Reading Group--Caesar's Legion

[Darklance]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7575633/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-7283552-5806331

That one different?

 

[mmadsen]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840650044/

That one different?

That link points to an edition I've never seen before -- different cover from the paperback I own and the hardback I saw in the store, and British spelling of the subtitle (War and the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome).

A quick look at the reviews on Amazon reveals: "This book has exactly the same text as the Illustrated Encyclopedia of ancient warfare by the same author, but there are no illustrations. If you can spare a few more bucks, by the illustrated version: it has a wealth of battle maps, color plates and other illustrated material which makes this text-only version pale in comparison, although it is still quite informative."

Frankly, I found the wonderful illustrations, maps, and other graphics -- and their captions -- far more informative than the text. Get the illustrated version.

 

[Rashak Mani]

This Classical Warfare seems nice... should I be in the B&N site and not over here ? How strongly do you recommend it ? Dollar is so high these days... Cheap price thou....

Anyother books I should take a look at ?

 

[mmadsen]

Any other books I should take a look at?

Again, I highly recommend Warfare in the Classical World by John Warry -- especially at US$9 -- and Greece and Rome at War by Peter Connolly -- even at US$35. Once you've read those, I suppose you can go straight to Caesar and other ancient authors.

 

[mmadsen]

Chapter VIII -- Broken Promises

Between mid-January and mid-March, recruiting officers were busy for Caesar in Italy. Males of military age were drafted in the thousands into thirteen hastily created new legions. Another two legions would be created the following winter for service in the Balkans. These fifteen new legions were named the 21st through the 35th.

Fifteen new legions? That's almost 100,000 men! (OK, 15 x 6,000 = 90,000.) They're all green and unseasoned, but, man, those Romans know how to run a recruiting drive!

 

[Rashak Mani]

What about other periods of military history... ? What would the best recomendations be ? Cost benefit in mind of course. I have read many general books... but havent gone into much detailed reading yet.

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

"Chapter VIII -- Broken Promises
Between mid-January and mid-March, recruiting officers were busy for Caesar in Italy. Males of military age were drafted in the thousands into thirteen hastily created new legions. Another two legions would be created the following winter for service in the Balkans. These fifteen new legions were named the 21st through the 35th."

I just love this! Can you imagine all of the troops? And here it is, too,--it didn't exhaust their population, either. They raised these new armies *EASILY* That is why I have always been amazed at the Romans. They conquered, and they won--because they had a professional war-machine that was organized into a system. Their enemies never did really adopt anything like it, and it is in large part why the Romans were so successful for century after century.

100,000 troops *snap!* like that! Fifteen new legions! Damn, can Caesar wage war, or what?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Rashak Mani]

Did he set up these new legions around a cadre of some sort ? What about equipment and outfitting of these new units... somehow it involves a lot more than just getting some unemployed poor guys to march off into war.

Certainly a war industry was constantly churning out stuff for the Roman Govt.

 

[mmadsen]

What about other periods of military history... ? What would the best recomendations be ? Cost benefit in mind of course. I have read many general books... but havent gone into much detailed reading yet.

SHARK posted an extensive list over on the Mass Combat: Military Tactics Old and New thread.

 

[mmadsen]

What about equipment and outfitting of these new units... somehow it involves a lot more than just getting some unemployed poor guys to march off into war. Certainly a war industry was constantly churning out stuff for the Roman Govt.

That is an interesting point, Rashak Mani. It's one thing to find 100,000 young men looking for adventure; it's another to arm them all. That's a lot of lorica hamata...