ANCIENT BATTLE FORMATIONS

To please the history lover, wargamer and military modeller in one concise volume, this substantial scholarly yet easily readable study of the primary and most affective military formations utilised covers the 2nd Persian invasion of Greece until the end of the Principate in 2AD. Justin Swanton examines the principal battle-winning formations of the Ancient world, determining their composition, function and efficacy. He looks at the fundamental components of heavy and light infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots, and how they bolstered the individual soldier's willingness to fight. The book focuses on massed infantry that reigned supreme in this era - the heavily armoured Greek hoplite phalanx that was immune to the weaponry of its non-Greek opponents; the Macedonian pike phalanx that was unbeatable against frontal attacks so long as it kept order; the Roman triplex acies which, contrary to popular opinion, consisted of continuous lines in open order, with file spaces wide enough to allow embattled infantry to fall back after which those files closed up instantly against the enemy. A careful study of the Greek and Latin of the sources sheds fresh light on how these formations were organised and worked and reevaluates many conventional notions to lead to some surprising conclusions. 296 page extra large softback packed with illustrations and diagrams showing cavalry and rhombus with files and ranks or taking a turn. Of course, in detail are covered the Battle of Thermopylae 480B, the Battle of Sellasia 222B and the Battle of Vesuvius 340BC among the push of pikes, fighting techniques and the legions on the march. Heavyweight softback.