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| In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Phoenix Press) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 93643
Category: Book
Author: Adrian Goldsworthy
Publisher: Phoenix
Studio: Phoenix
Manufacturer: Phoenix
Label: Phoenix
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0753817896
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.0092237
EAN: 9780753817896
ASIN: 0753817896
Publication Date: September 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Adrian Goldsworthy has received wide acclaim for his exceptional writing on the Roman Empire?including high praise from the acclaimed military historian and author John Keegan? and here he offers a new perspective on the Empire by focusing on its greatest generals, including Scipio Africanus, Marius, Pompey, Caesar, and Titus. Each chapter paints a fascinating portrait of a single general, offering in-depth insight into his leadership skills and victories, as well as each one?s pioneering strategies, many of which are still used today. In the process, this absorbing, reader-friendly history tells the complete story of Roman warfare, from the bitter struggle with Carthage in the 3rd century BC to the last desperate attempt to win back the Western Empire in the 6th century AD. A selection of the History Book Club.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
Excellent insight into Roman art of war July 22, 2007
Adrian Goldsworthy's book In The Name of Rome would be an outstanding addition to the library of anyone interested in ancient Roman military history. Goldsworthy is in my opinion, and based largely on the reading of this excellent book, not only extremely knowledgeable about the subject, he writes compellingly and engagingly and communicates not only his interest and knowledge but also his enthusiasm for the subject. I loved this book.
Goldsworthy breaks his book down into essentially self-contained biographies, or comparative biographies, of several major Roman generals and sometimes statesmen. He covers their lives, their campaigns in great detail, their careers in politics and what they accomplished or meant to accomplish. Some of the endings are triumphant, some tragic, some bittersweet. Subjects include Fabius and Marcellus, Scipio Africanus, Aemilius Paulus, Scipio Aemilianus, Marius, Sertorius, Pompey, Caesar, Germanicus, Corbulo, Titus, Trajan, Julian and Belisarius.
As can be seen, the book concentrates more heavily on generals during the Republic and the very early empire; he does explain how the politics of the empire caused individual generals to fade in importance vs the image of the emperors themselves. Not every stage of the Republic's growth is covered, nor every campaign of every general, and yet there is a strong and well conceived thread which goes throughout this book.
Besides the fantastic characters of the personalities themselves - and often, those of their enemies - Goldsworthy excels in describing the campaigns and the battles fought, the tactics on the field, and the qualities of leadership displayed and exercised. He contrasts the various styles with one another, and with the times in which they were used, and how these changed. The organization of the armies, how they were employed in brute force or in subterfuge, the importance of the various elements - all of it is well presented.
Finally, the book includes a chronology from the founding of Rome through the various major events in the wars and lives described in the book, through the death of Belisarius; and there is a useful glossary of Roman military terms that is very useful in the reading of the book.
If you have an interest in the Roman art of war, this book should be on your shopping list.
Goldsworthy still the best! May 29, 2007
Mr. Goldworthy's book, like his others remains both readable and informative. As the previous reviewers have stated, Goldworthy has taken Roman history to levels previously unattainable in a common history.
The leaders covered are pretty exhaustative. Few are a surprise and all are covered in a manner that most readers will find enlightening. Some personal favorites are here such Fabius/Marcellus and Scipio Africanus of Punic War fame, Germanicus/Corbulo mid Principate and Trajan of later Empire. He also touches on numerous other leaders but explains why he does not delve into depth (Suetonius Paulinus for example) What Goldworthy emphasises is that the leader was important but Roman doctorine/troops was critical. When he highlights the differences between the periods of Roman history, this becomes more appartent.
Given the historical paucity of sources for the later Empire/Eastern Empire, he does a fair job of showing that though weakened, the Roman way of war still remained deadly. He also does a good job of highlighting Julian (the Apostate to us Christians) and his unworthiness of being called great rather than simply competent.
Overall both a great read and one that remains true to the standards ste by the author in previous books. I truly enjoyed reading this.
Warriors and the Rough Generals who Expanded Ancient Rome February 26, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This looked a little daunting but Adrian Goldsworth held my intellectual hand and walked me through 700 years of Roman history as seen from the viewpoint of the fightin' generals. Goldsworth demands a bit of rigor from his readers but the payoffs are fun and worthwhile. Join Africanus as he lays waste to Carthage, Caesar in France and Germany, and everbody else in Spain. Weapons and discipline are explained patiently. (When you get tired of crucifying enemies the regular way, try some new positions where the folks looking out at your camp can see what you have in store for them unless they surrender) He helps you understand how the process of war changed with the political drama constantly unfolding back in Rome. And finally helps you come to grips with why commanders ultimately came to feel that Rome was irrelevant. This is a meaty book for the serious ancient history fan. Thanks Adrian !
An all around excellent book on the subject July 14, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
While it of course has a very interesting subject matter, it still is an extraordinarily easy book to read. It is no thin composition and yet I accidently finished it in three days. While I'm a fledging of sorts on the subject this book is easily the best written military history book I've ever read.
A Sound Theory With An Interesting Narrative May 16, 2005
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Roman-era expert Adrian Goldsworthy has written an outstanding history of seven centuries of Roman generalship with his latest volume, In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire. This is Goldsworthy's first volume that is focused primarily on individuals, rather than organizational studies of the Roman Army, but he handles the material deftly and brings these characters into sharp focus as individuals, rather than as mere ciphers. Goldsworthy also attempts to divine general lessons about the nature of the Roman command style from the behavior of these generals, many of whom are not well-known to modern readers.
Each chapter in this volume details the career of one or two generals in a given period and the chapters are arranged sequentially, covering the period from the Second Punic War to the 6th Century A.D. Generally, Goldsworthy covers each of these Roman commanders in 25-30 pages as well as providing background material about contemporary conflicts and leaders. It is particularly impressive that Goldsworthy has been able to construct such a rich narrative on these generals, given the fragmentary and incomplete nature of the historical record. The chapters on Sertorius and Corbulo were particularly enlightening. Readers may also note that Goldsworthy's discussion of the Emperor Julian's generalship is far less complementary - although probably more accurate - than some modern accounts that attempt to rank him alongside Julius Caesar.
Goldsworthy disputes the oft-held opinion that Roman generals were military amateurs and instead depicts them as professional public figures who alternated between military, civic and political roles. One of the chief attributes of Roman leaders that Goldsworthy cites is Virtus, the steadfast ability to endure setbacks and to endure until final victory was achieved. Although Roman armies were often defeated, they were rarely demoralized and they usually recovered quickly. While only a few Roman generals were truly gifted soldiers - Scipio Africanus and Julius Caesar being exceptions - most learned how to employ the operational art and tactics that served Rome so well for centuries (unlike modern military leaders, who must constantly update their professional knowledge due to changes in technology and doctrine).
As Goldsworthy notes, Roman generals did not typically participate in close combat, as Greek generals did. Rather, the role of a Roman general on the battlefield was to "serve as a witness to his troops' acts of bravery" and to dispense rewards. Goldsworthy's theory is essentially that Roman troops were primarily motivated by the anticipation of rewards. It is a good theory and certainly one that tracks well with what we know about other armies in history, such as Napoleon's Grande Armee. Goldsworthy also discusses changes in the Roman Army over these centuries, including a greater degree of professionalism and the fact that soldiers became more loyal to their commanders (the one who rewarded them, anyway) than the state. Goldsworthy's hypothesis appears solid and the narrative supports it well. Although readers familiar with Caesar's commentaries, Tacitus and other Roman histories will find few new details here, the skill and clarity with which Goldsworthy weaves together all these accounts into a coherent narrative is truly commendable.
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