What a fantastic book. Methodical, clear, well researched. Crassus was not a dithering idiot but merely outclassed. As a fan of ancient history, loved reading it.

Sukanya Ramanujan via Twitter

If you do and internet search for the Battle of Carrhae of for books on the topic you will find little other than cursory treatments. That's one of the reasons that Gareth C. Sampson's book is valuable resource on the battle. But the book, now in its second edition, is not just worthwhile for its analysis of the battle, but also for its coverage on Marcus Licinius Crassus' long career and the rise of the Parthian Empire...

... As for Carrhae itself, Sampson does an impressive job of weighing the merits of the accounts of the battle by Plutarch and Cassius Dio. Sampson painstakingly presents them side by side throughout his battle narrative. He goes to great lengths to show the strengths and weaknesses of each and where they veer into fiction rather than fact. Plutarch's account is far more reliable even though suffering from its own limitations, such as the continuing controversy surrounding what actually unfolded during the Roman retreat from the town of Carrhae toward the relative safety of Syria and Armenia.

Sampson is at his best when he describes how Crassus paid the ultimate penalty for a campaign that initially underestimated the Parthians and spiralled out of control once the Romans met the Parthians in battle.

Medieval Warfare Magazine

an accessible and cogently written book. The Defeat of Rome in the East is an invaluable addition to the literature field and one sure to enjoy a long shelf like in both municipal and university libraries alike.

www.deremilitari.org

the book is very well written and tightly referenced.... Recommended, especially for those who only remember Crassus as the guy who played by Laurence Olivier in Spartacus.

Slingshot