The Ancient World At War

Warfare is a topic on which a seemingly endless number of books are published; this is one which is fully justified. The most obviously outstanding feature of the volume is its scope, with a world-wide range of ancient civilizations covered, from the familiar Greeks and Romans, to Egypt and the Near East, Celts, central Europeans, Olmecs, Aztecs and Incas, and the early armies of China, Japan and Korea. The chapters are each assigned to big names in their respective fields, and the text is impressively detailed for a glossy production of this kind, whilst still pitched at the non-specialist reader. The book is illustrated throughout, mostly in colour and the many maps and battle-plans are of admirable clarity.