This is an exceptional book for wargamers interested in the art of war in Classical times. The text is clear, concise, and gives a good overview of the political and cultural events that shaped the art of war and the history of the particular period in a particular chapter. The illustrations give good looks at uniform and organisational details, and the descriptive maps/illustrations give a decent look at tactics.
Getting all of this in one volume at a reasonable price makes this a "must-buy" for wargamers (particularly beginning wargamers) looking at the Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, Cathaginians, and/or Romans as potential armies for the tabletop.

I first found this book in a public library in the early 1980's. Shortly after that it was stolen and I searched for it until about a year ago when I found it in a bookstore. This is the most comprehensive guide to the arms, armor, and tactics of the ancient world that I have ever seen. The illustrations are incredible and the diagrams of famous ancient battles shed new light on what really happend. If you enjoy studying ancient warfare, especially Greek and Roman, then you will LOVE this book.

This book is a must for anybody interested in classical warfare, military history, wargaming. When I first read this book many years ago, it really brought the classical period to life for me. The colorful illustrations, the diagrams of famous battles and force dispositions. Its all here including how different military systems, cavalry, foot and siege warfare have evolved from Greek to Roman times. As a history buff and wargamer, I find myself going to this book for reference constantly. Really a must for anyone interested in an introduction to classical warfare.

A very well researched and clearly written account from Homeric times to the fall of Rome. The text is consise and excellently illustrated. Tactics and the political background to military strategy are discussed in depth, and pointers to original and secondary sources provided. The sections on siege and naval warfare are particularly good.

This is a wonderful book. It reads well and has superb illustrations of the fighting men and their weapons. It gives one a real feel of the era and the men who fought in them. It is also not too long and doesn't bore you with dry detail. Of course it is not as detailed as the serious studies on the eras such as Webster's and Bohec's studies of the Imperial Roman Army but then again it is not meant to be. It accomplishes what it sets out to do which is put you in the basic know on warfare in ancient Greece and Rome and also has much detail on their respective foes such as the Persians, Scythians, Gauls etc. However I still don't understand why it is termed an encyclopedia since it doesn't follow the standard alphabetical format (although an encyclopedia doesn't necessarily have to...I was just wondering?). Great book anyway and well worth the purchase. Peter Connelly's book "Greece and Rome at War" is also in the same vein but somehow I still prefer this one.

This book has exactly the same text as the Illustrated Encyclopedia of ancient warfare by the same author, but there are no illustrations. If you can spare a few more bucks, by the illustrated version: it has a wealth of battle maps, color plates and other illustrated material which makes this text-only version pale in comparison, although it is still quite informative. I give it 4 stars while I would give the illustrated version 5.

The number of misconceptions about ancient warfare is legion. There is a tendency to see ancient battles as little more than bloody scrums, with none of the tactical art, deception, or finesse of modern battle. Indeed, the tactics and weaponry are often perceived as being static, nowhere near as fluid as those of today.

John Warry punctures all of these myths with his seminal work "Warfare in the Classical World", which covers the Greek and Roman art of war in a single slim, accessible volume.

Warry does not fall into the trap which often befalls military historians in that he strives to place each conflict in its proper political context. Surprisingly, there is not a single battle map in the book, as he is for the most part concerned with how armies fight and not the results of single battles.

In each section, Warry begins with an incisive commentary on the sources from which we have inherited our historical knowledge, probing the biases of each. He then describes the political scene of the day before analyzing the art of war as practiced at the time, finally wrapping up with a brief summary.

This makes for highly entertaining and thought-provoking reading, and allows the reader to grasp the evolution of land and naval warfare from the Homeric Age to the fall of Rome.

And what an evolution this was, from the individual, hand-to-hand combat of the Heroic Greeks to the extremely disciplined and varied tactics of the Roman Legion. Ancient warfare was anything but a static affair as brilliant warriors constantly sought the battlefield edge through new tactics and weaponry.

Take, for example, the evolution of the spear, from the short, thrusting weapon used by early Greek phalangists to the throwing spear represented by the Roman pilum, craftily designed so as to make the shields of the barbarian hordes they faced useless. Or the rise and fall of elephants in battle, first used by Persians battling the Greeks, then employed by the Carthaginians against Rome before falling out of favor with Hannibal's defeat at Zama. Talk about heavy cavalry!

This book will delight even the most casual interest in military history or the ancient world. For the professional soldier, this work is an essential reference which belongs on your bookshelf, if only to convince the boss that you do study your profession. Rush out and pick up a copy today.

A look at our past is a look at out past wars. All over the history, civilizations, kingdoms and states have emerged, survived or obliterated based in their skill to win battle after battle (not only at the battlefields but also at the political arena). I am afraid it's not different nowdays.

It's interesting to have a look at gifted generals whose best skill was to know the timely place and time for fighting and their pursuit of decesive wins. Overall, victory depends usually in just one man with his skills and shortcomings.

I love this book on account of its global outlook of wars as one of the weapons in the array of ancient leaders. Demografy, economy or beliefs are key factor that great generals were able to tip in their favor.

In this book, the author is bent on placing each leader or general into political, economical and social context. It is not only a catalogue of wars, outflaking movements and so on. There are plently of examples of great generals almost ever-winner that could not overcome other factors and eventually were defeated (as Anibal or Espartacus) by enemies, comrades or chiefs. On the contrary how geniuos as Julio Cesar or Escipion africanus could innovate and emerged victorious against all hurdles by fair means or fouls.

In the list of gifted people, there were really little known people who made great exploits (as Lucullus, the brother of Anibal and so on). Many factors drive life and glory and not always the best or better is the winner.

This book must be thought of as a global modern view that places each name and battle in a place in History and that directs you into reading ancient sorces of much narrow scope and less reliable but closer to real facts: Xenophon, Arrio, Julio Cesar, tuciddides and so many which are shed with a different light under a more encopassing view.

All in all, a pleasure to enjoy. By the way, how different in the real story of Spartacus from the famous film. Men, with our mistakes are the best sources or our grievances.