Soldiers and Ghosts : A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity
by E. Lendon (Yale University Press 2005)
Jim Bloom characterizes the book as "…a marvelous survey of ancient warfare. Narrative, that is, chronologically sequential history of 'the old school,' is still best for doing the 'story' part of history. However, it often misses significant ideas elucidated by the conceptual analysts: leadership, social class differences, motivation, finance, and weapons performance. Lendon does not sacrifice the breadth of coverage embodied in the narrative framework – he manages to cover all the important episodes and periods – while presenting his arguments along thematic lines. He does so while demonstrating how ancient combat incorporated technological and tactical innovations incrementally even as they evoked ancient, even legendary, traditions to encourage heroic, fierce rivalry throughout all ranks and formations."
This article was originally published on H-Net Reviews.
Note: The book will soon be out in paperback
