Ancient Military History Books

**JakkoUK** · April 05, 2014, 06:22 PM

Recently I have gotten very addicted to buying books! And I wanted to add some ancient military history books to my collection. I have a fair few broad books, however I would like to add some more in-depth books to my collection and was wondering if you fellow ancient historians could suggest some considering there is vast range out there!

Periods interested in-

The Peloponnesian Wars
Conquests of Alexander the Great
The Rise of Rome
The Punic Wars
The Gallic Wars

I'm also looking for a book that describes different units used during each of the periods if there is one that exists! Books that have illustrations and diagrams would also be great, but doesn't overly matter.

Also just a general Ancient Military History book thread, discussion is welcomed!

Cheers, JakkoUK

**conon394** · April 05, 2014, 07:42 PM

One of the best overall general reference books is Warry's Warfare in the Classical World

http://www.amazon.com/Warfare-Classi.../dp/0806127945

For the most comprehensive and all around examination of the Peloponnesian Wars remains Kagan's 4 volume series starting with The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War

http://www.amazon.com/The-Outbreak-P.../dp/0801495563

On the Punic Wars (and the Wars of Syracuse earlier) I recommend Brian Caven's works on the Punic Wars and almost uniquely on Dionysius

http://www.amazon.com/Punic-Wars-Bri.../dp/0880298928
http://www.amazon.com/Dionysius-Warl...6744707&sr=1-2

However Adrian Goldsworthy's work on the Punic wars is likely more easy to find.

Lazenby is also a prolific writer on ancient warfare.

http://www.amazon.com/J.-F.-Lazenby/...6744881&sr=1-1

**JakkoUK** · April 06, 2014, 10:45 AM

Cheers conon! Will have a good look at those books and may even start ordering away. I actually have Adian Goldsworthy's book on the Punic Wars coming in the post from Amazon, so great shout!

**Steapa Snotor** · April 06, 2014, 03:28 PM

These two instantly spring to mind.
Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge, and The Commentaries by Julius Caesar.

**JakkoUK** · April 07, 2014, 07:56 AM

I also recommend The Encyclopedia Of War by DK..http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 very, very good reference book and covers pretty much every period and battle in known history .

**DisgruntledGoat** · April 07, 2014, 08:23 AM

I have to assume you have the classics but if you don't:

Commentaries on the Gallic and Civil Wars (Julius Caesar) as was mentioned
Polybius' Histories
History of Rome (Livy)
Herodotus' Histories
The Life of Alexander the Great (Plutarch)
The Campaigns of Alexander the Great (Arrian)
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Gibbons) - This one is not purely military and can be quite the drag to read in certain sections but is an interesting read especially if you understand it was written in the 18th century.

**Maximinus Thrax** · April 08, 2014, 01:20 AM

Also

Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War
Xenophon's Anabasis, or the March of the Ten Thousand (Greek mercenaries)
Vegetius' De Re Militari (Concerning Military Matters), the foremost military treatise in Europe until Renaissance

**Dante Von Hespburg** · April 08, 2014, 12:58 PM

Thread moved to a more appropriate sub-forum for history.

**Mausolos of Caria** · April 08, 2014, 04:33 PM

@Conon My professor criticized me for using Lazenby for my paper about Zama back then, but he never really said why, I remember it was along the lines of him being biased (because of his own military career or something?) and glorifying war. I'm not really sure on that however, maybe you do know more? His other books seem interesting as well, but I always remember that I should be cautious about him.

On ancient sources, one should really at least always have access to them. Many are online these days at pages like Lacus Curtius and for all of us who aren't archaeologists they must remain the sole main source on ancient history. Every literature and historiography can only interpret and refer to them and we should always keep that in mind. On the other hand, we also need a really big critical distance to most of them. Plutarch really started to annoy me at some point, when he explained everything with the will of the gods fortune and that glibberish was always the same and took more space than the actual telling of events. Gladly there are also some very fine and critical authors like Thucydides or Ammianus Marcellinus who are always a joy to read.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · April 08, 2014, 04:41 PM

For general Roman Army I recommend Adrian Goldsworthy's The Complete Roman Army which covers from the 4th century BC to 4th century AD.

For Late Roman Military I suggest War in Late Antiquity: A Social History.

For the Fall of the Roman Empire I suggest Peter Heather's Th Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians

**Lord Oda Nobunaga** · April 08, 2014, 05:42 PM

Sun Tzu's the Art of War
Jiang Ziya's Six Secret Teachings
Sima Rangju's the Art of War
Wu Qi's Wuzi
The Strategies of Wei Laozi
Three Strategies of Huang Shigong
Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong
Thirty Six Stratagems
Sun Bin's The Art of War
Wujing Zongyao (Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques)
Qi Jiguang's Ji Xiao Xin Shu (New Book of Military Techniques)
Huolongjin (The Fire Dragon Manual)
Cao Cao's Commentary on the Art of War
Zhuge Liang's Commentary on the Art of War
Thucydides' the Peloponnesian war

**JakkoUK** · April 14, 2014, 06:38 AM

Thank you for all the suggestions guys, these will all keep me busy for a very long time! Also The March of the Ten Thousand sounds very interesting, I will be giving that a looking into for sure.. sounds like something that has came straight out of Hollywood.

**G-Megas-Doux** · April 14, 2014, 03:24 PM

I enjoyed reading both Caesars Gallic Wars and his civil war accounts. I can say that Tzu Sun's art of war is very good. I haven't read but do intend to read Vegetius this may interest you. If you can also reading the works of the East Roman Emperor Maurice for the general descriptions of the Byzantine army at the time he was writing.

**HannibalB** · April 15, 2014, 02:00 AM

John Lazenby's Hannibal's War is the best book on the Second Punic War (especially from a military viewpoint). Add to that his excellent book on the First Punic War (and the only book, I'm aware, in English, that is solely dedicated to the first conflict).

A great one to look at that follows after Alex's death (and the spliiting of his Empire - which I find more interesting than Alex's conquests) is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dividing-Spo...QFJ5JEJ4A2K0FW

For the Rise of Rome, you can always check out Pen and Swords excelled Roman Conquests series:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...an%20conquests

They also have a range of other great ancient history books that focus on the military side of things.

This is also a great one (and contains many excellent illustrations):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greece-Rome-...peter+connolly

**HannibalB** · April 15, 2014, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by Mausolos of Caria

@Conon My professor criticized me for using Lazenby for my paper about Zama back then, but he never really said why, I remember it was along the lines of him being biased (because of his own military career or something?) and glorifying war. I'm not really sure on that however, maybe you do know more? His other books seem interesting as well, but I always remember that I should be cautious about him..

There's no difference there than other treatments of the battle by other authors and historians. After all, he is following the sources.