Product Description

The Byzantine Army was the closest the Middle Ages came to producing a military superpower. Having been trained to operate in small, highly mobile eight-man units adept at living off the land whilst on campaign, the Byzantine infantryman was a formidable foe. Built on a strong belief system that emphasized stealth, surprise, swift maneuvering, and overwhelming force, the Byzantine infantryman was trained in survival, sword, spear and archery techniques, as well as land and sea combat and fighting within the foulkon "turtle" formation.

This book, written by Timothy Dawson, an expert in the training and techniques of the Byzantine Army, details the everyday experience of the infantryman from his recruitment, through his twice-a-day training regime, to his encounters with his enemies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #475779 in Books
• Brand: Osprey Publishing
• Published on: 2007-06-19
• Released on: 2007-06-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Review
"Timothy Dawson's Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire tells of the philosophy and tactics of the early Byzantine Army, surveying daily life of the warrior society." -The Bookwatch (December 2007)

About the Author
Dr Timothy Dawson gained his PhD in Classics (Byzantine Studies) in 2003. He has lectured and written extensively on Byzantine, Greek and Roman armies. He is editor of Medieval History Magazine and a keen reenactor. Timothy operated Australia's first historical European combat school, Amyna (Greek for 'defence'), near Sydney from 1984-87. Since then he has gone on to be internationally recognized as an expert on certain forms of arms and armor. The author lives in Yorkshire, UK.

Customer Reviews

New Byzantine Infantry title
Just finished it and couldn't put it down. Please promise there is more on its way! The section on training the troops is an area often overlooked. I especially agreed with the observations on the realism of the rosette casket ivory figures and believe closer study of the many of these still extant could by a process of "reverse engineering" elicit an almost complete Byzantine Fechtbuch. Great material on archery and in particular the solenarion. The materials on Campaign Life, Medical Treatment, Siege Warfare and re-enactment groups were bonuses.Given this current and up to date scholarship this should be an excellent read and remedy a lot of the material in earlier works by Osprey based on redundant scholarship.

An Insightful Look at the Byzantine Soldier
In Osprey's Warrior No. 118, Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire c. 900 - 1204, classics scholar Dr. Timothy Dawson outlines the capabilities and character of the soldiers who formed the bulwark of the Byzantine Empire. This is a subject area that has been neglected for decades due to a dearth of source material and biases against the Byzantines, as the author notes. Dr. Dawson's work sheds considerable light on this oft-neglected subject and he provides an insightful look at the Byzantine soldier.

Byzantine Infantryman consists of sections on recruitment, appearance, equipment, training, conditions of service, belief and belonging, on campaign and experience of battle. Color plates by Angus McBride include: Byzantine infantry at the beginning of the 10th Century; training; equipment in the late 10th to 11th centuries; battlefield formation in the late 10th century; camp life on campaign in Armenia; siege warfare; medical treatment and super heavy infantry of the 12th Century. The author also provides a 2-page glossary and a detailed bibliography.

The author lays out the subject methodically, covering all the critical areas from recruitment, to training, to combat and then retirement. He also makes some interesting comments about the effect of Orthodox Christianity upon Byzantine soldiers - who were told that even killing a non-Christian foe was a sin. The Church and society thus regarded the Byzantine soldier as something of an outcast, which helps to explain the problems in maintaining large armies. Unlike the earlier Roman Army, the Byzantines also allowed soldiers to serve as long as they were physically able, with no set terms of service. The only shortcoming in this work is its inability to convey why the Byzantine soldiers were able to prevail against the long odds they faced in this period - the secret of their "eliteness" is alluded to, but not really explained. Overall, a good volume in the Elite series.

Good to go!
One of the Ospreys better jobs, especially with the Late Angus McBride doing the illustrations. I must also mention that the Text was much better than usual. Altogether, a fitting Tribute to the fighting men of the Eastern Roman Empire!