The Roman Army: The Greatest War Machine of the Ancient World

by Chris McNab

The image of the Roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens - and enemies - of the vast Roman Empire two thousand years ago. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to examine the Roman Army from the first armed citizens of the early Republic through the glorious heights of the Imperial legions to the shameful defeats inflicted upon the late Roman Army by the Goths and Huns. Tracing the development of tactics, equipment and training, this work provides a detailed insight into the military force that enable Rome to become the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

As well as describing the changes in the army over the centuries, The Roman Army also sheds light on the talented men who led these soldiers in battle and the momentous battles fought, including Cannae, Pharsalus, and Adrianople. Illustrated with detailed maps, artwork and photographs, this volume provides a complete reference to the Roman Army from the 8th century BC to the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.

Hardback edition ISBN: 9781849081627

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History, War, Ancient History, European History

280 pages, Paperback

First published June 22, 2010

About the author

Dr Chris McNab has written over a hundred books in a career spanning over two decades. He is a historian with a specialisation in military history.

Reviews

[Myke Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on Roman military organization that I've ever read. It is aimed entirely at those interested in the minutiae of military order-of-battle, arms and equipment, TTPs (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures), marching order, military administration and the other kinds of details that truly give you possession of the subject and an intimate understanding of what it was like to fight for, or against, Rome.

The book even avoids tracking major campaigns or battles, and it cannot be faulted for this. The subject is so enormous that to try to encompass it all in a single volume would produce a book that could dwarf a Brandon Sanderson tome. Because of this totally understandable choice, it's a bit less satisfying, as it sets up the military so brilliantly for the reader, who is left disappointed when the force they've just studied doesn't really go into action the way they'd like.

It is a book clearly aimed at wargamers, monographical deep-diving historians, and (hooray) current and former military service members who are looking to see the roots of their own organizations in the Rome of Romulus, the Republic, or the Emperors. Well worth your time.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the Roman Army from day one till end. Included are excellent maps, photos, and art from Osprey. Very nice read.

[Dvd (#) · Rating 3 out of 5]

29/10/2023 (***)

Libro interessante, sufficientemente approfondito anche se tende a dilungarsi un pò troppo su qualche singola battaglia celebre. Discrete illustrazioni, le migliori delle quali sono tratte dagli ottimi volumi della Osprey (che, nell'ambito, sono il meglio).

Lettura in generale facile, adatta a tutti.

[Zachary Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roman Army: The Greatest War Machine of the Ancient World was a fantastic book for deeper understanding of the military that conquered the entire Mediterranean. This book gives a history of the Roman Army from the founding of the city (753 BCE) to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 CE). It discusses famous wars and battles, like the Punic Wars, Pharsalus, and the Massacre of the Teutoburg Forest. In addition, in goes into detail about the equipment of individual soldiers, as well as the tactics employed in battles and campaigns. I enjoyed this book because it provided both a bug picture and a closer look into the Roman Army. It had many helpful pictures, like fabulous maps of troop formations in important battles and diagrams of Roman forts. The book was particularly powerful when it discusses Hannibal's genius tactics in the Battle of Cannae. I recommend this book to fans of history and any who are interested in the Roman State or warfare in the ancient world. It is very useful on learning about these tactics, which can give us insight into the modern world.

[John Edward O'keefe III · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read this work I felt that it did a decent job of explaining military structure of Roman legions and looking back through you develop a sense of the evolution of Roman military doctrine.

However I found myself at times rereading certain passages because I found them confusing and having a second set of eyes utilizing one example agreed to poor wording.

Another issue reading this work, I felt some terms were lacking explanation. If you are well versed in Roman history, then this book is too broad in it's subject matter and would not provide much insight to you. If you are looking to learn Roman history and have basic knowledge, then there is a sense of feeling lost. Who is the audience for this book then?

Some illustrations were helpful, but there could have been illustrations to explain what the author describes in this work, as some illustrations though nice to learn, didn't connect with the passages.

I don't think I could recommend this work to anyone. I will look to other books on the subject.

[Sixwing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of the tactics and technology of the Roman armies throughout history. Any book spanning 1300 years of history might be a little light on the details and in fact, this one is. This would make a nice supplement to a wider study of Roman history, or a good introduction to someone interested in military history.

[Miroslav · Rating 4 out of 5]

táto knižka veľmi kĺže po povrchu, lebo zmestiť 1000 ročnú históriu najorganizovanejšej armády Staroveku do 280 strán je prakticky nemožné. Kniha síce spomína najvypuklejšie vojny Ríma (Púnske vojny, Caesarove vojny vrátane Galskej), no mnoho toho opomína a skôr ako histórii samotnej, sa venuje organizácii armády. V tomto smere je kniha veľmi cenným kúskom do zbierky kníh o Ríme

[James Sterrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read twice read a second time just finished now.

[Robert Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely utilitarian in its aspect. I was hoping for a little bit on the religious and social history of the Roman Legions, as well as more concise information on the Auxiliary (later to be known as the Foederati) corps of the legion, those foreign levies, mercenaries and specialist troops who fought just as hard as the citizen legionaries. Chris McNab does however provide the reader with a wealth of information on the organization of the Roman Legions i.e. the various ranks and their functions. He also provides the reader with a description, replete with historical recreations and archaeological photos, of Roman military equipment. The photos/illustrations were a real deal breaker in my opinion. McNab also presents short histories of campaigns and individual military engagements. The text is divided into easy digest periods of Roman history from the early monarchical period (surprisingly, I haven't seen a lot of books on this subject try to tackle that) all the way through to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, albeit with a short foray into the early Byzantine period.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am used to the brief Osprey volumes on military matters. This work, however, is much longer, featuring 265 pages of text. It covers the time when the first evidence for the nature of the Roman Army is available (the reign of Servius Tullus) to the end of the Western Empire centuries later.

Even with 265 pages, that leaves rather little time for great detail on any stage in the evolution of the Roman military. Nonetheless, a nicely written volume that provides a sense of the Roman Army as it evolved and came to its end.

[Hashim Al-Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good portrayal of a once great empire!

[Cash Guyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about how Romans wrecked barbarians