"Armies & Enemies of Ancient Rome reprint" Topic

WRG have re-released the classic AEIR by Phil Barker: wrg.me.uk/WRG.net/index.html

Okay, so it's the 1981 edition but it's probably still the best single volume on the subject. It has a new contents page and updated bibliography I'm told.

I hope this is a success. I've got a copy but I really want to see the other books in the series reprinted too!

I remember the first edition … it was the beginning of informed historical wargaming for us teenagers … (ancient soldiers demystified, as it were)

Good luck to it !

Phil

I hope the bizarre punctuation and grammar has been brought in line with the language of the English-speaking world.

Examples, Sobieski? I'm not aware of this being an issue with the WRG guide books …

Phil

The text is unchanged from the original and is perfectly clear and readable. Has nothing in common with the rule books.

At the WRG website you can preview the first dozen pages of this book.

However, there must be significant layout modifications as my 4th edition copy is 148 pages while this release boasts 232.

Barker clearly regards it as unmanly to use an apostrophe, for a start. Look at any page at random.

No probs with the language, but I've always found the use of Roman numerals for the cciii Roman shield designs extremely clumsy and infuriating.

There are those who do not find Roman numerals intuitive?
Fascinating!
And a sad comment on the state of education these days!

"Barker clearly regards it as unmanly to use an apostrophe, for a start."

Apostrophes aren't mandatory.

Should it be Armie's and Enemie's of Ancient Rome perhaps?

"… and a new edition of Armies of the Ancient Near East by Nigel Tallis". I shall look forward to that.

The Foreword to the 2015 edition of AMPW is in progress; it's a good bit longer than Phil's so is taking a little while.

"unmanly to use an apostrophe"

Come on guys, why the negative postings? The book is a classic, it's back in print. If you don't want it, don't buy it. It is the best source for the armies of the period. Anyone disputing that?

A new edition of AANE would be superb and Duncan's AMPW has been out of print too long.

Rejoice, it's good news.

Trebian

This book covers the armies and enemies of Rome during the time of the empire from 150 BC to 600 AD only. The armies of the republic and its enemies is covered in "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars"

At 232 pages and hard cover compared to the original 148 soft cover and with a price only 25% higher than a used softcover version

The table of contents has been expanded from 1/4 of a page to 5 1/2 pages.

Based on the table of contents:
The section on Roman tactics and strategies has almost doubled in page count.
The section on Roman organization and formations has increased from 8 pages to 12 pages.
Roman orders of battle is now 15 pages instead of 10.
the other sections also appear to have similar increases in page count over the original version.

As the description states that the book contents are largely unchanged, the additional pages are either due to larger type or more spacing between sections.

While Phil's rule writing style could be a bit difficult to parse, the army book is not written in "Barkerese".

"This book covers the armies and enemies of Rome during the time of the empire from 150 BC to 600 AD only. The armies of the republic and its enemies is covered in "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars"."

Actually Phil's AEIR does cover the last century of the Republic, including Marius, Pompey and Caesar.

I will never part with my copy, even if it is written on clay tablets! As Phil has already stated it was the start of informed historical wargaming for a lot of us.

While we're on the subject, who has publishing rights on all the Montvert Publication titles? I'm sure they would all sell well again.

Poor Phil, his writing style is perfectly clear and understandable to anyone over the age of five in this work. His wargames rules do suffer sometimes from an attempt to squeeze complicated concepts into as a small a word count as is possible. However I suspect that anyone who criticises the writing in AEIR has clearly never actually seen a copy.

I had rather hoped that the section on later Roman armour has moved on with current views though.

The old WRG 'Armies of…' books were the first things, along with a dog-eared copy of the AD&D Monster Manual and a impenetrable Microtanks game, I first laid eyes on when I entered this hobby. In about 1981, at an after school 'open day' for Wargamers. Fond memories.

Poor Phil, his writing style is perfectly clear and understandable to anyone over the age of five in this work. His wargames rules do suffer sometimes from an attempt to squeeze complicated concepts into as a small a word count as is possible. However I suspect that anyone who criticises the writing in AEIR has clearly never actually seen a copy.

+1

Just looked at my original 4th Edition copy which is perfectly clear, except perhaps to those who slept through their High School English classes. Well worth buying, especially for a newcomer to the period.

Mark H.

JARROVIAN: – Nice idea…however selling my set on e-bay was part of my pension planning, so hold on there with the idea of flooding the market with cheap modern copies.

You'll be suggesting reprinting the Funcken books next. I was going to pay off my mortgage with those.

"From my cold dead hands!!!!"-barely able holding up the series of Armies&Enemies books I've owned for decades.

They should do a Game of Thrones edition.:)

GurKhan Duncan said

>>>>>>>
The Foreword to the 2015 edition of AMPW is in progress; it's a good bit longer than Phil's so is taking a little while.
>>>>>>>>>>>

So an update rather than a re-print?

David F Brown

JARROVIAN – interesting about the Montvert books. I have the Tang China one, and wish I had bought them all when I had the chance. The Tang one is brilliant.

One of my major problems with the book was his tendency toward anachronism in the naming conventions, such as referring to Jewish siege engineers as gunners and Sassanid elephants as Jumbos.
Still nice to see a reprint.

Thankfully I have them all, especially Duncan's Achaemenid Persian one. I was thinking about those less fortunate, particularly newcomers. I know what you mean Trebian, I have some gems salted way myself, but I'm in retirement now, and wouldn't be parted from them.

I would recommend any/all of the WRG Armies and Enemies books, except the Ancient China one. A new, all encompassing, 'Far East' book would have been favourite.

Bruntonboy, I agree about the late Roman armour. It's a shame they haven't taken the trouble to update it.

Ospreys, et al, are a mixed bunch, and were not written specifically with wargamers in mind, consequently some of them tend to ramble, generalise, and contain all sorts of extraneous gubbins.

Keep on inspiring people WRG

While I'm on, how about someone republishing the Terry Wise 'Battles for Wargamers' booklets

Has Mr. Barker changed his views on later Roman Armor?

I noted in reading through sections in the 4th edition of AEIR that while he referenced H. Russell Robinson and had modified some of the plates, etc. in a number of areas (armor for later auxiliaries for example) he stated disagreement in other areas and held to his previous views.

Indeed, in the army notes in DBA 3.0 on the MIR he makes a point of reiteration his view that there is NO evidence for later armored auxiliaries (personally I have always found Robinson's reasoning convincing).

At any rate, good to see AEIR reprinted, may have to pick it up at some point as my copy is first edition with its dated information.

Welcome news! I was looking at AE only 10 days back, it will be interesting to see how it has been updated.

David evilgong wrote:

"So an update rather than a re-print?"

The main body of the book isn't being altered, just reproduced, but the foreword will be 3-4 pages on new information, what I'd do differently after 30-odd years – forget the Bactrian cavalryman who was from a misdated source but see the Ai Khanum Bactrian cataphract gear, now we know for certain what the rhomphaia was (see Kolev/Webber), etc etc.

Great news to have it back in print, and AMPW as well. Picking up those two books took much of the guesswork out of painting up my armies. Would have taken a lot longer without them.

The only one of the series I have is 'Armies of the Macedonian & Punic Wars'. It has been an invaluable resource for many years.

I'm not as interested in Imperial Rome but I will seriously consider purchasing the Phil Barker volume because it seems to be a "most own" type of book.

Oh the hours spent reading and re reading those books and their wonderful drawings. I would love to have a copy of Ancient Near East by Nigel Tallis though!

Bought my copy of Phil's AEIR in 1981 and last used it a month ago – there's value for money.

No harm at all in a re release. Like Trebian I wish it well.

I remember the original and consider the lack of source material at the time am grateful to Phip for make ancient gaming accessible.

Personally I'd love to see the one on ancient naval warfare reissued.

I still have all my WRG A&E books, including some of the earlier editions, for example the "leaflet style" (not sure what the actual word is for that style of binding)Macedonian and Punic wars. Many of the figures produced at the time were direct copies of the illustrations, I remember Minifigs even used the same numbering.

My copy is so battered I'll certainly buy a reprint!

I too will replace my old battered copy. It still remains a classic

Aye but the Greek and Persian war one is pretty pants.

And monverts….please someone bring those back. I've only got 2.

Another good series was the concord fighting men one. I know the have new releases but still never got hold of imperial Rome at war

Wasn't it just the Persians who wore the pretty pants?