Book Description
Long before the Second Punic War (218 - 201 BC), Rome's influence extended no further than the Alps, and the wars that it fought consisted of small-scale raids and cattle rustling, with perhaps the occasional battle between armies.
Nevertheless, within a century the seeds of an empire had been sown in Iberia, Africa, and the Greek east, and the Roman Republican army became the most successful of its day, establishing standards of discipline, organization, and efficiency that set a bench mark for the later armies of Rome.
With the evolution of the Roman Republic came the adoption of the Manipular legion, a formation taken from the hoplite phalanx and first used in mass deployment against the North African nation of Carthage, during the Punic Wars.
In this book Nic Fields examines the evolution of the Roman army from its defeat at Cannae through to their final success at Zama which saw a small city-based force evolve into a Mediterranean powerhouse, demonstrating how and why it became the most highly organized, sophisticated force in the ancient world.
Customer Reviews:
Only Covers the 2nd Punic War.......2007-08-30
Right up front, the title of this book is misleading, since it really only covers the 2nd Punic War (Hannibalic War) and the chronology in the back of the volume does not even list any events after 200 BC! Given that Osprey has already done an Essential Histories volume on the Punic Wars and a Campaign title on the Battle of Cannae, this volume fails to carve out a significantly independent niche for itself - if you have the earlier volumes, this one is rather repetitive. Finally, too much of this volume in focused on the Carthaginian General Hannibal, rather than the Roman armies which are supposed to be the subject of this book. Overall, this book has some nice charts and maps, but it adds little on the subject.
This volume begins with a rather lengthy introduction that covers the early growth of Roman military power in Italy and skims over the First Punic War. Other than saying that the First Punic War was primarily a naval conflict and a struggle for control over Sicily, the author actually says very little about the first war. The successful use of 2-legion consular armies in Sicily is barely mentioned. The Roman expedition to Africa in 256 BC and the defeat at the Battle of Tunis is not even mentioned, save a single reference in the chronology. After already getting into operations, the author then jumps back into a 24-page section on the organization of Roman and allied armies, which has pretty charts but doesn't say much that hasn't appeared in other books. You can only milk so much from Polybius, Livy and Cassius Dio before the well is dry. Another section follows on the Roman Army in battle, which discusses tactics - pretty much the same ground just covered in the Elite volume just released on Roman tactics. The next section covers engineering, primarily a discussion of camp-building and siegecraft. It would have been nice to have an Osprey color plate on a Roman fortified camp and this would have been a good place to make some mention of Roman siege artillery.
The heart of this volume is a nearly 30-page long section on the 2nd Punic War, with emphasis upon Hannibal's three classic victories and his defeat at Zama. Note to reader: instead of reading this author quote chunks from Lazenby's much better Hannibal's War, just read Lazenby. The Roman Army itself seems to disappear in this section with over-emphasis upon the Carthaginians. We really didn't need more maps of Cannae - probably the most over-covered battle in history. The Third Punic War is not even mentioned once in this volume!
This volume has 8 maps (the Italian peninsula 3rd Century BC; the Mediterranean basin 3rd Century BC; Battle of the Trebbia; Battle of Lake Trasimene; Battle of Cannae; Battle of Metaurus; Battle of Ilipa; Battle of Zama) and 5 charts (a legion deployed; a maniple, a cavalry turma; a century; manipular tactics). Although other authors have used modern NATO tactical symbology to represent Roman units, this author gets rather carried away with it and I found the use of a "battalion" symbol to represent a "maniple" and a "brigade" symbol to represent a "legion" rather annoying (the author says that the joining of two "company-size" centuries equals a "battalion-size" maniple, but even today two companies are not considered equivalent to a battalion).
Not very readable............2007-07-24
In less then 100 pages, Nic Fields wrote a book about the Roman military organization and how they evolved during the three Punic Wars. That is a very difficult job and he was only semi-successful in his effort.
The book appears to be well researched, there are plenty of diagrams and battle maps that shows the how and whys. I think the problem came to the narrative writing. The author was obviously cramming a lot of information into a small package and that hampered the readability of the book. Simply put, I think the subject matter was too big for a book of this nature.
One of the best books on the Roman army is that one by Adrian Goldworthy and Goldworthy's book is one of the most readable and enjoyable books on the subject. Nic Fields' book is not very readable and it might confused rather then enlightened the novice reader who may pick this book up due to its short length. Maybe its just me but I found reading this book somewhat irritating and I am pretty well read on the subject. I will let someone else nick-picks any trivial errors if there is any.
If you have to read an introductionary book on the Roman military, this book probably won't be a good place to start. Books by Adrian Goldworthy or Peter Connelly might be a better choice.
Book Description
The three Punic Wars lasted over 100 years, between 264 BC and 146 BC. They represented a struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean between the bludgeoning land power of Rome, bent on imperial conquest, and the great maritime power of Carthage with its colonies and trading posts spread around the Mediterranean. This book reveals how the dramas and tragedies of the Punic Wars exemplify many political and military lessons which are as relevant today as when Hannibal and Scipio Africanus fought to determine the course of history in the Mediterranean.
Customer Reviews:
Good History of First and Second Punic Wars.......2005-08-15
I have read Polybius' account of the first and second Punic Wars, and this book gives a superb summary that is parallel to his massive work. Furthermore, the author analyzes the information and makes educated arguments about the events in question. Good maps, illustrations, and photographs enhance the reader's understanding of battle tactics and the geographical situations that the commanders of Rome and Carthage faced.
That being said, this book falls a little short in its summary of the third Punic War. Only three or four pages are spent on its events. Even though the third Punic War only lasted three years, it still deserves a fair summary. Furthermore, the author provided excellent coverage of the interwar years between the first two wars, yet completely ignores the 50+ year gap between the end of the second war and beginning of the third.
All in all, this book is a good secondary source for anyone interested in the era of the Punic Wars.
I like a brief history as much as the next guy, but..........2004-05-16
I decided to give this book a try because I'd read and really liked the book on Alexander the Great in the Essential Histories series. it was short and captivating.
but I was less impressed with this volume on the Punic Wars. as far as presentation is concerned, I think it's short on images, anecdote and other things that made Alexander a smoother and more enjoyable read. these things aren't superfluous, they help the history go down easy :)
I was uncomfortable with the overall structure of the book: the not-entirely-chronological presentation of the wars, the brief Hannibal/Scipio biographies which followed, etc. the progression didn't seem natural.
also, in terms of content, the introduction was a little week in telling us what the Roman Republic was like at the time, what it's tendancies were, etc.
to this book's credit, you can't beat a short and concise history if, like me, you're not a big historial. this volume of the Essential Histories series just didn't pull it off well.
Good Starter Volume.......2003-03-28
Another decent Osprey book. Only 95 pages and easy to read. The book has some holes in the content, but it is only meant to be a starter. I mean how can you cover all three Punic Wars in 95 pages? You can't. I have read quite a few Osprey books because I like the abridged content, but in this case I didn't think the 95 pages was enough. For instance the battle of Cannae was covered in two pages. That just wasn't enough for the single most important battle of all the Punic Wars and one which could have ended Rome before it ever became the empire it grew into. I like the glossy pages and the color maps were very helpful. The author spends a little time on the social aspects of these wars between Carthage and Rome and how they affected ordinary citizens. This was helpful, but again it was only a couple pages and the one page bibliography wasn't much help for further reading. I'm sure it is difficult to write about the Punic Wars because it is all one sided. After the third war Carthage was completely wiped out so we have no evidence or writings which came out of Carthage. All the primary sources have come out of ancient Rome. Generally speaking I like these Essential Histories series of books and I would recommend these to anyone. However, if you really want to learn about the Punic Wars I would suggest searching elsewhere for a larger volume. This one is just too short.
With Hannibal against Rome.......2003-02-18
The great difficulties with writing a history book are always a) Trying to present the information without bias (or as close as is possible), and b) taking the reader with you on the journey, involving them in the events.
Nigel Bagnall succeds on both counts.This is a book packed with all sorts of interest and some wonderfully clear and precise military writing.Bagnall clearly knows his subject well, and his enthusiasm for the history of this great conflict is contagious.
This is a history book that will involve and engage you fully.
Book Description
In Indentured Labor, Caribbean Sugar Walton Look Lai offers the first comprehensive study of Asian immigration and the indenture system in the entire British West Indies -- with particular emphasis on the experiences of indentured laborers in the major receiving colonies of British Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Exploring living and working conditions as well as the makeup of immigrant communities and their cultures, Look Lai offers a "dialectical pluralist" model of Caribbean acculturation that contrasts with the more familiar "melting pot" or "pure pluralist" model.
Customer Reviews:
ANCESTORS BEGIN HERE.......2001-07-05
THIS IS A TRUE STORY OF THE PEOPLES THAT CAME TO THE ISLAND,I AM AN EAST INDIAN AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT I FINALY CAN HAVE A BOOK THAT RELATES TO MY EAST INDIAN ANCESTORS.AND IF LUCK HAS ITS WAY,KNOW THE NAMES OF MY GREAT GREAT GRAND PARENTS THAT JOURNEYED ACROSS THE VAST SEAS TO MAKE A HOME IN THE WEST INDIES.
ANCESTORS BEGIN HERE.......2001-07-05
THIS IS A TRUE STORY OF THE PEOPLES THAT CAME TO THE ISLAND,I AM AN EAST INDIAN AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT I FINALY CAN HAVE A BOOK THAT RELATES TO MY EAST INDIAN ANCESTORS.AND IF LUCK HAS ITS WAY,KNOW THE NAMES OF MY GREAT GREAT GRAND PARENTS THAT JOURNEYED ACROSS THE VAST SEAS TO MAKE A HOME IN THE WEST INDIES.
Look Lai has produced an excellent historical text........1998-01-18
Look Lai has presented an in-depth analysis of Chinese and East Indian immigrants who migrated from their home countries and went to new lands in the West Indies where there worked in sugar plantations as indentured laborers. His hybridization thesis is refreshing and brings to light the different cultural experiences these immigrants had in the British colonies of Trinidad, Jamaica and Guyana. I recommend this text to anyone interested in learning about the history of plantation labor in the 19th. century and about the tumultuous events that occurred. This author is the only one so far who has investigated the West Indian Chinese and East Indian cultures together and he has worked to put the text into its correct historical context. Easy to read. A must for those who want to read about how two races, Chinese and East Indians, had ethnic tensions within their own cultural backgrounds: the caste system delineated who was higher in rank and who was at the bottom for those who came originally from India, and the Hakka/Cantonese differences were pre-emminent. Look Lai proves that the precursor of events that took place, the British immigration laws, the indentureship system, the riot incidents, and the tensions among the white plantocracy and freed slaves and indentured laborers, paved the way for the political and economic problems of the 20th. century. I enjoyed the book tremendously. Henrietta Akit. B.A. Hons.in History, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
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Praxis and Politics: Knowledge Production in Social Movements (New Approaches in Sociology:)
Janet Conway
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Book Description
Praxis and Politics explores the knowledge arising from activist praxis and its significance for reimagining radical and democratic politics. It is based on five years of direct involvement in the Toronto-based Metro Network for Social Justice and their work in coalition building, campaign-organizing and "economic and political literacy" work in the aftermath of the signing of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. The book breaks new theoretical and methodological ground in social movement studies in drawing on a wide range of traditions including cultural studies, urban studies, political economy and feminism.
Book Description
Feminist Approaches to Theory and Methodology addresses the theoretical issues raised by doing feminist research from an interdisciplinary perspective. Bringing together the work of leading scholars and emerging new critics, the editors have selected the best, most representative and recent work in feminist scholarship. The collection is organized around key issues in feminist theory and empirical research as impacted by post-structuralist dialogue. Several essays address the tensions between disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge building, exposing male biases embedded in disciplinary paradigms. Other essays deal with dramatic changes in two foundational concepts in feminist theory--identity and experience--which are presented not as innate and unproblematic, but as constituted by discourse, representation, and the effects of power. Additional essays examine the complex terrain in which differences within and between women are used as tools of oppression and of resistance both inside and outside feminist praxis. These essays uncover a subtext of racial anxiety, offering critical insights for academic and social change. The gender dynamics of power and resistance are taken up by several critics whose research encourages the development of a feminist scholarly methodology that focuses on women's subjective experiences, the ways in which they mediate relations of power, and their capacity for implementing personal and collective activism. These essays deal with the importance in feminist scholarship of resisting the inclination to view women as passive and powerless victims. Another major focus of the volume brings together visual and discursive representations of the female body in which heterosexuality and reproduction are imposed as the norm. The volume concludes with a set of essays which presents students with some methodological and political dilemmas feminists encounter as they expose the underlying ideological distortions in existing social policies. Distinct for its interdisciplinary scope as well as its global orientation, Feminist Approaches to Theory and Methodology is an ideal text for courses in a wide range of social science and humanities disciplines including research methods and women's studies.
Book Description
Responding to thirty years of feminist fairy-tale scholarship, this book breaks new ground by rethinking important questions, advocating innovative approaches, and introducing woman-centered texts and traditions that have been ignored for too long.
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Gender And Justice: New Concepts And Approaches
Manufacturer: Willan Pub
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Women in Antiquity: Theoretical Approaches to Gender and Archaeology
Sarah Nelson
Manufacturer: AltaMira Press
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Part One of Nelson's Handbook of Gender in Archaeology.
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- A need to find the right balance
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Feminist Approaches to Science (Athene Series)
Manufacturer: Teachers College Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0807762016 |
Customer Reviews:
A need to find the right balance.......2007-09-05
Twenty years on, I wonder if the arguments against science presented here have changed much. It is predominantly sociobiology that is being attacked, especially how it is used regarding differences between the sexes. But at least there is a contribution by Sarah Hrdy - a feminist, sociobiologist and primatologist who has done much to redress the male bias and androcentrism within primatology.
Though I am not as critical of science and sociobiology as nearly all the contributors to this book it is also important to acknowledge the points they make about the damage done to women and others by false 'scientific' pronouncements. As Ruth Bleier writes, people in the future may well look back at some of today's scientific beliefs in the way we look back at false ones from the past. She also makes the equally valid point about how we spend so much time, effort and money investigating what are often trivial differences between the sexes rather than researching the sources of the wide differences within same-sex groups.
But science is by its very nature about seeking more and better information so we cannot expect it to provide final truths about everything. And more women are becoming positively involved in evolutionary biology and sociobiology which is probably the most important place for women scientists to be in terms of redressing male bias.
Anti-science in general seems to have flourished over the past couple of decades and this ought to be of increasing concern as much to feminists as to anyone else. Highlighting the faults within science is one thing but opening the door to a resurgence of superstition, irrational false beliefs and practices is something else altogether. I have given this book three stars because the concerns needed to be voiced twenty years ago and need to be kept in mind today, though we now must make sure we do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Today we very much need to find the right balance.
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Anti-Racism, Feminism, and Critical Approaches to Education: (Critical Studies in Education and Culture Series)
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ASIN: 0897893271 |
Book Description
This book maintains that there has not been sufficient dialogue and cross-fertilization between various forms of critical approaches to education, notably multicultural/anti-racist education, feminist pedagogy, and critical pedagogy. Contributors from Canada and the United States address educational issues relevant to aboriginal peoples, people of color, and people of religious minorities in light of feminist and critical pedagogical theory. They are sensitive and responsive to the power relations operative in a setting, and address the multiple and contradictory subjectivities of teachers and learners on the basis of race, gender, class, religion, ethnicity, age, and ability.
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Beyond Epistemology: A Pragmatist Approach to Feminist Science Studies
Sharyn Clough
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
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ASIN: 074251465X |
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Clough shows how inadequate empirical philosophy is in creating real change in the sciences. Instead, she supports a more pragmatic approach based on the work of Richard Rorty and Donald Davidson. This work encourages Clough's fellow feminists to refocus their critiques and discard their philosophical debates about epistemology.
Books:
- Solving Your Child's Reading Problems
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- Step-By Step-Parenting: A Guide to Successful Living With a Blended Family
- Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy
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- Survival for Busy Women
- Tailoring Ladies Jackets: Step by Step Instructions
- Taking Care of Your Child: A Parent's Illustrated Guide to Complete Medical Care (Taking Care of Your Child)
- TEA THAT BURNS: A Family Memoir of Chinatown
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