Here are 5 books on the coming soon section of the Pen and Sword Website I am looking forward to reading…

Armies of Ancient Greece Circa 500 to 338 BC

Conflict was rife among the Greeks of the Classical period, including some of the most famous wars and battles of the whole ancient period, such as the defeat of the Persians at Marathon, the Spartans’ heroic last stand at Thermopylae, the gruelling Pelopponesian War and the epic March of the Ten Thousand. 

The Greek heavy infantry spearmen, or hoplites, are one of the most recognizable types of ancient warrior and their tighly-packed phalanx formation dominated the battlefield. Covering the period from the Persian Wars to the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Chaeronea.

Gabriele Esposito examines not only the hoplites but also the other troops that featured in Greek armies with growing importance as time went on, such as light infantry skirmishers and cavalry. He details their arms, armour and equipment, organization and tactics. His clear, informative text is beautifully illustrated with dozens of colour photographs showing how the equipment was worn and used.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Armies-of-Ancient-Greece-Circa-500-to-338-BC-Hardback/p/17683

Military History of Late Rome 395-425 

This ambitious series gives the reader a comprehensive narrative of late Roman military history from 284-641. Each volume gives a detailed account of the changes in organization, equipment, strategy and tactics among both the Roman forces and her enemies in the relevant period, while also giving a detailed but accessible account of the campaigns and battles.

This volume covers the period from Julian’s accession as sole Emperor in 361 to the permanent division of the Empire into East and West on death of Theodosius I. It therefore encompasses significant defeats for Rome against very different enemies: Julian’s expedition against the Sassanid Persians and Valen’s defeat by the Goths at Adrianople, both emperors being killed. Full attention is paid to all the campaigns of this critical period, illustrating the varied threats which put immense pressure on all the Empire’s frontiers and the varying success of the Roman responses.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Military-History-of-Late-Rome-395-425-Hardback/p/11234

Religion & Classical Warfare: The Roman Republic

Religion was integral to the conduct of war in the ancient world and the Romans were certainly no exception. No campaign was undertaken, no battle risked, without first making sacrifice to propitiate the appropriate gods (such as Mars, god of War) or consulting oracles and omens to divine their plans. Yet the link between war and religion is an area that has been regularly overlooked by modern scholars examining the conflicts of these times. This volume addresses that omission by drawing together the work of experts from across the globe. The chapters have been carefully structured by the editors so that this wide array of scholarship combines to give a coherent, comprehensive study of the role of religion in the wars of the Roman Republic.

Aspects considered in depth will include: declarations of war; evocatio and taking gods away from enemies; dedications and ceremonies; the cult of the legionary eagle; the role of women in Republican warfare; omens and divination; live burials of people in times of military crisis; and the rituals of the Roman triumph.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Religion-Classical-Warfare-The-Roman-Republic-Hardback/p/17171

Military History of Late Rome 425–457

The Military History of Late Rome 425-457 analyses in great detail how the Romans coped with the challenge posed by masses of Huns in a situation in which the Germanic tribes had gained a permanent foothold in the territories of West Rome. This analysis reassesses the strategy and tactics of the period . The book shows how cooperation between the West Roman Master of Soldiers, Aetius, and East Roman Emperor Marcian saved Western civilization from the barbarian nightmare posed by the Huns of Attila. 

A fresh appraisal of the great clash at the Catalaunian Fields in 451 offers new insights into the mechanics of the fighting and shows that it was a true battle of nations which decided nothing less than the fate of human civilization. Had Aetius and his allies lost the battle and had Marcian not cooperated with Aetius in 451 and 452, we would not have seen the rise of the West and the rise of the scientific thinking.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Military-History-of-Late-Rome-425457-Hardback/p/16421

Leading the Roman Army

The Roman imperial army represented one of the main factors in the exercise of political control by the emperors. The effective political management of the army was essential for maintaining the safety and well-being of the empire as a whole. This book analyses the means by which emperors controlled their soldiers and sustained their allegiance from the battle of Actium in 31 BC, to the demise of the Severan dynasty in AD 235.

Recent discoveries have revolutionised our understanding of the Roman army. This study provides an up to date synthesis of a range of evidence from archaeological, epigraphic, literary and numismatic sources on the relationship between the emperor and his soldiers. It demonstrates that this relationship was of an intensely personal nature. He was not only the commander-in-chief, but also their patron and benefactor, even after their discharge from military service. Yet the management of the army was more complex than this emperor-soldier relationship suggests.

An effective army requires an adequate military hierarchy to impose discipline and command the troops on a daily basis. This was of particular relevance for the imperial army which was mainly dispersed along the frontiers of the empire, effectively in a series of separate armies. The emperor needed to ensure the loyalty of his officers by building mutually beneficial relationships with them. In this way, the imperial army became a complex network of interlocking ties of loyalty which protected the emperor from military subversion.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Leading-the-Roman-Army-Hardback/p/17876

While I know this is not medieval in nature, there are plans in March 2020, to start offering Lightsaber combat training. If this is something of interest, then this post is for you.

There are a few places to get these sabers at present but we were very kindly gifted a second ex demo lightsaber by black armoury so I am suggesting people by their sabers here:

https://www.blackarmoury.com/en/lightsabres/635-8535-sabre-laser-saber-shogun.html#/couleurs-rouge

They have three colour choices right now so choose wisely…

They are very well priced with the exchange rate and quick delivery for in stock items.  The shogun saber is pretty bomb proof.  It comes with light but no sound.  

Having research a few places over Christmas, sound and effect light sabers are available. But like swords can run in to a lot of money.  Cheap sabers again, like cheap swords, will be okay for wall hanging.  

I have seen a few ads on Facebook of copied video using combat lightsabers, but the ones being sold for under £50 will probably break quickly.
2020 is going to be fun….