Description: Warfare was the single biggest preoccupation of historians in antiquity. In recent decades fresh textual interpretations, numerous new archaeological discoveries and a much broader analytical focus emphasising social, economic, political and cultural approaches have transformed our understanding of ancient warfare. This two-volume History reflects these developments and provides a systematic account, written by a distinguished cast of contributors, of the various themes underlying the warfare of the Greek world from Archaic Greece to the Arab conquests of the seventh century AD. For each broad period developments in troop-types, equipment, strategy and tactics are discussed. These are placed in the broader context of developments in international relations and the relationship of warfare to both the state and wider society. Numerous illustrations, a glossary and chronology, and information about the authors mentioned supplement the text. This will become the primary reference work for specialists and non-specialists alike.
Brief description: Philip Sabin is Professor of Strategic Studies in the Department of War Studies at King's College London. His main academic interest concerns the analytical modelling of conflict, and he is the author of Lost Battles: Reconstructing the Great Clashes of the Ancient World (2007) and co-editor (with Tim Cornell and Boris Rankov) of The Second Punic War: A Reappraisal (1996). He teaches and writes about the strategy and tactics of warfare from ancient times to the twenty-first century.
Review Quotes: 'These volumes are sure to be the standard reference on classical military history in the English-speaking world for some time ... The quality of the chapters and the sheer readability of the work is very high and the editors and authors are to be congratulated for the production of these very useful volumes.' Nuncius: Journal of the History of Science