Roman Imperial Armour: The production of early imperial military armour

The authors present a thorough and detailed analysis of the production of Roman armor in the first and second centuries C.E. They examine torso armor, helmets, leg and arm armor, and shields. The authors clearly show that the Romans had a highly sophisticated understanding of metal working and even produced low slag iron and steel, which modern scholars and metallurgists can not explain. Modern low slag iron and steel were not produced until the invention of machine powered rollers in the 19th century. Clearly we still have much to learn about the ancient Romans.

This book is an awesome scholarly work on the production and distribution of Armour in Imperial Rome. It highlights the economy of the military machine that was Rome. Having said that, this is not a book to purchase for general information on Rome.

For a book that so much practical research went into making I was expecting to read a few eye-opening facts but unfortunately most of its contents is the stuff that anyone interested in armour will have already read a hundred times. Also, as a metalsmith I was a little annoyed how the authors describe the method of helmet making as raising (which is correct) yet the diagrams to go with the text show sinking which is the incorrect technique for making a double curvature vessel to the depth required to cover the head in the style that the Romans used, and also because it differs from the technique written in the text which will really confuse a novice who is interested in learning

The Haynes manual for Roman armour.Not just the nuts and bolts but the chemistry and physics too. Fascinating if you want to answer the question "Was Roman armour any good?" but perhaps a little intense if you are after a quick guide to what Romans looked like