis]

Hopefully the text itself is useful, I have already ordered the book :whistle: ...

[Renatus]

I suspect it might be that the authors of the text were not responsible for the images or the production of the book as a whole.

In lavishly illustrated books like this, the quality of the illustrations and the accuracy of the captions can be almost as important as the text. Others will know the answer to this better than I but can an author insist upon having some control over the choice of illustrations and the wording of captions to ensure that the value of his or her work is not diminished by the incompetence of a picture editor?