Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier Audiobook By Guy de la Bédoyère cover art

Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier

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Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier

By: Guy de la Bédoyère
Narrated by: Piers Hampton
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The Roman army was the greatest fighting machine in the ancient world. More than that, it was the single largest organization in Western antiquity, taking in members from all classes, from senators to freed slaves. The Roman Empire depended on its army not just to win its wars, defend its frontiers, and control the seas, but to act as the very engine of the state.

In Gladius, Guy de la Bedoyere takes us straight to the heart of what it meant to be a part of the Roman army. Rather than a history of the army itself, or a guide to military organization and fighting methods, this book is a ground-level recreation of what it was like to be a soldier in the army that made the empire. Surveying numerous aspects of life in the Roman army between 264 BCE and 337 CE, Gladius draws not only on the words of famed Roman historians, but also those of the soldiers themselves, as recorded in their religious dedications, tombstones, and even private letters and graffiti.

By illuminating the history of one organization that reflected all corners of the Roman world, gives us a portrait of an ancient society that is unprecedented in both its broad sweep and gritty intimacy.

©2020 Guy de la Bédoyère (P)2021 Tantor Ancient Military Rome Inspiring
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Liked it. Nicely done. A lot of info and not bogged down with useless facts.

Decent

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Really enjoyed this one. The details were great. The narration was excellent as well. Very. well done.

Great Details

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Extremely insightful description of Roman soldiers. I highly recommend this one for those searching for an understanding of the ancient world.

Excellent

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The book flows nicely. The story is easy to understand and very clear story chapters.

Well done !

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Good narrator, excellent book, recommend it completely, I will and have brought other books by same author

Excellent listen

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crazy to imagine how many millions of people have lived and died over even just a few thousand years, let alone The Roman Empire. this book gave me a good idea of what military life was like in what is probably my favorite era of humanity

great flow and interesting information!

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The chapters are broken down quite well. So that the listener does not get overwhelmed by details.

Well done narrative

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I’d recommend this book to everyone who wants a relaxing listen of the life of a roman soldier. Finished it in a week, the book really captivated me from the start.

A really easy listen

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Learning about the Roman soldiers was very intriguing getting in sight about the daily lives of them was a good read for sure

The story

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This was an interesting read - not too much dry history. Told in their own words, the triumphs & failures of the 'world's mightiest army' will surprise you. There were monumental screw-ups that led to inefficiency & deprivation by troops, & even greater failures that led to the loss of 50,000 men in one battle. Every detail of lif÷e, weapons, food & training are discussed, even down to the legitimacy of soldier's wives & what they could inherit. The subjects, and narration, kept me - a woman! -!interested throughout. Highly recommended!

BRINGING THE ROMAN MILITARY BACK TO LIFE

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