Featured battle : Pharsalus

Part of Rome's Civil War Caesar v Pompey

Date : 48 bc

Pompey's forces out numbered Caesar's by two to one. Pompey feared that his inexperienced troops might not advance in good order so he waited for Caesar to make the first move. Caesar took the initiative, [and gamble] using seasoned troops [10th Legion] against five times their number of raw cavalry. He broke Pompey's left wing and went on to surround his centre. Pompey fled from the battlefield.

The Forgotten War against Napoleon

Gareth Glover
Initially I was confused. I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't this. It didn't seem like a Gareth Glover, a writer I admire immensely. It is about conflicts around the Mediterranean which I knew of and were in no way forgotten. The chapters were short and pithy, with a wealth of footnotes. However once I got into the swing of the book, and it does swing along, I found I was greatly enjoying it. In effect it became a Gareth Glover. It is written in a most readable style with loads of well researched information. The book has 56 chapters, the shortest only one page long, 16 illustrations, all contemporary with the events, and 33 maps.
For me the true value of this book is that it connects events which are most usually only studied in isolation. What the author has demonstrated is the inter-connection between seeming disparate events. The connection coming about because they are on or of the Mediterranean.
When I finished this book I was sorry it wasn't longer. It is a tour de force and reminded me of areas which I now want to revisit and to read more about in greater detail. It is an excellent overview. The only thing wrong with it is the title.

Pen & Sword Military. Pen & Sword \Books \Ltd., 2017