The Landmark Julius Caesar: The Complete Works: Gallic War, Civil War, Alexandrian War, African War, and Spanish War (Landmark Series)

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A revealing compendium of history, which reveals to a non-Latin speaker what a well-organized state the Roman Republic had achieved before politicians with swelled heads just had to have their way, and by civil war and street riots emplaced an Empire.Julius Caesar's writings encompass a wide spectrum of concerns held by the General/Priest/Consul he embodied, and how he by tactics and strategems advanced the course of the Republic. His generalship alone was a whole universe of troop-raising, discipline, morale-boosting, diplomacy, management of armies (which included shipbuilding and fighting as navies when required), outwitting opposing armies, engineering of weapons, of roads, of earthworks including river diversions, of bridging rivers, and of weapons and tactical hardware - interrupted from time to time by sitting as a judge in law to settle civil cases between Romans. His writings are every bit as good as those of today's thinkers governing western democracies, and frequently more concise and better.It is no wonder that until the 'progressive' 20th century got rolling, a good education would include sufficient Greek and Latin studies that graduates would at least be aware of the examples set by Caesar and other thinkers of the Roman Republic through its nearly 500 year existance, and of some of his successors of the Empire. They are no less pertinent to governance today than they were 2000-plus years ago.The translation is in quite modern English, and includes, Gibbon-style, endless footnotes - some of which are sorely redundant, such as laboring to translate EVERY distance marched into modern English miles, where one introductory note giving the conversion would suffice. Also the author's commentaries on Caesar's motives are too often overdone, when the situation described makes them plain enough. Online references are also given to certain items of the times, though they're only about Wikipedia-strength when it comes to details.

The Landmark series has set a very high standard for excellence in the area of editions of ancient authors. In my opinion, this volume of Caesar's work edited by noted ancient historian Kurt Raaflaub raises an already very high bar. The volume is worth the (relatively modest) price simply for the introductory essay and the superb maps, but what readers get in addition is a veritable cultural history of the late Roman Republic through the copious and judicious notes, photographs, and explanatory material after the texts. The amount of detail on individuals alone is simply stunning. And let's not forget the text itself. Raaflaub's translations are clear and compelling, and the decision to include all of Caesar's commentaries as well as those frequently published or grouped with them (but not by Caesar himself) was excellent. The book taken as a whole--even leaving aside the superb essays by numerous, eminent scholars of Roman history available at the related website--may very well mark a new era (and a renaissance) in the study of Caesar. Through this volume, students and scholars alike may very well come to realize that Caesar's life, works, and the socio-political world he inhabited form one of the most interesting and valuable periods in European history. I feel some pity for any ancient historian who plans to tackle a Landmark volume after Raaflaub.

You get the translation, explanatory footnotes and a ton of articles for very cheap. Amazing!

About the book -Its bloody brilliant. Comprehensive, meticulous, well-written, and in my humble opinion, far better illustrated compared to previous publications in this series, with more exhaustive depictions of strategic and tactical movement. It is comparable to A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars by Esposito & Elting. A must have for any Armchair Warrior.About the "Web Essays" everyone is griping about -An "integral part" of this book (the publisher's words, not mine) has been inexplicably excluded from the hardcover and put in thelandmarkcaesar.com. Contrary to the misinformation being spread here, it does not require you to be online to read. Its a 330 page downloadable PDF, which you can simply keep in your kindle or phone, or print it out on a relatively small 2x1 double sided booklet. People are making a mountain out of a molehill. I would take out 0.5 out of my 5/5 if Amazon would allow it, no more.

Not much I can say about the content. Like him or not, Caesar was one of history's most compelling and controversial figures. When crossed by a non-Roman his response was often genocidal. With fellow Romans he could be both generous and merciful. In addition to being one of the great military commanders, he was also one of Rome's great orators and is still admired today for his facility with the Latin language.The annotation is why you should purchase this book. In keeping with the Landmark tradition, the supporting text is awesome. Almost every action, thought, geographic location, etc. is accompanied by explanatory text.PS-Does anyone out there have a hardcover copy of Landmark Arrian they're willing to sell for a reasonable price? I have all of the others. Somehow I missed that one.

I love this version so much because it contains so much commentary that gives the reader a full understanding of the context of the situations. I’m borderline giving it 5 stars only because it doesn’t have the English and Latin side by side ( Might be asking for too much ). Very informative and full of rich and interesting history and maps. Worth every penny.