The Complete Roman Legions

by Nigel Pollard, Joanne Berry

The legions of Rome were among the greatest fighting forces in history. For almost half a millennium they secured the known world under the power of the Caesars. This pioneering account gathers together the stories of each and every individual legion, telling the tales of their triumphs and defeats as they policed the empire and enlarged its borders.


• Part I examines the legions of the Republic from Rome’s foundation to Caesar’s legions and those of Octavian and Mark Antony in the civil wars.


• Part II provides “biographies” of all forty-five legions from 31 BC to the third century AD.


• Part III discusses the legions of Late Antiquity in the declining years of Rome’s hegemony.


• Datafiles on each legion and detailed box features on major topics complement the text.

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

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complete Roman Legions, by Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry, is a fine, linear assembly of the legions of Rome from the Republican Period, the Imperial Age, and the Late Antiquity, by number. I found this book to be closer to what I wanted than Stephen Dando Collins's Legions of Rome (q.v.). The type is painfully small; the writing not so fluid and engaging. The illustrations, arrangement, and information about each legion, however, are all absolutely top shelf.

[Bonnie_blu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is by no means a complete history of the Roman legions. It is a general overview and an introductory work. There are a few factual errors in the book, which detracts from its reliability. There are many other books available with more information and much greater accuracy, for example, "The Complete Roman Army" by Adrian Goldsworthy.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. A quick read that focused on the development of individual legions and their deployments & exploits. I enjoyed seeing how the different regions deployed and used their legions. I'd recommend.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extensive and very thorough
reference work about the Roman legions from the Manipular to Late Antiquity. It's a bit dull to read as a standalone, but provides great historical background for any legion you may encounter in other works.

[Jason Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is everything the title would tell you. What did you want?