The fascinating story of Republican Rome's gruelling six-year campaign against the insurgent Numidian warlord, Jugurtha.Jugurtha, the adoptive son of Micipsa, king of the Numidians, was initially a much-respected ally of Rome, fighting gallantly alongside the Romans during the Numantine War in Iberia. Over the course of the campaign, however, the ambitious and hot-headed Jugurtha fell in with more unsavoury company, who urged him to stage a coup d'etat and wrest co...

A gripping illustrated narrative of the Cimbrian (or Cimbric) War, in which the armies of the Roman Republic finally defeated the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri, Teutons, Ambrons and Tigurini.Rome's victory in the Cimbrian War was born of a number of huge and devastating defeats at the hands of the Germanic tribes (chiefly the Cimbri and Teutones), who had migrated en masse southwards in the late 2nd century BC. These included the d...

The prototypical 'Roman Legionnaire' often seen on television and in movies is actually the product of nearly a millennium of military development. Far back in the Bronze Age, before the city of Rome existed, a loose collection of independent hamlets eventually formed into a village. From this base, the earliest Roman warriors launched cattle raids and ambushes against their enemies. At some point during this time, the Romans began a period of expansion, conquering land and absorbing peopl...

One of the greatest ambushes in military history, Lake Trasimene was the site of the slaughter of an entire Roman army at the hands of Hannibal during the Second Punic War. An ideal book for all enthusiasts of ancient warfare.Following Hannibal's crushing victory at the battle of the Trebbia, the reeling Roman Republic sent a new army under the over-confident consul Caius Flaminius to destroy the Carthaginian invaders – unbeknownst to him they were ready and waitin...

A military historian's enlightening reassessment of the famous 16th century naval battle between the Ottoman Empire and Pope Pius V's Holy League.The battle of Lepanto has long been considered one of the decisive naval battles of history. Yet, the savage fighting on October 7th, 1571, left the strategic map unchanged. The defeated Ottoman Turks were able to replace their losses and launch a new fleet the following year. In Lepanto 1571, historian Nic Fields...

The third in the Roman Conquests series will briefly cover Rome's first forays into the dark continent during the First and Second Punic Wars, then cover in detail her vindictive final conquest and destruction of Carthage in the Third Punic War. The subsequent long wars against the slippery Numidian prince, Jugurtha, which tested the Roman military system to the limit, also occupy a central place. With a cast of characters including Hannibal, the Scipios, Marius, Sulla and the wily Jugurth...

The first dedicated examination of Alexander the Great's final battle and acknowledged tactical masterpiece.In the years that followed Alexander the Great's victory at Gaugamela on 1 October 331 BC, his Macedonian and Greek army fought a truly 'Herculean' series of campaigns in what is today Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. But it was in the Indus Valley, on the banks of the Hydaspes River (known today as the Jhelum) in 326 BC that Alexander would fig...

The author of God's Viking brings to life " a period in Roman history that provides many twists and turns as Rome emerged from the period of rule by Nero" ( Firetrench).With the death of Nero by his own shaky hand, the ill-sorted, ill-starred Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an ignominious end, and Rome was up for the taking. This was 9 June, AD 68. The following year, commonly known as the "Year of the Four Emperors," was probably ...

The war between Caesar and Pompey was one of the defining moments in Roman history. The clash between these great generals gripped the attention of their contemporaries and it has fascinated historians ever since. These powerful men were among the dominant personalities of their age, and their struggle for supremacy divided Rome. In this original and perceptive study Nic Fields explores the complex, often brutal world of Roman politics and the lethal rivalry of Caesar and Pompey that grew ...

A highly illustrated account of one of Ancient Rome's most humiliating defeats, the battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BC, and how the embarrassment spurred the Roman Army on to eventual triumph.In its long history, the Roman Republic suffered many defeats, but none as humiliating as the Caudine Forks in the summer of 321 BC. Rome had been at war with the Samnites – one of early Rome's most formidable foes – since 326 BC in what would turn out to be a long and bitt...

Nic Fields draws on detailed knowledge of available sources and his own visits to the battlefield to set the battle within the context of its political situation and religious impact upon history. The Battle of the Frigidus River, fought on 5 and 6 September 394 in what is now Slovenia, was a crucial clash between the Eastern Roman emperor, Theodosius (later 'the Great'), and the usurper Eugenius, who had seized power in the Western Empire. The battle was hard fought and lasted two days. A...

"One of the best books about the ancient world I've ever read. . . . lively and informative." — Toy Solder & Model FigureFor a period of some 200 years, Sparta was acknowledged throughout the Greek world as the home of the finest soldiers—Xenophon called them "the only true craftsmen in matters of war." In this book, Nic Fields explains the reasons for this superiority, how their reputation for invincibility was earned (and deliberately manipulated), and ho...