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Osprey Warrior #30
Celtic Warrior 300 BC - AD 100
In the 1st century BC, Strabo wrote of the Celts: ‘The whole race... is madly fond of war, high-spirited and quick to battle... and on whatever pretext you stir them up, you will have them ready to face danger, even if they have nothing on their side but their own strength and courage’. This book gives an insight into the life of the Celtic warrior, and his experience of battle – on foot, on horseback, and as a charioteer. It also details Celtic society and studies the vital ritual nature of Celtic warfare, from the naked gaesatae to the woad-painted warriors.
Paperback
First published April 25, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 28, 2015
I often argue with fellow history buffs about the value of Osprey books. There is a tendency to heap scorn on them because of their small word count and highly focused nature. This annoys me, because I think they are doing exactly what good history should do: using material culture in concert with the spotty text (particularly spotty the further back you go, as is certainly the case with the time period here), to try to evoke the daily life down to threadcounts, appearance and habits.
In this, Osprey books are 1,000 times more interesting and accessible than any historical monography, and do more to bring history to the general public than almost any other book absent narratives that make the NYT Bestseller List. Their brief length makes them incredibly valuable to the ADD Internet generation, and the ability to make the characters breathe and bleed for the reader (this what they look like! This is what they sounded like! This is what they did every day!) is every bit as valuable, if not moreso, then political/social histories from the 30,000 foot view.
This is an excellent addition to the line, and covers in depth the Celtic classical military legacy, highlighting the things that made them unique from the dominant Mediterranean military powers of the time (their cult of the severed head, their unique fostering/client-patron social system, the feasting and raid cycle) as well as demystifying much of their ritual practice and grounding their tactics in cultural mores. Best of all, it freely admits what it does not know, happy to leave questions unanswered in the name of more accurate scholarship.
Low commitment, great fun, empowering to the wannabe scholar, and definitely worth your time.
In this, Osprey books are 1,000 times more interesting and accessible than any historical monography, and do more to bring history to the general public than almost any other book absent narratives that make the NYT Bestseller List. Their brief length makes them incredibly valuable to the ADD Internet generation, and the ability to make the characters breathe and bleed for the reader (this what they look like! This is what they sounded like! This is what they did every day!) is every bit as valuable, if not moreso, then political/social histories from the 30,000 foot view.
This is an excellent addition to the line, and covers in depth the Celtic classical military legacy, highlighting the things that made them unique from the dominant Mediterranean military powers of the time (their cult of the severed head, their unique fostering/client-patron social system, the feasting and raid cycle) as well as demystifying much of their ritual practice and grounding their tactics in cultural mores. Best of all, it freely admits what it does not know, happy to leave questions unanswered in the name of more accurate scholarship.
Low commitment, great fun, empowering to the wannabe scholar, and definitely worth your time.
December 12, 2008
Yet another great one from Osprey. Great easy to read info and history on the Celtic Warrior from the 300 BC-AD 100 time period and the illustrations are flat out amazing. Highly recomended for anybody interested in the Celts as well as reenactors and SCA types!
June 17, 2017
As with all the Osprey books (or the very similar Men-At-Arms series), this is a decent introduction to the topic, without being overly detailed. You get a basic sense of the weapons, mindset, and intercultural interactions of the Celtic warrior during the early Iron Age.
January 10, 2019
Buonissima introduzione ad armamento, organizzazione e soprattutto agli aspetti psicologici, sociali e culturali della guerra nel mondo celtico.
October 12, 2019
Osprey Publishing Warrior publication.
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December 10, 2021research book
June 27, 2013
Obwohl ich kein besonders großer Sachbuch-Fan bin, hat mit dieses hier ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Die Reihe war die Empfehlung eines guten Freundes.
Der Stil ist informativ, aber trotzdem leicht und fast nebenbei lesbar.
Der Stil ist informativ, aber trotzdem leicht und fast nebenbei lesbar.
August 1, 2014
Very introductory, but pleasant read. That they listed "places to visit" at the end is a pleasant notion. A lot of pictures, both artwork(like the one on the cover) and photos of archaeological evidence. A lot of quotes from Caesar and other ancient witnesses.
December 24, 2015
Historical accounts by Romans, and via archaeological finds, this book weaves a compelling and interesting tale about celtic warriors. Some speculation and quite a bit of hard facts are involved. Also, Nudity and horned helmets. So cool.
March 21, 2011
Useful introduction with enough detail for research.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews