Rome's Northern Frontier AD 70-235: Beyond Hadrian's Wall (Fortress)
by Nic Fields
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Book Summary Information
Author: Nic FieldsBrand: Osprey Publishing
Illustrator: Alina Illustrazioni
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-10
ISBN: 1841768324
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Book Reviews of Rome's Northern Frontier AD 70-235: Beyond Hadrian's Wall (Fortress)
Book Review: Pretty average
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a fairly average account of the Roman presence in Scotland, with enough small errors to be disappointing. For example the author (Nic Fields) makes the suprising statement that the Antonine Wall was briefly reoccupied and repaired by Septimus Severus and his sons c.208. There is however no archaeological evidence to support this, as David Breeze states in his much better 'The Antonine Wall' (2006) 'There is no indication that the Emperors Septimus Severus and Carcalla paid any attention to the Wall when they crossed it during their campaigns...'.
I found the layout of the text and illustrations confusing as well. The installations that were chosen as case studies were not illustrated, nor was a single ground plan of any of the sites mentioned in the text provided! Instead there were numerous illustrations and artistic reconstructions of sites that were hardly mentioned (if at all) in the main text. For example there are large artistic drawings of Cramond and Inchtuthil - two sites hardly mentioned in the main text and not even located on any of the maps provided! I would have to be wary of the quality of the artistic reconstructions as well, that showing the Antonine wall being constructed incorrectly shows the base layer of stones, instead of showing the well fitted outer kerb stones with a more irregular fitted central mass, all the stones are shown equally well fitted together - definitely incorrect.
Other complaints include the odd placement of photographs. For example 14 photographs of the Antonine Wall and its associated forts appear out of place in the chapters on 'Agricola's northern campaigns' and the 'Gask ridge' and no pictures of the Wall (not a single one!) appears in the appropriate section on 'The Antonine Wall'! There are no photographs of any of the remains of the towers or fortlets of the Gask Ridge, despite their existence and a chapter dedicated to this subject in this book.
I would only recommend this book to someone with a really cursory interest in Roman Scotland and not too fussy about layout or detail. Its only real advantage is that it addresses several frontier systems in one volume (the Gask Ridge and the Antonine Wall) and has numerous illustrations for its size. Much better (and correct) information with better illustrations can be found either online (http://www.theromangaskproject.org.uk/index.html for the Gask ridge) or in other volumes eg - David Breezes book mentioned earlier on the Antonine Wall.
Regards - Dave Essery, www.ancientdave.com
Summary of Rome's Northern Frontier AD 70-235: Beyond Hadrian's Wall (Fortress)
When the Romans first fought against Caledonii during the reign of Agricola (AD 77-84), Agricola established a frontier along the Gask Ridge. He also consolidated the Forth-Clyde isthmus, the location at which the Romans would later build the Antonine Wall from AD 138 to 143. The following 100 years saw a cycle of advance into and retreat from Scotland, until the Romans abandoned the Antonine Wall completely. This book examines the Flavian, Antonine and Severan conquests of Scotland and the fortifications along Rome's northern frontier, and it explores the archaeological remains and places them in historical context.Rome Books
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