Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict.
++++
The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
++++
Huntington Library

N033537

A translation by Paul Chamberlen of 'Histoire militaire du prince Eugene de Savoye, du prince et duc de Marlborough et du prince de Nassau-Frise', by Jean Dumont, baron de Carlscroon, and Jean Rousset de Missy.The titlepage is a cancel.

London : printed for M. Cooper; W. Reeve; and C. Sympson, 1754. 620,ix,[21]p.,plates : port. ; 2° ... Read more

Product Description
A brilliant tour de force in which strategy blogger Daniel H. Abbott (www.tdaxp.com) uses concepts from modern military strategy to illuminate the history of early Christianity, Rome, and Islam, as recounted by the historical protagonists in their own words.Must reading for anyone who is interested in the present-day struggle between Islam and the West, guerilla warfare, counterinsurgency, 4th- or 5th- generation warfare, John Boyd, Thomas P. M. Barnett, or the history of the early Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

How to take over an empire using only love
Dan was kind enough to let me read his monograph Revolutionary Strategies in Early Christianity. It's an excellent read with an interesting argument:

"By ruling out destruction, conquest, and neutralization, the Apostle [Paul] and the Christ forced the faithful to co-opt the Empire. Roman counter-insurgency (COIN) experience had taught the Empire how to defeat enemies who hated it, but not how to vanquish an enemy that loved it. And indeed, by AD 313 the Roman Empire had submitted itself to the Christian faith. The Christians accomplished this by denying the Romans the chance to fight in a way they were used to. Rather, the Christians were a functioning 4GW army, relying on a highly-motivated corps of men and women that refused to fall for the tricks of Roman COIN."

tdaxp then provides a good overview of xGW/Generations of War for the reader who is unfamiliar with those concepts.

tdaxp then details how the Christians broke Rome's will to resist, pointing out that The Lord and Paul both understood Roman COIN (Paul was part of the Temple Police and an experienced persecutor/suppressor of troublesome minorities. Whether he was the first COIN operator to see the Light is unrecorded). Rome couldn't be be defeated in conventional battle by any means a Jewish sect had at its disposal. The long record of failed Jewish revolts from Pompey the Great to Hadrian both before and after The Lord's life demonstrated that clearly (to everyone but the Jews that is). tdaxp argues that Christianity had to adopt an alternate strategy. Time would wear down the Roman state. If Christianity could avoid being physically wiped out by Rome, it would eventually win.

tdaxp argues that some Roman authorities and quislings saw this. One quisling, Joseph Caiaphas, the priest responsible for the Crucifixion, clearly saw The Lord's political threat:

"And one of them, [named] Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not."

Where Caiaphas saw the end of the Jewish nation (and the rule of the Sadducees), Diocletian saw the end of Rome. tdaxp argues that this was because the early Church would replace the Roman system where the state and human male authority figures was supreme over religion with a system where the state and human relationships were subject to the ultimate authority of God (even if God commanded that Christians should subordinate themselves to the state, God would still be the one offering the marching orders). Caiaphas and Diocletian decided that if a few undesirables had to die to keep the Roman power architecture alive than that was an acceptable price to pay. Pilate plays the Diocletian role in Taylor Caldwell's novel I, Judas. When Pilate's wife implores him not to execute Jesus, Pilate recognizes that Jesus's subversion is not a parochial Jewish problem but a Roman problem as well: this obscure carpenter's message can infect Gentile as well as Jew. Pilate orders Jesus's execution because of this accurate perception of the threat.

tdaxp has a section I found particularly useful on the subversive power of women, an aspect of warfare that's overlooked by most war commentators (a notable exception is Kautilya in The Arthashastra). Paul designed a strategy that used men, argues tdaxp, to spread the Good News in a loose network and women to form tight networks to support raising children for Christ. The family, instead of being an extension of the Roman state with the pater familias standing in for the Emperor, would become a subversive breeding ground for the Christian anti-state. I've seen similar arguments that one reason orthodox Christianity won out over its heretical variants like Gnosticism is that it gave women a valuable role (and played a valuable role by domesticating the male of the species).

When Constantine made Christianity his new tool in solidifying his control over the Rome (Under this sign (the cross) you shall conquer), the Christians were able, with occasional bumps like Julian the Apostate), to use the machinery of state to spread catholic (whole) and orthodox (true) Christianity at the expense of pagans and heretics. Christianity had roadblocks in the future, facing the integrated vendor solution of Islam but that was the burden of incumbency, not of subversion.

Read the whole thing for the surprise conclusion.

Interesting Book on Early Christianity as Fourth Generation Warfare
This book is about the rise of Christianity as a form of revolution -- an overthrow of the existing Roman order. The author argues that Christians carried out this revolution by loving their enemies and supporting -- rather than fighting -- the existing Roman political-social order. This revolution was then met with a failed Roman counterinsurgency. The author uses the modern theoretical framework of fourth generation warfare (4GW) and counterinsurgency (COIN) to explain these events.

Early on in the book Daniel Abbott lays out a framework for generational change. Abbott believes each higher generation of war operates deeper into an enemies Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop. He states the Christian Roman-era revolution was a fourth generation of war. It wasn't fully clear as to how 4GW is analogous to the Observe-Orient part of the loop. The author's explanation is that 4GW blurs the line between peace and war. However, it isn't fully clear to me as to how this blurring relates to going "deeper" into the loop. The author raises, what seems to be, another requirement of 4GW -- breaking the will of the enemy. That seems to be an adequate requirement for 4GW, however, it doesn't seem to be essential. An actor could break the will of an enemy in numerous ways -- like attrition-style bombing -- and not be fourth generation war. This suggests that the author's definition of 4GW needs to be more rigorously defined. Also, John Boyd modelled the OODA after the scientific methodological process. The author's model for generational war is problematic insofar as a 5GW enemy can avoid the very process -- observation -- a strategic theorist could use to identify a particular generation, which raises questions about how one could support or falsify the theory. A facet of a good inference to best explanation is being able to explain observations. If a theory purports to describe phenomenon that cannot be observed then how do the theorists go on to explain a non-observable event? However, the purpose of the book was not to explain the generations so much as to describe 4GW in early Christianity. So it would be unfair to expect the author to do a complete evaluation of the model and the theory.

Another highlight of the book was a key aspect of Christianity's power -- patience. The author argues that Christians combined patience with long-term strategy to topple the Romans. For example, they waited-out the barbarian attacks and continued to support the Roman power infrastructure knowing their time might come, which reminded me of the Akira Kurosawa movie Yojimbo. The classicist Robert Greene has also written a number of books on patience being a key for obtaining power and that impatience is a principle impediment to power. Abbott's thoughts certainly add to Greene's ideas as well. Perhaps a major weakness that 4GW exploits is a society, and political elite, that lack patience.

The most interesting part of the book was the discussion of Penetration-Isolation-Subdue
/Submit-Reorient-Reharmonise (PISRR) steps to victory. Abbott does a great job of explaining this from the perspective of Christian strategy. The final chapters of the book focus on individual areas of the PISRR. The only problem I could find in this part of the discussion was that the author seemed to make a hasty generalisation from one statement by Paul to an entire theory about the role of women in Christian strategy (Chapter 5). The author would need more sources and observed instances to back up those claims.

Is the book true? As stated above I would have liked to seen more sources to evaluate what the author was saying. The major source for the book is the Bible itself. Other sources are written documents as well. Some individuals might have a problem with this, especially cross-disciplinary readers, for instance archaeologists, who analyse history from a variety of sources. However, Abbott does point to more research in this area, such as Rodney Stark, at the end of the book. I would also recommend reading Volume 1 of Michael Mann's 'The Sources of Social Power' that has a chapter on Christianity as a "decentralized civilizing community" that spread on the back of Roman strengths like trade routes. It is a nice companion to Abbott's book.

Finishing up, this is an interesting book. It has some methodological weaknesses but like all inductive theories it'll either be strengthened or rejected in time. The author has great potential to write more about the unique generational war model based on the OODA loop and I hope he will write a book about it. The author also lays out a number of people who would be interested in the book. I think the following individuals would also like it:

* Those interested in the history of revolution.
* Those interested in case studies of early political economy particularly ideological power versus military and economic power.
* Those interested in nonviolent military strategy.

Review: Revolutionary Strategies in Early Christianity

The brief book outlines Abbott's application of generational war theory and contemporary military strategy to Christianity's peaceful conquest of the Roman Empire. Rome was extremely successful at defending against military and political threats. Christianity succeeded because it didn't set out to conquer Rome, but to co-opt it. They succeeded because they "loved their enemies" and turned every Christian man and woman into a cultural warrior. Less than three centuries later, they won.

My background in these areas is very limited, and alphabet-soup of strategic theories (PISRR, OODA, etc.) can be intimidating. Fortunatly, Strategies takes each theory one step at a time and makes it easy for laypersons to comprehend things like a 'Penetrate-Isloate-Subvert/Subdue-Reorient-Reharmonize' loop. This is the book's biggest strength in my opinion. Many, if not most, of its complex ideas are best illustrated graphically, and Abbott is not afraid to supplement his explanations with a plethora of clear, simply constructed graphs and charts. Even if early Christianity in particular is not of interest to you, Strategies is worth picking up just for the clear explanations of military theory that is relevant in today's political debates - Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN) in particular. Other examples, such as Vichy France and IMB, assist the reader's understanding.

Its hard to quibble with Abbott's theory. I would have liked a slightly longer book, that supported some of his claims more. Descriptively, 4GW has great explanatory power for the rise of Christianity in Rome, but its difficult for me to believe that the apostles had the strategic co-option of the Empire in mind when they penned Matthew 5:41, Ephesians 1:10 or 1 Timothy 2:12. Strategies is for the most part a work of political science and history, but it slides into theology at points, especially in Chapter 7. Although Abbott is right, some more support for his characterizations of the world's three major religions is needed. It wouldn't be too difficult for someone wanting to pick a fight to find Islamic thinkers opposed to legalism or to bring up 2.256 in the Koran.

However, these problems are only a couple steps about spotting typos. The book is a must for anyone with an interest in broad war theory, counter-insurgency and the rise of Christianity, and makes current ideas accessible to those with little background in them.

Jesus and Paul - Architects of the Greatest Insurgent Campaign Ever
What if I told you that Jesus and St. Paul were the architects of the greatest insurgent (fourth-generation warfare) campaign ever?What if I used Scripture and contemporary Roman records to show exactly how they did it (and how the Romans recognized the threat and responded, ultimately failing)?That's exactly what Daniel Abbott does in "Revolutionary Strategies in Early Christianity: 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) Against the Roman Empire, and the Counterinsurgency (COIN) Campaign to Save It".In an intellectual tour de force, Dan not only convincingly explains how precepts such as "If someone forces to you to go one mile, go with him two miles" and "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a
man; she must be silent" served as foundations for the Christian revolution; he then explains how Muhammed designed Islam to defeat Christianity.And to top things off Dan analogizes the two religions to Microsoft and IBM.At just over 40 pages Dan's book is a short, clear, and profound read. It WILL change the way you look at history, current events, and the future, whether you're an atheist, agnostic, or a practicing Catholic like me.I realize that last sentence defies credulity, but the ideas in this book ARE that powerful!

Contemporary insurgency theory, two millenia ago
Dan has done a remarkable job applying contemporary theories of warfare and network science to the early Christian / late Roman era. The most notable strength in Revolutionary Strategies is his inventive correlation of the defensive strategies employed by Caiaphas (the chief antagonist of Jesus's ministries) to those of Diocletian (the late-3rd century Roman emperor who ordered the most severe persecution of the Christian faithful). Accompanying this analysis is a very cogent application of the theories of Boyd (Penetrate - Isolate - Subvert - Reorient - Reharmonize, or PISRR), with modern examples like Vichy France that match the dynamics in the early Christian church.

Both Caiaphas and Diocletian sought to preserve the status quo. For Caiaphas, appeasing Rome was his primary objective: a rogue rabbi who preached of other-worldly gifts would have reflected poorly upon him and his hierarchy. Diocletian clearly understood the management complexities of so vast an empire, and seemed to adeptly address many of the most-pressing ills that plagued the Empire (poor civic participation, an army spread thin on the borders with little to no interior defenses) despite his rampant cronyism (particularly in the establishment of the Tetrarchy). But for the first 18 years of his reign Diocletian was unconcerned about the "Christian threat" - and if it not for Galerius would likely have never ordered the Great Persecution.

Most significantly, Dan's book opens several new fronts on the debate over the nature of insurgency - and counterinsurgency. For instance, is the ex post facto presumption of "co-option" by the splinter Jewish sect that has become the Christian church practical? Or, rather, was the Christian faith "culturally appropriated" by the Roman empire upon Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the early 4th century? While Dan asserts the former through the hypernetworking of the Apostle Paul, I believe this is a topic worthy of broader study. For instance, was Paul (née Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee) savvy enough to realize that his peers in Jewish leadership were attracting the ire of Rome? Did Paul's ministries throughout the Mediterranean seek to increase the rift between Jerusalem and the splinter sect of Christian faithful? And were the Gospels written in a manner to give Rome (and particularly Pilate) a "pass" in the crucifixion of Jesus? (Note that three of the four Gospels were published immediately prior to the First Jewish-Roman War and the subsequent destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.)

Dan also provides another benchmark in the evolving theory of the "generations of war", to wit his development of a taxonomy to differentiate between the various generational constructs. Though I disagree with his assertions that the "0th" (zeroth) generation connotes a form of "total war" and that 3rd generation warfare connotes "better minds", Dan brings value by identifying possible relationships across the xGW generations and inviting further dialogue.

This is perhaps the greatest utility of Revolutionary Strategies: proffering novel ideas in order to provoke debate. Just as the spiritual values of the Romans were initially at odds with the splinter Jewish sect we now call Christians, the different cognitive approaches of Islam and Christianity - one society favoring creativity and innovation, the other cherishing rote memorization - will have similar consequences for our own unfolding century.
... Read more

Product Description
From Paris to Stalingrad, the Nazis systematically plundered all manner of art and antiquities. But the first and most valuable treasures they looted were the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. In Hitler’s Holy Relics, bestselling author Sidney Kirkpatrick tells the riveting and never-before-told true story of how an American college professor turned Army sleuth recovered these cherished symbols of Hitler’s Thousand-Year Reich before they could become a rallying point in the creation of a Fourth and equally unholy Reich.

Anticipating the Allied invasion of Nazi Germany, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler had ordered a top-secret bunker carved deep into the bedrock beneath Nürnberg castle. Inside the well-guarded chamber was a specially constructed vault that held the plundered treasures Hitler valued the most: the Spear of Destiny (reputed to have been used to pierce Christ’s side while he was on the cross) and the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, ancient artifacts steeped in medieval mysticism and coveted by world rulers from Charlemagne to Napoleon. But as Allied bombers rained devastation upon Nürnberg and the U.S. Seventh Army prepared to invade the city Hitler called “the soul of the Nazi Party,” five of the most precious relics, all central to the coronation ceremony of a would-be Holy Roman Emperor, vanished from the vault. Who took them? And why? The mystery remained unsolved for months after the war’s end, until the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, ordered Lieutenant Walter Horn, a German-born art historian on leave from U.C. Berkeley, to hunt down the missing treasures.To accomplish his mission, Horn must revisit the now-rubble-strewn landscape of his youth and delve into the ancient legends and arcane mysticism surrounding the antiquities that Hitler had looted in his quest for world domination. Horn searches for clues in the burnt remains of Himmler’s private castle and follows the trail of neo-Nazi “Teutonic  Knights” charged with protecting a vast hidden  fortune in plundered gold and other treasure. Along  the way, Horn has to confront his own demons:  how members of his family and former academic  colleagues subverted scholarly research to help  legitimize Hitler’s theories of Aryan supremacy  and the Master Race. What Horn discovers on his  investigative odyssey is so explosive that his final  report will remain secret for decades.

Drawing on unpublished interrogation and  intelligence reports, as well as on diaries, letters,  journals, and interviews in the United States and Germany, Kirkpatrick tells this riveting and disturbing story with cinematic detail and reveals— for the first time—how a failed Vienna art student, obsessed with the occult and dreams of his own grandeur, nearly succeeded in creating a Holy Reich rooted in a twisted reinvention of medieval and Church history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Mysterious, Intriguing and Captivating
As is well known, the Nazis plundered many treasures (art, museum pieces, various precious items, etc.) during World War II and hid them in different locations. Since the war's end, much of these items were found and returned to their rightful owners. This book's focus is on the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire - five precious items that were not only priceless but also very meaningful to the German people and their ancestry. Having been removed from Austria by the Nazis, these invaluable items were among those eventually hidden to prevent them from being found by the invading allied armies. After the end of the war in Europe, the task of finding them was assigned to a U.S. Army Intelligence officer - he was given a mere three weeks to accomplish this. In his quest, he learns about Hitler's master plan and how it melded with Nazi superstitious beliefs and myths. Along the way, the reader is treated to related ancient, medieval and religious history - including, in part, the history, symbolism, mythology and travels of the Crown Jewels over the centuries, the Order of the Teutonic Knights who protected them and the great importance that these items had for the Nazis.

The writing style is lively, friendly, authoritative, accessible and quite captivating. Over fifty black and white photographs do an excellent job in complementing the main text. This is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, especially those who love real-life mysteries/whodunits. It should also be of great interest to history buffs.

A great story . . . a great book.
No matter how it was presented, this would be a story worth reading.In this book, Sidney Kirkpatrick turns a great story into a super thriller and an academic eye-opener about Nazi methods and ambitions at the close of WWII. It is enjoyable and worthwhile on every level.

Fascinating And Troubling
Hitler's Holy Relics is the story of the search for the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, ancient symbols of German nationhood which were used by Hitler, Himmler, and other Nazis as a way of claiming legitimacy for their regime.During World War II the jewels were hidden in a bunker in the city of Nurnberg.After Nurnberg was captured by the US Army in 1945 the search for the jewels began, led by Walter Horn, German born and American educated, who carefully tracked down the treasure.

This is a fascinating story on several levels.The descriptions of the last few months of World War II and the immediate post war period in Germany are vivid and give a good picture of what the ordinary civilians in Nurnberg and elsewhere suffered through.Horn's painstaking search for the jewels is as intriguing as any detective story.Most of all, I appreciated the vast amount of information provided on the Nazis' use of mythological and religious imagery and their distortions of history and religion to justify their crimes.

I LOVED THIS BOOK...A REAL PAGE TURNER
This book has it all! Drama, history, mysticism, mystery and a cast of first rate villains...HITLER'S HOLY RELICS is an incredible true story of twists and turns told by master storyteller Sidney D. Kirkpatrick. It was an AWESOME read, thank you Sidney!

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!
If you really enjoy history, you will love this incredible true never-before-told story. If you have a fascination with WWII, then you will love it even more. What's amazing is that you really don't have to enjoy history or have a fascination with WWII to be dazzled by the story. You don't have to be interested in art-history. You don't have to be interested in mysteries. You do have to know how to read and you have to be good at turning pages because this is a real page-turner. Take it to the beach. It is great beach reading. It feels light even though it is really heavy. It feels easy even though it is filled with history lessons. I think I'm going to end up reading it twice!! ... Read more

Product Description
The first modern account of the conflict between the eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanian kingdom. Greatrex traces the background to the war, investigating relations between Rome and Persia, the state of Roman defences in the East, and the chaotic situation in Persia at the end of the 5th century. He then examines the sources and the war itself, including the development of Roman defences, and the attempts by both powers to secure control of the Transcaucasian kingdoms. ... Read more

Product Description

This biographical narrative is a detailed portrayal of the life and career of the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great (273 – 337). Combining vivid narrative and historical analysis, Charles Odahl relates the rise of Constantine amid the crises of the late Roman world, his dramatic conversion to and public patronage of Christianity, and his church building programs in Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinople which transformed the pagan state of Roman antiquity into the Christian empire medieval Byzantium.

The author’s comprehensive knowledge of the literary sources and his extensive research into the material remains of the period mean that this volume provides a more rounded and accurate portrait of Constantine than previously available.

This revised second edition includes:

• An expanded and revised final chapter
• A new Genealogy and an expanded Chronology
• New illustrations
• Revised and updated Notes and Bibliography

A landmark publication in Roman Imperial, early Christian, and Byzantine history, Constantine and the Christian Empire will remain the standard account of the subject for years to come.

Product Description
A colorful guide to the armor, equipment, and tactics of the Roman legions from the birth of the empire to its collapse four centuries later. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A top of the list must for Roman reenactors
Picks up where "Roman Legions Recreated in Colour Photos" leavesoff.An excellent feature are the abundant line drawings of the sculptureand bas relief from which so much of the interpretation of recreated gearis derived. - Hibernicus, Leg IX His.

An excellent illustrated discussion of Roman army equipage.
The book is exactly what I have long sought, a complete discussion of the armor, clothing, weapons, and other equipage of the Roman Army.The only reservation that I might have is that the time period covered is that of the early and middle Empire and does not discuss the army at the time of the Punic Wars, the late Republic, from Gaius Marius to Jullius Caesar, or the late Empire of Diocletian on through the end.I do realize that this would have required a very much larger, and more expensive, book.In any case, I have found the book as it is to be accurate in its very detailed discussions and extensive illustrations.It is certainly one of the very best books on the subject that I have found to date. ... Read more

Product Description
Roman Empire. Roman Emperor, Roman Senate, Praetorian Guard, Sacramentum, Donativum, Equestrian order, Cursus honorum, Military of ancient Rome, Roman army, Roman Navy, Roman province ... Read more

Product Description
A magnificent full color book on the life and times of the Roman Legions, illustrated with over 35 pieces of original color artwork and more than 100 color photographs of equipment, weapons, and reenactments.

Customer Reviews (3)

A thorough and in-depth historical survey of Rome and the methods and details of its army
Imperium Legionis: A Detailed Study Of The Roman Army During The Empire by historian and author Jose Sanchez Toledo is a remarkably illustrated survey of the makeup, duties, and armaments of the Imperial Legions that established, expanded, and defended the great Roman Empire. A thorough and in-depth historical survey of Rome and the methods and details of its army, Imperium Legionis covers every element of a soldiers outfit from the sandals worn, to the variations of helmets, body armor, weaponry, and the many different types of soldiers such as legionary, cavalry, centurion, optio, aquilifer, and more. A welcome and popular addition to any personal, academic, or community library collection, Imperium Legionis is very highly recommended reading, especially for students of the history and accomplishments of ancient Rome.

informative illustrated study of all aspects of Roman legions
Toledo's participation in reenactments of Roman battles with replicas of classical Roman military uniforms, weapons, and maneuvers familiarized him with all aspects of the legions which carried Roman civilization throughout Europe and parts of North Africa and the Middle East. But he does not stop at the colorful, captivating Roman military regalia. Military ranks from ordinary legionnaires through standard bearers and centurions on to cavalry and generals and the roles of each are covered, as well as the military pay scale, battle tactics, parts and purposes of body armor, and daily life including garrison duty in conquered lands. Photographs of reenactors like Toledo (similar to American Civil War buffs putting on Northern and Confederate uniforms to replay Civil War battles) and realistic color illustrations complement the author's descriptions and discussions. In a column on many pages is a journal of a fictitious legionnaire recording his impressions, thoughts, and experiences in relation to the subjects being treated in the regular text. This is an engaging illustrated, popular, yet comprehensive and authoritative treatment of the always fascinating Roman armies which were for centuries unrivaled in the ancient world.

thin, but a nice book
This book has full color illustrations throughout- of period art, photographs of reenactors, drawings showing how the armor and kit was layered on the soldier, and high quality illustrations. While I did find the layout a bit too busy for my taste, there is a lot of good information in here.

The publishers specialize in modeling books so it's slanted to the more tangible aspects of the Roman Army. One of the authors is along time Roman reenactor to it has that added view on the topic.

Certainly at the discounted Amazon price it's a must have for anyone interested in the Early Imperial Roman army- whether for painting figures, modeling, wargaming, or reenacting.
... Read more

Product Description
The capture of the Hapsburg city of Vienna was a major strategic aspiration for the Islamic Ottoman Empire, desperate for the control that the city exercised over the Danube and the overland trade routes between southern and northern Europe. In July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a jihad and the Turkish grand vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to the city with an army of 150,000 men.

In September a relieving force arrived under Polish command and joined up with the defenders to drive the Turks away. The main focus of this book is the final 15-hour battle for Vienna, which climaxed with a massive charge by three divisions of Polish winged hussars. This hard-won victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which was never to threaten central Europe again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Siege that made History
And a show of heroism and determination for both sides of the conflict. It definitively made a good book in this concise "essay" from Simon Millar.

Competently he describes the background of the campaign, not only in the Imperial habsburg eastern front but also the western with Louis XIV France and how it influenced the reluctance of certain princes to be in the relief force. The author doesn't forget the Ottoman side of the border; the necessity of Mehmed IV to obtain a victory after a succession of deposed sultans (some murdered) and the near ending of the peace treaty with the Empire.

There is a short summary of the troop types (complemented with a few very well portrayed black and white drawings), a short CV of the main characters (John III Sobieski, Starhemberg, Leopold, Kara Mustafa pasha, Rackoksi) a a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of both combatants, including Montecocculis reforms, the weak artillery science of the Ottomans (although they had good pieces) compensated by the excellent Turkish miners, etc.

The campaign is well detailed with marching routes, skirmishes and supported by good maps. The Siege is divided by "main events" and well structured with the politic events outside Vienna. It culminates on the Kalehmberg confrontation outside the city, where the Imperial and Polish army fought and Routed the Ottoman army.

The author doesn't forget the aftermath battles of Parkany and future implications of the failed siege.

This work, although good, isn't perfect. The CV's should concentrate on the leaders of the siege and battle, not the political rulers. Although it has very good maps of the armies movements, it has only one birds-eye view map of the battle (it usually has 3)! The numbers involved aren't very well detailed.

The art is very good! Both the three coloured plates like the black and white line drawings. Congratulations to the artist Peter Dennis.

Recommended but can be improved.

The Book presents very well the victory ofthe expedition force of army of King Sobieski's Poland overturks at Vienna 1683
Destroing, literally, turkich mitary surroudning Vienna, on urgent request of the Pope send to polish King Jan Sobieski , whilst the other european contries did almost nothing in that highly dramatic situation of Vienna, cannot be overestimated in respect of saving of european civilisation from barbarism. Yet, nor Austria, nor Pope, nobody, offered Poland some financial compensation of the costs of the organizing the expeditionary force, and Poland's economy soon had been ruined by that, and ... Sweeden used the moment to attack Poland from the North and occupy it. Nobody helped Poland.
Wiktor Nowicki, a polish-american.

What Happened to the Maps?
In Osprey's Campaign 191, Vienna 1683, author Simon Millar tells the story of the last great Ottoman campaign of conquest in Europe. This is a dramatic period in history, charged with emotion and ideology on both sides, although these aspects are played down in favor of a strait-up campaign narrative. In describing the campaign, the author is able to stay on track and stick to essentials, resulting in a cogent summary of the military operations, although somewhat devoid of analysis. Furthermore, the narrative is weakened by the inadequate number and indifferent quality of the maps used to support it - in stark contrast to most Osprey volumes. On the other hand, the volume is enhanced by the superb artwork of Peter Dennis. In sum, good text, poor maps, good battle scenes.

The author begins with an introduction that sketches out the security environment facing Austria in 1683, which seems to stress that Louis XIV posed more of a threat to the Hapsburgs than the Ottomans, which seems a bit strange. Certainly France was interested in making gains against Hapsburg dominions in the Low Countries, Germany and Italy, but unlike the Ottomans, the French armies were unlikely to march on Vienna, massacre the population and burn the city to the ground. Indeed, the author appears to be confusing two different styles of warfare (limited, focused on exchange of provinces versus total, focused on exchange of cultures). The section on opposing commanders is decent, but devotes far more space to Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I who played only a small role in the actual campaign, as compared to the thin blurb on Count Ernst Starhemberg who led the actual defense of Vienna. I think most of us would rather know more about the soldiers who actually won/lost the battle, than the figureheads who watched afar from a convent window. The author does paint a convincing portrait of Kara Mustafa Pasha, the Ottoman grand vizier who staked his reputation on taking Vienna.

The section on opposing armies is a bit skimpy at four pages, covering the Imperial forces, the Polish-Lithuanian Army and the Ottoman Army. Four uniform illustrations by Peter Dennis did highlight this section. However, the order of battle is a complete disappointment, with only generic totals listed. Does the author mean that he can find no greater detail on the Vienna garrison that it consisted of about 12,000 men in 72 infantry companies and a regiment of cavalry? Seems a bit lame. The volume has a total of seven 2-D Maps (Central and Eastern Europe in 1683; Vienna and the River Danube in 1683; the siege of Vienna; the Tatar Raids into Austria; the opposing sides concentrate their forces on Vienna; the march of the Christian forces through the Wienerwald; the reconquest of Hungary) but only one 3-D Map (the Battle of Kahlenberg, 12 September 1683). There are also three battle scenes (the Ottomans arrive before Vienna; an Ottoman attack on the city walls is repelled; the charge of the Polish winged hussars) by Peter Dennis

The most difficult section of the book to follow is the 14 pages on the beginning of the campaign, since the maps don't show the Ottoman advance on Vienna and their outmaneuvering of the Austrian blocking forces. In this section, the author notes that Austrian mobilization was hindered by economic weakness and the Ottoman violation of an existing peace treaty. Certainly the best section in this volume is the 21-page section on the actual defense of Vienna. Unfortunately, the lack of proper maps makes it very difficult to follow the author's description of the various Ottoman assaults and mining operations, since the maps fail to identify the bastions. Furthermore, the one 2-D map he provides does not show the position of Ottoman artillery batteries or much detail on the siege works. Nor is there any real mention of casualties, so it is difficult to gauge whether the besiegers were gaining on the defenders.

The Austro-Bavarian-Saxon-Polish relief of Vienna is covered in the 17-page section on the battle of Kahlenberg. This action is described in some detail, particularly the effects of terrain on the Allied advance, but it is far from clear why the Ottomans lost this battle. The final sections cover the aftermath of the campaign, including the final defeat of the retreating Ottoman invasion army at the Battle of Parkany and the resultant execution of Kara Mustafa for his failure. Although the author provides a brief section on the battlefield today, I was surprised that he made no mention of the Museum of Military History in Vienna, which has exhibits on this battle. Overall, not a bad volume and one that certainly summarizes a less-well-known campaign, but with a little effort it could have been much better.

Good summary account on the last high tide of Islam against Europe
In less then 100 pages, Simon Millar managed to write an excellent summary account of the last major military offensive conducted by Islamic Ottoman Empire against Christian Europe in 1683 when the Turks tried but failed to capture the capital city of the Holy Roman Empire, Vienna.

The book follows the typical Osprey Campaign series format where the background information on the campaign, its leaders and the military forces involved were given in a brief summary. However, the author did a pretty good job making it informative but not too detail. The book comes with excellent maps and illustrations that convey the subject matter quite well. The narrative proves to be quite interesting and author writes with prose and insights that make the book easy to read as well as enjoyable. I thought it was pretty ironic that the Polish kingdom that saved Vienna in 1683 would be dismembered by the same political unit that they saved within the hundred years period. This also marked the long decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire that will end its existence after World War I and the last time an militant Islam wages a war against the Christian heartland until the current time. The Ottoman Empire's efforts against Vienna in 1683 is not a well known subject matter for many, including myself and I thought the book filled the void quite excellently along the basic level.
... Read more

Product Description
Long out of print, this volume chronicles the remarkable career of Belisarius (A.D. 505(?)-A.D. 565), the last great general of Imperial Rome. Rising from obscure beginnings, Belisarius became the right-hand man of the emperor Justinian I in his 6th century bid to reconquer the lost western provinces of the Roman Empire. In an epic sequence of campaigns, Belisarius destroyed the Vandalic kingdom in North Africa and the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy but ultimately, the exhausted resources of the weakened empire and intrigues of the imperial court in Constantinople resulted in the undoing of the man and much of his work.

Lord Mahon’s detailed, well-researched, and referenced biography of Belisarius is the only work in existence which focuses so authoritatively on this fascinating historical figure. This reprint of the 1848 second edition has been re-formatted and typeset and includes editorial annotations which help bring Mahon's work up-to-date, along with a supplemental reading list of ancient and contemporary works in English which were not available in Mahon's day. This edition also features Mahon's original detailed table of contents, his full references (including text in Latin and Greek) set conveniently as chapter endnotes, and a map of the Mediterranean world.

The Life of Belisarius belongs in the collection of any library with a collection in classics, late Roman/Byzantine studies, or military history. Likewise, it is a useful addition to the bookshelves of Byzantinists and researchers of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, and as a supplementary text for a Late Antiquity/Early Medieval Europe course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Classic History, and the horrors of OCR.
The two stars, and the bulk of this review, are not for the work itself, but for this specific edition, a horrendous example of OCR production from General Books LLC.Before getting into that, however, a couple of comments on the book, to which, on its own merits, I would have given four stars.

This is, in fact an excellent biography, which illuminates a key era in European history.The Byzantine Emperor Justinian's effort to re-conquer the Western territories of the Roman Empire ended up being a disaster in the long run, largely through his failure to follow through on initial success, and to commit sufficient resources for the attempt.His greatest general, Belisarius, did an incredible job with the limited resources at his command, re-conquering the Vandal kingdom of North Africa, and bringing Italy to the point where other commanders, with more troops at their disposal, could finish the job.It's a fascinating period in history, which, if you insist on relevance, has lessons for our own era.

Stanhope was a meticulous historian, careful not to draw definite conclusions where the evidence is lacking.This work was written in 1829, and modern readers will find some prejudices and attitudes that grate a bit in the early 21st century.Let's get over it.Who knows what our own attitudes will seem like to people 180 years in our future?This is an exceptionally well written and informative work.Where it gives opinions on matters of fact, they are supported either by evidence or by clearly explained reasoning.

Now, about this edition.It's truly awful.I have to fault myself for carelessly overlooking that this book was produced by OCR, but even if I had known, I would not have anticipated just how bad it could be.The human role in producing this must have been minimal at best.Here are some of the worst faults.

The footnotes get mixed in with the text, without any indication where one leaves off and the other begins.Unlike modern works, where the footnotes are numbered, Stanhope used a sequence of special symbols, which the OCR program often didn't know what to do with.

The original work included short quotations and words in the Greek alphabet.Again, the OCR didn't know what to do, and tried to interpret these in the Roman alphabet, resulting in strings of gibberish.

Stanhope had put marginal notes on some of the pages indicating the year in which the events were taking place.You guessed it, the OCR just took these and stuck them somewhere in the middle of a sentence.Chapter headings also appear in the middle of sentences.

This edition is divided into "sections" instead of chapters, which often break off in the middle of a sentence, and pick up in the next.

There are many spelling errors which probably result from problems in the clarity of the scan used by the program.

Now all this might be marginally acceptable if the publisher had revealed that this edition did in fact contain all these defects, not just that it "might".It might also be acceptable if they had charged only one or two dollars for the book.I don't care what they needed to charge to make a profit.If you're going to produce work this shoddy, either sell it for a pittance or don't sell it.

It's an absolute disgrace that the publisher would charge a premium paperback price for this travesty.I see it has gone up 50% over what I paid, which itself was way too much.

I won't use this review to plug another specific edition, but I did find one that was much better, and thought well enough of Stanhope's work to buy it.I just wish I hadn't wasted my money on the General Books version.

Do NOT buy the hardcover!
I gave this review 5 stars because the book itself is outstanding and many of the criticisms on here are asinine. However, do not, under any circumstance, order the hardcover edition from Kessinger Publishing. It is an abomination that looks like it was put together from a (crummy) laser printer in someone's basement. Many of the pages aren't even legible --and I mean that seriously: you literally cannot read the text on many pages in the first half of the book.I'm returning my copy to Amazon and they need to stop selling books from this publisher. Just because someone sets up a publishing company reprinting public domain books in their mom's garage doesn't mean Amazon needs to sell their garbage.

A Proper English Biography of a Roman General
Jon Coulston's introduction describes this as "...a work of meticulous scholarship penned by a British aristocrat with the resources and leisure for travel and research."Philip Stanhope (a/k/a Lord Mahon) was 24 years old when "The Life of Belisarius" was published, and it is clearly a commendable, if flawed, effort.The authorial voice is positively enslaved by a compulsion to mimic Edward Gibbon.Even so, it's a good (definitive?) source for the perspectives of mildly pompous, 19th Century English dandies on the life and times of Belisarius.

Mahon is churlishly misogynistic (a fault which Coulston attempts to minimize by ascribing it to his [Mahon's] era rather than his person), as well as nakedly pro-Christian.Even Gibbon acknowledged the inherent superstitious quality of all religions; Mahon finds it only in non-Christian actors (and occasionally in those Christian sects of which he personally disapproves).These are, in themselves, petty criticisms.However, throughout his book Mahon relies heavily upon his own biases and prejudices to explain historical causation.

Nevertheless, it is an engrossing and entertaining book - in no small measure because of the subject himself.Belisarius may not have bequeathed to posterity enough material to construct a first-rate psychological biography, but his actions precluded the necessity.His story would be impressive in any telling of it.

A product of its time
The 'Life of Belisarius' is really just a retelling of the works of Prokopios and Agathias, with a heavy Victorian slant. The 'scholarship' is shallow, and the writing is loaded with Gibbonisms, but nonetheless it still maintains some commendable features. The narrative, while loaded with all sorts of silly judgments that have no place amongst scholarly works, is very easy to follow. Coulston's introduction is very good, and he acknowledges the faults of the work he is writing the preface for. The maps are generally useless, being much to small to see anything, and placed at random places in the book, making it very hard to find them once again.

Nonetheless, I can't bring myself to give it less than 3 stars. While it is shallow, extremely biased, and has virtually no support material, the narrative is very readable. The modern reader should be able to see through most of the Victorian/Georgian mindset. If you want to write an essay, just go and get Prokopios and Agathias (and Malalas and Scholastikos if you're a little braver.) If you just want some light reading on the Justinianic period, this is a fine book. It does not take an advanced student to see past Mahon's faults as a historian.

Belisarius
I became intrigued with this little known historical figure after reading the massive Gibbons book. Although Lord Mahon wrote long ago i found his style easy to follow and, as this work is a straight historical piece, I believe he was impartial in his reporting and research. The Life of Belisarius itself would make a great movie. It has all the elements needed; a heroic and loyal figure, a decadent royalty, palace intrigue, adultrous relationships and warfare. All of this under crumbling empire and religion distorted by evil men. For history buffs I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1461 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Internet Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2007. The length of the article is 612 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ospry Publishing.(military books)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Internet Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: December 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of The Leadership of Matilda of Canossa
This book would be of great value to the medieval historian interested in Matilda - also known as Matilda of Tuscany.Hay demonstrates an excellent knowledge of the primary sources from Matilda's time from both the Italian and German camps and also the modern historians.He tells a convincing tale of Matilda's strong contribution to the papal cause and her direct involvement in the battles in the late eleventh century against the German Henry IV. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1610 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume 1 of Julius Caesar's commentary on his war in Gaul. With Plutarch's life of Caesar. Text in French. B/W illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the three dimensions of European warfare, based on the campaigns of Emperor Charles V (1500-1558).Charles's role as commander-in-chief is evaluated by measuring his strategic aims.The process by which bankers took control of the finances of the Habsburg lands becomes clear from an examination of the source of the money to pay for Charles's campaigns. Finally, a comparison of the realms that provided most of Charles's revenues shows how some parliamentary bodies successfully pursued long-term local interests by exploiting the dynasty's need for money. ... Read more