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Carrhae 53 BC: Rome's Disaster in the Desert (Campaign, 382) Paperback – August 16, 2022

by Nic Fields (Author), Seán Ó’Brógáin (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings
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Explores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats.

The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history – that of the clever carve-up of power between the 'First Triumvirate' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure.

In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Parthian general Surena's horsemen completely outmanoeuvered Crassus' legionaries, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers. The detailed battlescene artworks reveal the tactics and techniques of the Parthian horse archers, and Roman and Parthian equipment and weaponry, and the approach to battle is clearly explained in 2d maps and 3D bird's-eye views.

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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Campaign
  2. Print length
    96 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  5. Publication date
    August 16, 2022
  6. Dimensions
    7.25 x 0.4 x 9.7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1472849043
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1472849045
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

Full colour battlescenes

Beautifully illustrated battlescenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.

Three-dimensional ‘bird’s-eye-views'

Each three-dimensional 'bird's-eye view' is meticulously researched to recreate the actual battlefield at that point in history with accurate contour detail, scaling, landscaping and terrain features.

Maps

Detailed historical maps frame each battle or campaign, and provide the key historical context.

military history;campaign;Osprey

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The author has produced a thoroughly researched profile of this humiliating defeat of one of the Triumvirate and the loss of most of a Roman army. He combines a knowledge of the classical sources (as usual, few in number and reliability) with a grasp of the military issues at both strategic and tactical level.” ―Chris Jarvis, Miniature Wargames

“Complemented by excellent illustrations and maps plus photographs where appropriate I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book.” ―Amy Rumour Service

About the Author

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the military, he went back to university and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School in Athens, Greece, and then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Nic is now a freelance author and researcher based in south-west France.

Seán Ó'Brógáin lives and works in Donegal, Ireland. He has a BA (Hons) in Scientific and Natural History illustration from Lancaster University, and has worked for a wide range of clients. In addition to his stunning work for Osprey Publishing, he has collaborated with the University of Manchester, An Post, the National Museum of Ireland, the Irish Office of Public Works and a variety of media companies, museums, councils and private individuals.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing (August 16, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472849043
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472849045
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 0.4 x 9.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
52 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Judith Lutfy
5.0 out of 5 stars good quality
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
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the item arrived wrapped in cardboard to keep it from tearing or bending and came in perfect condition.
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HMS Warspite
5.0 out of 5 stars Pride goeth before a fall...
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
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The so-called first triumvirate split the power in Rome between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Crassus, anxious for a larger share of glory, initiated an unprovoked campaign against the Parthian Empire in northern Mesopotamia. As author Nic Fields explains, Crassus failed to do his homework; his invasion led to a humiliating disaster for Rome and a realignment of power.

The author takes the long way around to get to Carrhae, with an extended discussion of Roman politics and military practices, and those of the Parthians. The discussion is nicely supported by period art and modern photographs, illustrations, and battle diagrams. Well recommended to keen students of the Roman way of war.
2 people found this helpful
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Gregory Desrosiers
5.0 out of 5 stars Great to analyze how the Parthian horse archers attacked the Roman defenders.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is an attractive story about how the Parthian horse archers downsized the Roman legionaries strategically. Nic Fields was excellent at explaining the tactics and techniques of the Parthian cavalry removed the Romans by encircling around the legion square on a hot daylight. Amazingly, the high-ranked Parthian horses wore the armour covering to protect from the flying enemy arrows. As a result, the defeated Romans had to roll back to Syria from the Parthian Empire. It is very interesting to read the battle of Carrhae in detail along with beautiful illustrations. Thank you to Dr. Fields for his wonderful job!
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Charles Vasey
5.0 out of 5 stars Handy Summary Of Battle And Campaign
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Crassus's Parthian campaign is usually exampled to point a moral and adorn a tale, usually in the desert. The actual campaign is well covered By Nic Fields wit a detail of commanders, armies, the campaign itself and the final battle
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Giovanni Dipoppa
4.0 out of 5 stars una battaglia conosciuta solo per la morte di Crasso
Reviewed in Italy on September 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
ho inserito 4 stelle per la qualità delle illustrazioni ma non ho ancora completato la lettura del volume
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Ed Lamond
4.0 out of 5 stars Ho hum...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
Pull the other leg; It's got Big Ben attached to it.

Only a numskull Roman commander would have arrayed his legions as depicted on pages 50-51. A frontage of legionaries a mere three ranks deep would have had insufficient density to protect a square-formation of --what?-- four hectares/ten acres? Better to have tripled or quadrupled their ranks and reduced the aching void at their backs.

The legionaries are also portrayed as if on parade, in the midst of an arrow-storm, but the battle would have been over in a jiffy, had they not formed a tortoise. The front rank would have rested the bottoms of their shields on the ground to take their weight and protect their wielders' faces, shins and feet from arrows fired directly at them. The next two ranks would have completed the tortoise by raising their shields over themselves and the front rank, against plunging arrows.

Crassus was no numskull. He had defeated Spartacus (no mean feat) and his tactics had swung the Battle of the Porta Collina in favour of Sulla, his then leader. His tragedy at Carrhae was arrogance which prevented him from adequately assessing his enemy and developing suitable tactics and strategy-- errors which later did for the likes of Napoleon and Hitler. In Crassus's case, he strayed too far from the river Euphrates, and its drinking water, into arid, flat, open countryside favouring horsemen. He also thought that the Parthians would run out of arrows, but erred: their leader, Surena, had organised a camel-train to replenish them and supply his men with fresh horses, water and sustenance. These and the Parthians' mobility and firepower ensured a catastrophic Roman defeat, the more embarrassing and horrifying to Romans because Crassus's army outnumbered Surena's by four or five to one.

Crassus had squandered his antidotes, his bowmen and slingers, his slingers in particular. There is a heated debate in Google as to the latters' potency, but Balearic slingers, acknowledged the best, carried three lengths of sling to suit different ranges. The maximum may have exceeded 400 metres, or 440 yards --a quarter of a mile--, far out-ranging the Parthian bow. Parthian bowmen were also unarmoured and presumably vulnerable, even at this distance. That said, slings were probably at their most lethal at up to a hundred and fifty metres. Their slingers lacked shields and body-armour but might have dodged in and out of the legionaries' tortoises, to compensate.

I recently bought Osprey's companion-publication 'Roman Soldier versus Parthian Warrior: Carrhae to Nisibis, 53BC-217AD'. I have yet to read it but hope that it will address these points. In the meantine, 'Carrhae 53BC: Rome's Disaster in the Desert' has been a compelling read. I've doffed a star for pages 50-51, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
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Gerard Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Good history of the famous Roman defeat.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love the campaign series. Great histories and good illustrations.
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