Paul Cartledge 'Agesilaus and the Crisis of Sparta'
General Sir John Hackett, ed., 'Warfare in the Ancient World' (with splendid illustrations by Paul Connolly).
Recommended Reading
Synopsis : This text chronicles the history of the Punic Wars in a clear narrative, covering both the grand strategies of the generals and the fighting on the ground and at sea. The great pitched battles are covered in especial detail, notably Hannibal's perfect victory at Cannae in 216.
The book covers a number of the scenarios in the Great Battles game eg.Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, Cannae including maps and details of the battles.
Adrian Goldsworthy 'THE PUNIC WARS'
Synopsis : Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was incontestably one of the greatest military generals of all time. From the time he sacked Thebes and crossed the Hellespont to his death 11 years later, he conquered the entire Persian empire, including Tyre, Egypt and Babylon, and moved on to the present-day northern India and Afghanistan. This study of Alexander, written over 100 years ago, looks at his predecessors and his influence on the art of war, reconstructs every major battle of Alexander's brilliant military career, and provides background material concerning the art of war before and during Alexander's reign.
Theodore Ayrault Dodge 'Alexander : A History of the Origin and Growth of the Art of War from the Earliest Times to the Battle of Ipsus, 301 BC'
Theodore Ayrault Dodge 'Caesar : A History of the Art of War Among the Romans Down to the End of the Roman Empire, With a Detailed Account of the Campaigns of Gaius Julius Caesar'
Synopsis : The Gallic campaigns firmly established Julius Caesar as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. After winning them, Caesar turned his loyal army back towards Rome. Crossing the Rubicon, he initiated a civil war, marched triumphally to the capital, beseiged Pompey at Brundisium, and pacified Spain. With a small army he routed Pompey's far larger forces at Pharsalus, pursued him to death in Egypt, and established Cleopatra on her throne. The author of this fully illustrated and complete military history of Caesar's battles, has visited every one of the general's known battlefields, and, making full use of other chroniclers and critics, he supplements them with his clear, insightful descriptions of the battles.
Synopsis : This classic history of Hannibal and his military exploits (some consider him the finest general the world has known) was first published in 1891. It follows Hannibal's route over the Alps, from Carthage to Italy, and analyses the art of war as shown in Hannibal's brilliant cavalry tactics.
Hannibal
Caesar
Alexander
Punic Wars
Spartan Battles
Synopsis : As one of the two Spartan kings, Agesilaos II presided over Sparta's greatest imperial expansion and its collapse as a major power. At his accession in 400 BC, Sparta had recently defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War and was the undisputed leader of the Aegean Greek world; at the time of his death some forty years later, Sparta had been reduced to the status of a mere Peloponnesian squabbler, its role indistinguishable from that of any of a number of other Greek states. "Agesilaos and the Crisis of Sparta" is an account of this critical period of Greek history, focusing on a single career. Progressing both chronologically and thematically, the author reveals the principal aspects of Spartan politics and society and appraises the possible causes of Sparta's preciptous decline and fall.
For the Spartan battles an invaluable source is John Lazenby's splendid book 'The Spartan Army'.
Ancient History is subject about which much has been written. We are lucky in that to gain an understanding of the battle tactics of the ancients, we just open a book and read the masters.
If you have read a book you feel would benefit other readers, please let me know and I'll add it to the booklist here.
I have provided links to those books currently stocked by Amazon UK should you wish to know more or to purchase.
Major General J.F.C. Fuller 'The Generalship of Alexander the Great'
Synopsis : The book covers Alexander in 3 parts; a short history of Alexander's career as a Statesman and soldier; an examination of the Great Battles of Alexander including sieges and other smaller battles and concluding with an examination of Alexander as a Statesman and General.
The author took the view that few other authors on Alexander were also soldiers so his book takes a very military stance in describing Alexander, his life and his campaigns.
Synopsis : A book on just the Battle of Cannae.
The book considers what led the two armies to fight and why they adopted the tactics they did. It covers the battle in great detail, from the breakdown of the armies into their respective units to the experience of the men on the actual battlefield in the various stages of combat.
This gives a man's eye view of what it was like to really be there - as part of the cavelry, infantry or skirmisher - Roman or mercenary
Note : The Amazon links are only to Amazon UK
Go to Amazon UK
Theodore Ayrault Dodge 'Hannibal : A History of the Art of War Among the Carthagonians and Romans Down to the Battle of Pydna, 168 B.C.'
Synopsis : 667 Greek and Roman Battles of all sizes.
The book only has very short descriptions for most of the battles and a lack of maps, but is a good reference, especially on some of the lesser known battles
John Drogo Montagu 'Battles of the Greek and Roman worlds a chronological compendium of 667 battles'
London Greenhill; Mechanicsburg,PA Stackpole Books, 2000
