Septimius Severus was Rome's black emperor. Born in the blistering heat of a North African spring in Leptis Magna AD 145, he died in the freezing cold of a northern British winter in York in AD 211. A giant of an emperor, whose career can be counted in superlatives, Severus was in power at the height of Rome's might. He led the largest army to ever campaign in Britain, comprising 50,000 men, part of a Roman military establishment which peaked at 33 legions under his rule. Born into the ric...

'I know for sure that I have an instinct for color, and painting is in the very marrow of my bones'The life of Van Gogh has gone down in legend as the archetypal artist’s existence. He was irascible and short-tempered, hugely passionate and emotional, absurdly talented and, for most of his lifetime, notoriously misunderstood and under-appreciated. And yet today, we see him as one of the most inventive, influential and admired painters of the entire...

The world of the Roman Republic and Empire is still very much with us, alive and a key companion as we negotiate the trials and tribulations of modern life. We don't just walk in the footsteps of Romans great and small; we walk side by side with them.At its height in the second century AD the Roman Empire stretched across three continents, from Hadrian's Wall in the far north-west to the bustling port cities on the Red Sea, but its influence spread even further afi...

A new study that challenges previous interpretations of post-Roman North Africa. North Africa was one of the richest parts of the Roman Empire, the agricultural powerhouse of the Mediterranean. It was also home to some of the emperor's biggest imperial estates, and prosperous cities of all kinds. Its loss to the Vandals in the first half of the 5th century AD was the mortal blow which both precipitated the fall of the western empire, and set the eastern empire back for decades. Its reconqu...

An exhaustive comparison of two great leaders, using seven traits to judge their military successes with the Macedonian Army and the Republican Roman Army.In the annals of ancient history the lights of Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar shine brighter than any other, inspiring generations of dynasts and despots with their imperial exploits. Each has been termed the greatest military leader of the ancient world, but who actually was the best?In this...

A gripping account of Agricola’s bloody campaigns in Scotland, revealing how Rome pushed beyond its frontier.Agricola was the great Flavian warrior governor of Britain tasked by the emperor Vespasian with conquering the far north of its main island for the first time. Initially campaigning in Wales and then the north of modern England to secure his rear, he launched his first assault into modern Scotland at the end of the 70s AD. Four more bloody campaigns beyond t...

A renowned historian presents eight of the greatest, most significant battles from the first two and a half centuries of Rome's Imperial period.Dr Simon Elliott describes eight of the greatest, most decisive of the Roman Empire of the first to third centuries. The list includes battles fought from the highlands of Scotland and the forests of Germany to the deserts of the Middle East, revealing how the vaunted Roman legions adapted to extremes of terrain and climate...

Much has been written about the Roman army and the mighty legions that conquered their empire and then defended it for centuries against all comers. But little has been written about the men and units employed when something more subtle than the march of legions into pitched battle was required. This is the only book available dedicated to Roman special ops and the role of the Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores and Areani. Simon Elliott reveals the kinds of special operations conducte...

"Fascinating. . . . Will have a very special appeal to readers [interested] in the evolution of the English language, Roman history, and medieval British history." — Midwest Book ReviewThe end of empire in Britain was both more abrupt and more complete than in any of the other European Roman provinces. When the fog clears and Britain re-enters the historical record, it is, unlike other former European provinces of the Western Empire, dominated by a new cult...

A professional figure painter's guide to re-creating the legions of the Roman Empire.Andy Singleton has been modeling and painting most of his life and has been a professional commission figure painter for some years now. In this book, he shares his experience and tips of the trade with those collecting Early Imperial Romans. The emphasis is on achievable results and practical advice that is applicable to painting units or whole armies for wargaming purposes in a r...

In the 1920s a group of previously unconnected writers and artists settled on the remote island of Tahiti, thousands of miles from home. Tahiti was the only South Pacific island at that time to have an artistic community. Why?The introductory chapters of Guys like Gauguin show how the image of Tahiti as a paradise island was created by artists and writers following the visit of Captain Cook and other explorers in the 1760s, and then how this image was rein...

Lonely Planet Iran is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Hike among the Castles of the Assassins in Alamut Valley, Lose yourself in Esfahan's historic bazaar, or ski in the Alborz Mountains -all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Iran and begin your journey now!Inside Lonely Planet Iran Travel Guide: