Roman Soldier v. Germanic Warrior

Whether you are planning a miniature wargaming campaign, or researching conditions for an historical romance, this is a book to consider. This month sees the release of Combat 6 Roman Soldier vs Germanic Warrior: 1st Century AD. by Lindsay Powell and illustrated by Peter Dennis. This marks something of a milestone in the series as when the series was initially being developed Osprey Publishing was not sure that it would be able to cover ancient subjects in the detail that it would be able to achieve with modern subjects. In fact, in the first series launch proposal that was circulated internally there was actually a cautionary note suggesting that it may be impossible to include ancient or medieval subjects in the series at all.

Then they ran a survey and it became clear that its readership was desperate for them to cover ancient and medieval subjects. Accordingly, the series editor investigated further and Osprey juggled around its planned launch titles to include an ancient title in its launch batch of Combat books. The result was Combat 6 Roman Soldier vs Germanic Warrior.

To celebrate this first foray into an ancient subject, Osprey is giving readers the opportunity to download one of the chapters from the book – which you can do by clicking this link.

Lindsay Powell is news editor Ancient Warfare magazine and author of Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania (Pen and Sword, June 2011) and Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome’s Most Popular General (Pen and Sword, January 2013). His articles on armies and warfare of the Roman period have appeared in Exercitus, Military Heritage, Strategy & Tactics and on UNRV.com. He is a veteran of the acclaimed Ermine Street Guard re-enactment society. He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, UK.

Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

About The Book

The reigns of Augustus and his successor Tiberius saw an epic struggle between the Romans and local peoples for the territory between the Rhine and Elbe rivers in what is now Germany. Following two decades of Roman occupation, Germania Magna erupted into revolt in AD 9 following the loss of the three legions commanded by Publius Quinctilius Varus to the Cheruscan nobleman Arminius and an alliance of Germanic nations in the dense forests of the Teutoburger Wald. The Romans’ initial panic subsided as it became clear that Arminius and his allies could not continue the war into Germania Inferior on the western bank of the Rhine, and Imperial troops poured into the region as the Romans decided how best to resolve the situation. Featuring full-colour artwork, specially drawn maps and an array of revealing illustrations depicting weapons, equipment, key locations and personalities, this study offers key insights into the tactics, leadership, combat performance and subsequent reputations of the Roman soldiers and their Germanic opponents pitched into a series of pivotal actions on the Imperial frontier that would influence Roman/German relations for decades to come.