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The Barbarians: Warriors and Wars of the Dark Ages
The Huns, Goths Vandals, Franks, Moors, Magyars, Vikings and Mongols—the barbarian warrior nations that swept through Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to High Middle Ages—struck fear into the soul of European civilization and live on as part-myth, part-reality in everyone's imagination.
The Barbarians provides a highly-readable yet authoritative picture of these peoples, described through the surviving literature and relics. The result is a true and contemporary recreation of them, but without any loss of the drama of their popular image. Indeed, much of the text is a full, gutsy reconstruction of particular campaigns ans sieges. This is an action-packed book as well as being full of new and established facts. Not only does it detail the weapons, wars and ways of these barbarian peoples, it also relates to their history the legends of Attila, Alaric and Charlemagne, so essential a part of the barbarian myth. It gives a hard-edged reality to Barbarian battles—the armageddon of Adrianople and Chalons—in which the primary source of military strength was sheer muscle-power, iron axes and swords heaved around a battlefield.
The sheer excitement and fascination of the figures ensures interest from all age groups in providing that exciting but accurate background to much of what is enjoyed by the followers of the 'Sword and Sorcery cult' and in films such as Conan the Barbarian.
The Barbarians provides a highly-readable yet authoritative picture of these peoples, described through the surviving literature and relics. The result is a true and contemporary recreation of them, but without any loss of the drama of their popular image. Indeed, much of the text is a full, gutsy reconstruction of particular campaigns ans sieges. This is an action-packed book as well as being full of new and established facts. Not only does it detail the weapons, wars and ways of these barbarian peoples, it also relates to their history the legends of Attila, Alaric and Charlemagne, so essential a part of the barbarian myth. It gives a hard-edged reality to Barbarian battles—the armageddon of Adrianople and Chalons—in which the primary source of military strength was sheer muscle-power, iron axes and swords heaved around a battlefield.
The sheer excitement and fascination of the figures ensures interest from all age groups in providing that exciting but accurate background to much of what is enjoyed by the followers of the 'Sword and Sorcery cult' and in films such as Conan the Barbarian.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 5, 2017
More of a 3.5 since it was a little too scattered for me. It's a tough subject to put in a true linear fashion, though. Newark did a great job of showing how our watered-down, Christian-biased, binary view of history is incorrect in many ways, but he had to hop around quite a bit & there wasn't much explanation of some names which made this audio version tough to keep up with. Still, it was a great quick overview of this huge subject.
I really liked how he showed how often religions were used conveniently. A group (I forget who now.) became Jews because it allowed them more freedom to trade with both those of Christian & Islamic faiths. If they'd stuck with their 'pagan' religion, they would have been 'barbarians' & thus too low in society to get the better deals. Like everyone else, they were following the money.
He also showed how messy the tides of barbarian invasions were. While often presented as unified migration, it was often nothing of the sort. Much was based on opportunism & infighting among all concerned. He also touched on various weapons, tactics, armor, & the battles they were in. The Germanic idea that the bow wasn't a noble weapon is so ridiculous that it never works well in fiction books. Well, fiction has to make sense even if people rarely do. It does make for interesting history, though.
I really liked how he showed how often religions were used conveniently. A group (I forget who now.) became Jews because it allowed them more freedom to trade with both those of Christian & Islamic faiths. If they'd stuck with their 'pagan' religion, they would have been 'barbarians' & thus too low in society to get the better deals. Like everyone else, they were following the money.
He also showed how messy the tides of barbarian invasions were. While often presented as unified migration, it was often nothing of the sort. Much was based on opportunism & infighting among all concerned. He also touched on various weapons, tactics, armor, & the battles they were in. The Germanic idea that the bow wasn't a noble weapon is so ridiculous that it never works well in fiction books. Well, fiction has to make sense even if people rarely do. It does make for interesting history, though.
June 8, 2022
Book: The Barbarians: Warriors and Wars of the Dark Ages
Author: Tim Newark
Rating: 1 Out of 5 Stars
I found this at my library’s used book sale. I am very interested in this time and am always on the outlook for new books. Sadly, though, this one was a miss for me. While the bones of a great book are there, it was missing something to truly bring the point home.
First off, I thought that each chapter was going to be about a different group of barbarians. This is not what happened. While we do get a lot of information about the barbarians, the author attempts to tell the whole book in chronological order. I do have to give him props for that. However, it just doesn’t work. The transitions are rough. We often switch tribes without any warning and are just expected to go along with it. This makes this book at times very difficult to read. I am okay with reading a difficult book. This was almost too much. We need a sense of order. I think the book would have worked better had the author just focused on one group per chapter. It would have made for a much smoother read.
As I said, the author does go over a lot in this book. However, much of what the author is trying to say and teach is lost by the lack of clear transitions. Everything comes across as being very scattered. The heart of the research is lost because of this. There were times that I had no idea which group of people the author was even talking about. To keep your reader engaged, you have to have some kind of fashion to what you are trying to say. Again, had there been some kind of structure to the book, this would have been a higher rated read for me. Since there was a clear lack of direction, much of what the author was trying to say was just lost on me.
Again, I think the bones of a great book are here, but we just need a better sense of direction.
Author: Tim Newark
Rating: 1 Out of 5 Stars
I found this at my library’s used book sale. I am very interested in this time and am always on the outlook for new books. Sadly, though, this one was a miss for me. While the bones of a great book are there, it was missing something to truly bring the point home.
First off, I thought that each chapter was going to be about a different group of barbarians. This is not what happened. While we do get a lot of information about the barbarians, the author attempts to tell the whole book in chronological order. I do have to give him props for that. However, it just doesn’t work. The transitions are rough. We often switch tribes without any warning and are just expected to go along with it. This makes this book at times very difficult to read. I am okay with reading a difficult book. This was almost too much. We need a sense of order. I think the book would have worked better had the author just focused on one group per chapter. It would have made for a much smoother read.
As I said, the author does go over a lot in this book. However, much of what the author is trying to say and teach is lost by the lack of clear transitions. Everything comes across as being very scattered. The heart of the research is lost because of this. There were times that I had no idea which group of people the author was even talking about. To keep your reader engaged, you have to have some kind of fashion to what you are trying to say. Again, had there been some kind of structure to the book, this would have been a higher rated read for me. Since there was a clear lack of direction, much of what the author was trying to say was just lost on me.
Again, I think the bones of a great book are here, but we just need a better sense of direction.
April 22, 2023
This is a surprisingly academically written work. One would expect the style, considering the many illustrations to be a somewhat amateurish work, but Newark writes in a scholarly style.
He outlines the history of what is commonly referred to as the “Dark Ages”, the period of history encompassing the later period, decline, and fall of the Western Roman Empire. The chapters focus on various “barbarian” groups, from the Germanic, to various Gothic groups like the Visigoths and Ostogoths, Vandals, Huns, Magyars, and even incudes examination of the Muslim and Mongolian conflicts. A concise retelling of a frequently chaotic but important period of European and Near Eastern history.
He outlines the history of what is commonly referred to as the “Dark Ages”, the period of history encompassing the later period, decline, and fall of the Western Roman Empire. The chapters focus on various “barbarian” groups, from the Germanic, to various Gothic groups like the Visigoths and Ostogoths, Vandals, Huns, Magyars, and even incudes examination of the Muslim and Mongolian conflicts. A concise retelling of a frequently chaotic but important period of European and Near Eastern history.
September 23, 2018
Long before Osprey Publishing dominated the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast reference materials market as they do today, there was another publisher, Blandford Press. They also featured potted histories, tactical information and great colour plates. This is a great example of their good work, a look at all the Barbarians of the early dark ages who ended Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean region. Essentially this is the story of all the non-European or non-Mediterranean peoples who Raided, Negotiated entry into the Empires, Invaded, or Served the Roman Empire in its last 500 years and the 300 years of the dark ages. This single book, though, given its stellar Colour plate section by the stellar illustrator Angus McBride will allow the Barbarian fan OR the Roman player/enthusiast to investigate/paint armies for the WHOLE of the period, as so many groups served in each others larger forces. A single book that covers so much territory is invaluable to the enthusiast.
Presently, when we study these groups we tend to study them on their own, but this book is looking at everything through the eyes of the Roman and Byzantine empires ,as we tended to with the Classical approach to history. Thus we start with the German tribes and the Huns that drove them into the empire for salvation. Then Goths(the real ones not dudes with eyeshadow, ffs)Vandals Franks Moors Magyars, Vikings and Mongols stride across the stage. We really only get them introduced, described a bit, and then we discuss their interaction with the Mediterranean culture and its consequences. The pattern moves rapidly over hundred of years at a rapid pace, but give you a good idea of what each group was about, how they fought, and how they either tried to join the empires or destroy them outright. It makes you think a sword, spear and shield were good to have about you at all times in the period!
This is as much a youth's introduction to the period as it is an adult enthusiasts' resource so this is a good book for the junior reader- as it does not go into gory details about how these warriors fought. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, purest gold in the colour plates! Any Barbarian player will want this, but a Roman player will also find that he won't need much more since Legionaires and Auxiliaries (non-romans who fought for Rome or Byzantium) of the various periods feature in half the plates in combat with the "Barbarians". Scenarios and Dioramas are sure to be improved with a look at this book. A good pick-up for those with Ancient Warfare interests.
Presently, when we study these groups we tend to study them on their own, but this book is looking at everything through the eyes of the Roman and Byzantine empires ,as we tended to with the Classical approach to history. Thus we start with the German tribes and the Huns that drove them into the empire for salvation. Then Goths(the real ones not dudes with eyeshadow, ffs)Vandals Franks Moors Magyars, Vikings and Mongols stride across the stage. We really only get them introduced, described a bit, and then we discuss their interaction with the Mediterranean culture and its consequences. The pattern moves rapidly over hundred of years at a rapid pace, but give you a good idea of what each group was about, how they fought, and how they either tried to join the empires or destroy them outright. It makes you think a sword, spear and shield were good to have about you at all times in the period!
This is as much a youth's introduction to the period as it is an adult enthusiasts' resource so this is a good book for the junior reader- as it does not go into gory details about how these warriors fought. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, purest gold in the colour plates! Any Barbarian player will want this, but a Roman player will also find that he won't need much more since Legionaires and Auxiliaries (non-romans who fought for Rome or Byzantium) of the various periods feature in half the plates in combat with the "Barbarians". Scenarios and Dioramas are sure to be improved with a look at this book. A good pick-up for those with Ancient Warfare interests.
November 16, 2023
An enjoyable overview of co flict involving so-called Barbarians, covering nearly 1000 years.
In order to pack all this military history into 150 pages, each section is by necessity quite brief. The colour illustrations are great and very much like you might see in an Osprey military book. The b&w illustrations from the 18th century seem a little out of place as they are heavily romanticised and don't necessarily reflect the content of the writing in an authentic way; presumably they have been added as cheap padding.
The book is nearly 40 years old, but stands up quite well. There isn't a huge amount of depth, no handy maps that might have helped thr narrative and little effort to explain the origins of the people's described. Details on battles are also concise, presumably due to lack of records, and there is very little justification given for the author's interpretations or assumptions: we are just expected to believe it. There are no footnotes and the bibliography is fairly brief, but none of this is unusual in this type of book before the 2000's.
Barbarians is a useful overview for anyone wanting a taste of European conflict in the early medieval period without becoming bogged down in evidence and detail. It is not a book for academics and doesn't pretend to be, yet the author is condiment of his knowledge and manages to relate it in a fairly page-turning manner.
In order to pack all this military history into 150 pages, each section is by necessity quite brief. The colour illustrations are great and very much like you might see in an Osprey military book. The b&w illustrations from the 18th century seem a little out of place as they are heavily romanticised and don't necessarily reflect the content of the writing in an authentic way; presumably they have been added as cheap padding.
The book is nearly 40 years old, but stands up quite well. There isn't a huge amount of depth, no handy maps that might have helped thr narrative and little effort to explain the origins of the people's described. Details on battles are also concise, presumably due to lack of records, and there is very little justification given for the author's interpretations or assumptions: we are just expected to believe it. There are no footnotes and the bibliography is fairly brief, but none of this is unusual in this type of book before the 2000's.
Barbarians is a useful overview for anyone wanting a taste of European conflict in the early medieval period without becoming bogged down in evidence and detail. It is not a book for academics and doesn't pretend to be, yet the author is condiment of his knowledge and manages to relate it in a fairly page-turning manner.
July 28, 2021
One of several books on Ancient and Medieval Warfare, Tim Newark has produced an excellent account of the various Barbarian tribes who we would normally associate with the "Dark Ages" including the Huns, the Vikings and the Mongols, but also some of the less well known tribes such as the Avars and the Visigoths.
I always felt some sympathy for the Vandals, who were only doing what all barbarian tribes did. Unfortunately they did it in Rome and were forever vilified by the catholic priests who wrote the history books.
This volume is well illustrated, including some gorgeous plates by Angus McBride. In hardback it is a real collectors item.
I always felt some sympathy for the Vandals, who were only doing what all barbarian tribes did. Unfortunately they did it in Rome and were forever vilified by the catholic priests who wrote the history books.
This volume is well illustrated, including some gorgeous plates by Angus McBride. In hardback it is a real collectors item.
December 29, 2021
this book was really eye-opening and unexpectedly relatable. it was a general overview of the dark ages, so he didn't go into the most detail, and sometimes he wrote like the reader already knew what he was talking about. but for the most part it was incredible reading the bigger picture about the fall of the romans and what happened between attila and khan, and the origins of some of the cultural rivalries we are still experiencing to this day.
April 6, 2021
Nice overview of the period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire until the Mongol invasions. Great for beginners - not so much for people looking for a deeper understanding and chronology of the era. I have had this book in my shelves for ages and I read it in a couple of evenings. I wonder why I didn't do it much earlier.
October 8, 2019
Historical account of barbarians from their origin. Includes their cultures, reconstructed battles, and what is myth/legend and factual.
September 6, 2021
Interesting but very fragmented. Abrupt changes in topic with little-to-no segue and no discernible structure for the most part, be it chronological or geographical.
November 15, 2025
This book felt rushed, but it was a good beginners introduction into the civilizations and weapons that encompassed the Dark Ages, which is what I was looking for.
May 23, 2016
In this book Tim Newark gives us a well rounded military history of various peoples that the ancient world has labeled barbarians. Written in a style that can be enjoyed by younger readers as well as adults, it is suitable as both an introduction, or a decent review for those who are already acquainted with the subject matter.
Many of these barbarians ran around during the late Roman Empire, but some, like the Vikings and Mongols are well into the Medieval period.
There are other books out there that talk of Celts, Germans and other tribes that had interesting cultures and that gave Rome a hard time, but what I enjoyed about this book are the unique illustrations. there are two types: classic illustrations from the 1800s, and modern works that try to give us more accurate up to date depictions of what these warriors may have looked like and the weapons they carried.
Many of these barbarians ran around during the late Roman Empire, but some, like the Vikings and Mongols are well into the Medieval period.
There are other books out there that talk of Celts, Germans and other tribes that had interesting cultures and that gave Rome a hard time, but what I enjoyed about this book are the unique illustrations. there are two types: classic illustrations from the 1800s, and modern works that try to give us more accurate up to date depictions of what these warriors may have looked like and the weapons they carried.
August 12, 2008
This is an interesting book with great illustrations. It chronicles the movements of various Barbarian groups,Huns,Germans,and Vikings from the last days of the old Roman Empire to the begining of the middle ages and the restablishment of order brought about by the Franks. If you like the history of ancient warfare its a great book. Cary
May 6, 2016
From this mists of the Dark Ages comes this informative survey of all the peoples you may have heard of but no little about-Huns, goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, vandals, Magyars, avars, as well as the more well known moors, Vikings, and Mongols. They all had their place in history as they migrated and made havoc among the emerging societies of Europe and the Middle East.
August 13, 2007
Excellent full color plates by the late great Angus McBride.
September 6, 2013
one if the best compilations on the migration period I've read in years. well balanced solid story with good academics without too much of a scholarly air
February 2, 2014
Well written enjoyable book on a variety of tribes and peoples who fought the roman and Byzantine empires. My only issue with book is that it's a snapshot of these groups not very detailed at all
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews