The Byzantines had a remarkably sophisticated approach to politics and military strategy. Unlike most of their contemporaries, they learnt very early in their history that winning a battle did not necessarily win a war, and they frequently bought off their enemies with treaties and bribes rather than squander men and matériel in potentially fruitless campaigns. The Byzantine army of the 10th and early 11th centuries, at the height of its power and efficiency, was the best-organised, best-trained, best-equipped and highest-paid in the known world. This splendid book by Ian Heath examines the Byzantine Armies from 886-1118, including the lusty, hard-fighting, hard-drinking 'barbarian' Varangian guard.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
wait for the next edition:
Now don't get me wrong, I didn't give this book a 3-star rating because it's badly-written or of low quality; on the contrary, it's very well-written with an excellent collection of manuscript illuminations,paintings,carvings and plaques in addition to Angus McBride's top notch illustrations. But it has a very,very serious drawback.With the exception of McBride's drawings all the other illustrations are black and white.I was already aware of that from previous reviews, before placing my order, but I... more info
Early Byzantine Armies:
Your standard men-at-arms book, concise but informative text paired with colorful plates to accurately rescontruct the appearance of the Byzantine Army and her mercenaries.
Another excellent piece of compact scholarship from Osprey!:
My title says it all - Ian Heath's text and Angus McBride's art again make an invaluable resource for historians and students of art and history!
Another excellent Osprey Book!:
As typical for the Osprey Men at Arms series, this book has lovely color artwork, and excellent photographs and line drawings of equipment and people in clothing of the period. The arms and armor are well shown, as are various shield designs. There is a nicely written history and descriptions of the tactics, main conflicts, weapons and equipment of this historical period. If you are not familiar with the Osprey Men at Arms series, I am sure that this will be a good starting book for your research into... more info
