Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313 (Elite)
by Ross Cowan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ross CowanBrand: Osprey Publishing
Illustrator: Adam Hook
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-07-24
ISBN: 1846031842
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Book Reviews of Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313 (Elite)
Book Review: Easily digested treatment of a complicated subject
Summary: 4 Stars
Any student of any facet of military history probably is familiar with Osprey's various series on campaigns and battles, military units, and military uniforms and equipment through history. One reason they remain popular is that they're heavily illustrated, both with photographs and with line drawings and (especially) color paintings. The author focuses here on the tactics of the legion as developed during the late Republic and the early Empire, beginning with the Jugurthine War and ending with the last major encounter between one legion and another, near Adrianople (site of the great confrontation between the Goths and the Eastern Empire two generations later). Other than Julius Caesar's writings, sources for Roman military training and combat methods during this period are scarce. Cowan describes the change from emphasis on maniples to the larger cohort, the complex nature of the Roman command structure (which had to deal with Republican politics), and innovations in battle formations. Certain legionary maneuvers became standardized, and, in fact, it might seem impossible to us that the same maneuvers still could be successful over such a long period of time and still surprise the enemy. Things also could get interesting when two talented Roman commanders faced off with essentially the same tactics, such as Caesar and Pompey at Pharsalus in 48 BC. Cowan does a very respectable and concise job, managing not to be become dauntingly technical in his presentation of a naturally technical subject. On the other hand, he tends to avoid the military theory which lay behind the tactics.
Summary of Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313 (Elite)
The book clearly explains and illustrates the mechanics of how Roman commanders - at every level - drew up and committed their different types of troops for open-field battles. It includes the alternative formations used to handle different tactical problems and different types of terrain; the possibilities of ordering and controlling different deployments once battle was joined; and how all this was based on the particular strengths of the Roman soldier. Covering the period of "classic" legionary warfare from the late Republic to the late Western Empire, Ross Cowan uses case studies of particular battles to provide a manual on how and why the Romans almost always won, against enemies with basic equality in weapon types - giving practical reasons why the Roman Army was the Western World's outstanding military machine for 400 years.
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