The Armies of the Past Series has set new standards in the study of ancient armies. The Romans discovered that the barbarian Celts were much more than the savages they expected and this new book provides the reasons – Very Highly Recommended.
NAME: Armies of the Past, Armies of Celtic Europe, 700BC-AD106, History, Organization & Equipment FILE: R3063 AUTHOR: Gabriele Esposito PUBLISHER: Pen and Sword BINDING: hard back PRICE: £19.99 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Europe, Celtic Kingdoms, Rome, Legions, Roman expansion, arms, armour, tactics, organization, clothing, equipment, weapons, Gaul, Britain, strategy
ISBN: 1-52673-033-2
PAGES: 172 IMAGE: B3063.jpg BUYNOW: tinyurl.com/yhbomnwc LINKS: DESCRIPTION: The Armies of the Past Series has set new standards in the study of ancient armies. The Romans discovered that the barbarian Celts were much more than the savages they expected and this new book provides the reasons – Very Highly Recommended. The Romans were already accustomed to defeating neighbouring states and the Celts seemed an easy target as undisciplined savages. What they discovered the hard way was that the Celts were born warriors, well-trained and equipped, with their own form of organization that was every bit as disciplined as the Roman army. The Romans were resisted with determination by a wiley and resourceful enemy. The Celts were able to control their troops, but they were also very flexible and refused to be bound by the rules of warfare that the Romans expected to follow. When an Celtic army had been defeated and the area pacified, it was always ready to rise up again. Defeats were not an end, with warriors melting away to strike back again. When the Romans reached the British Isles they found more Celtic armies that were just as hard to defeat. Rome never managed, even briefly, to pacify all of the British Isles. Eventually, they had to build a defensive wall from the Clyde to the Firth of Forth and even that failed to hold, with the Legions withdrawing South to a new defensive wall, Hadrian's Wall. They were unable to pacify what is now Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. In the end, the Legions had to be withdrawn from the islands to protect Rome. The author has produced a very readable text which is fully supported by outstanding full colour images. By including many photographs of re-enactors, the full extent of Celtic martial capabilities is presented. A fascinating account.