Warfare in the Ancient World

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-Even though these series titles present straightforward descriptions of wars, who fought them, and how, why is a question that might occur to many readers. Nowhere is there any discussion of the social and economic factors that gave rise to fighting. Ancient World covers the rise and fall of empires and dynasties from Egypt through the Roman Empire. Specific battles, from Kadesh to Cannae, are described with accompanying diagrams. This pattern is repeated in Medieval World and Renaissance World, but the authors' dry and academic descriptions fail to capture the drama (and also the chaos, blood, and degradation) of battle. Especially in the latter two books, the texts get bogged down in complicated political background without ever helping readers grasp the significance of the events being described. One comes away from reading about the Hundred Years War or the Thirty Years War without much understanding of how these conflicts influenced the course of history. The emphasis in all three books is on European wars. A token chapter at the end of each one acknowledges that the other parts of the world witnessed major conflicts, but little detail is provided. Discussions of weapons and tactics presume a background in military history. Well-placed, full-color maps and reproductions add some attraction, as do good bibliographies. Peter Connolly's Greece and Rome at War (Stackpole, 1998) is a better choice for understanding ancient warfare, especially in the classical Mediterranean world.-David N. Pauli, Portland Jewish Academy, OR