The Barbarians: Warriors and Wars of the Dark Ages

by Tim Newark

Book Overview

48 pages, 20 color plates. This is the third title by the talented artist McBride, Angus. Angus just keeps getting better and better. Angus has cut down his workload nowadays to enjoy life, so the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0713720425
• ISBN13: 9780713720426
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Blanford
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.5" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

"Empires being neither up nor down,do not fail. They change their appearance."

When I first saw this book,I thought it was a juvenile book for Middle schools.This impression came first from the cover which is an illustration of Middle Age Warriors on horseback.Something like you see on Sci-Fi or Fantasy books. Then the size.It is large,71/2"X10",and only 3/4 " thick,including hard covers.A quick thumb-thru indicated it had a lot of pictures and illustrations.I picked it up anyway.Although I read a lot of history,I am pretty weak on the history of the Middle Ages. I thought this book would give a simple overview of this period.Was I ever in for a surprise!!. This is an excellent history of this very long and complicated period.I does a good job of sorting out all those groups of people,and endless series of conflicts and invasions ,across all of Europe and the Middle East.Just looking at the cultures that rose and fell,it is little wonder it gets confusing.If you think this area of the world is complicated today, just imagine what it was during these 1500 years; when we had the: Alans,Anglo-Saxons,Arabs,Huns,Avars,Barbarians,Berbers,Bulgars,Bazentines,Romans,Carolingians,Celts,Danes,Franks,Gauls,Germans,Ostrogoths,Viaigoths,Greeks,Khazars,Magyars,Christians,Mongols,Moors,Norwegians,Slavs,Rus,Teutons,Vandals,Vikings,Wahshi and many others. This part of the world has seen a continuing string of conflicts where oppression and domination has attempted to destroy Western Civilization. Forces are at work today with the same intent.The character,intents and cultures we have seen in the past have not gone away;and in fact are very active today.A study of this area and period is very helpful in trying to see what happens when evil forces are accomodated and allowed to succeed. It was not a pretty picture in the past and what is taking place today must be taken very seriously. The book is very well written and the B & W and Color Artwork and Illustration are excellent and bring this history to life and make it more understandable.

Good Introduction

This title covers a very broad period in history (Rome's first clashes with Gauls and Germans all the way to the last of the Oriental hordes to attack Europe) but presents a good introduction to the subject for a reader with little or no experience in it. The first chapter, 'The Most Terrible of All' gives a brief account of the campaigns waged between the Late Romans, the Huns, and the Visigoths, including the decisive battle of Adrianople in the year 378. The second, 'Fear in the Forest' tells of Rome's wars with the Gauls and West-Germans, like the brutal slaughter of AD 9. Chapter three, 'Business as Usual' deals with the barbarian wars that saw the traditional 'fall of Rome' in 476. Chapter Four, 'The Empire Fights Back' tells the confusing but heroic story of Byzantine Wars in Italy under Belisarius and Narses. Chapter Five, 'The Force of God' tells of the early Arabs, the foundation of Islam, and the fall of the Sassanid Empire. 'The Wolves of Wodan' tells the legendary story of the very-real Vikings and their campaigns against Byzantine, Celtic, French, and Arab foes. The Seventh and final chapter, 'The Relentless Plainsmen' tells of the Turkish and Mongol wars from the point of view of Eastern Europe. The text is supported with 16 color plates by Angus McBride, which capture the barbarians in realistic poses and expressions.

An excellent book on dark-ages Europe.

This book covers the various barbarian invaders of Europe, beginning with the Huns and Germans in the Fourth century and continuing through to the Mongols. The book is written in an easy to read manner, and the excellent pictures in this book are crowned by 16 full-page pictures by the incomparable Angus McBride.