Richard Gabriel has been studying and writing about ancient warfare for
nearly half a century. He has written fifty-five books on the subject
(before this one) and over three hundred published articles. These
decades of scholarship are complemented by direct military experience as
a US army officer (now retired).
This book presents his thoughts and perspectives on a selection of
aspects of ancient warfare that he has found of particular interest over
the years. It does not aim to be a comprehensive overview nor a coherent
narrative of ancient military history but adds up to an illuminating,
fascinating and wide-ranging discussion of various topics. With topics
ranging from the origins of war, through logistics, military medicine
and psychiatry or the origins of jihad, to specifics such as the
generalship of Alexander the Great (Gabriel's not a fan), Scipio and
Hannibal, there is plenty here for the either the general reader or
academic scholar.