Product Description

Drawn from a wide range of warlike peoples throughout the provinces, especially on the fringes of the empire, auxiliaries were generally not citizens of the Roman empire. The cavalry of the auxilia provided a powerful fighting arm; organized, disciplined and well trained, it was adept at performing both skirmish and shock action. This book details the many roles of the Roman auxiliary cavalryman, including reconnaissance, communication and policing duties, as well as in battle. Motivation for enlisting, conditions of service and experience of battle are all explored, and colour illustrations support the text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102380 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

Well written
Deserves the four stars I have given it. Osprey's can be thin on information and consequently too expensive. However when they get it right as in this book the reader is well catered for.

Informative
This book is succinct; wasting no words whatsoever in its description of life in a Roman auxiliary cavalry regiment. The topic here is quite specific even within the realms of the Roman army, so if you already know something about Rome it will be a distinct advantage to your enjoyment.

The book covers many aspects of life for such a cavalry man from his recruitment right through to his death or retirement. The information on the equestrian side of life is very good. There is a detailed description of a saddle which was quite different to those common today. Snippets, such as how far a horseman may have been expected to ride in one day are great too.

This book deals best with, equipment and clothing and is supported admirably by some excellent photos and art work. The colour plates provided by Adam Hook are fantastic but become even more fascinating when looked at in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. One slight niggle here is that the commentary would be best presented on an opposite page to the picture, rather than at the end of the book causing one to turn back and forward.

There are one or two errors which I spotted but these are minor and in no way take anything away from the book as a whole. Perhaps they will be rectified in later editions.

Overall then, this is a great visual resource for those who want to get a feel for what things actually looked like. I already have my eye on one or two other Osprey books about different aspects of this period.

Exceptional
Osprey Publishing have produced many ancient military books over the years, some are good while others are less so. Only an exceptional few are truly excellent. Roman Auxillary Cavalryman comes very close to being one of those 'classic' titles.

The book is written by Nic Fields, a relativily new contributer who has none the less, pumped out several books on Egyptian, Greek and Roman warfare in a very short space of time. I have always had a feeling that these might end up being rushed and that they are bound to lack quality, but I am usually impressed by the breadth of information and the sound scholarship he produces.

This title, which is meant as an introduction to the Roman Auxillary Cavalryman, is packed full of information. It covers subjects such as recruitment, training, arms and equipment, organisation, religious beliefs and camplife, rewards and punishments... almost everything. It even has sections that explain how the cavalryman and his horse were supplied with food, and how much oats, barley and maize were needed to keep the horse in the field. I had never expected that the book would be that detailed, considering its size.

Adam Hook provides 8 pages of colour plates. These contain the usual battle scenes with a few pages on cavalry equipment and weapons put in as well. They are very good, and would be of some use to wargamers and reenactors.

I found this a very good book on a little researched topic. It deserves to be read by anyone who wants to learn about Roman cavalry, before they move on to the expensive scholarly books.

Also includes: Chronological timeline, A glossary of latin and military terms, and a bibliography.