This authoritative, fact-filled history traces the growth of the Roman army from its early days as an unpaid citizens militia to its establishment as a world-conquering professional force.
The book shows that at the very heart of imperial Rome's power stood her legionnaries, highly trained, well-armoured heavy infantrymen who could fight in many different ways – storming fortresses, outfacing charging elephants and fighting on board ships.
The Roman army was more than just an army: as this history shows, in some ways it became the heart of Rome itself, creating the world's first superpower.
