Maxwell, Gordon A Battle Lost, Romans and Caledonians at Mons Graupius , Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1990First edition. Maroon cloth, gilt, bw ills, bibliography, index Pagination: viii, 138. This is an authoritative, all-embracing account of the first decisive battle to be fought on Scottish soil. At Mons Graupius in AD 83, ten thousand British tribal warriors fell to the troops of Julius Agricola in the culmination of a campaign in which much of North Britain was over-run and subsequently occupied by the Romans. The description of the battle by P. Cornelius Tacitus, son-in-law of the Roman victor, has intrigued and delighted scholars over the ages. This well-illustrated work analyses that literary record, and considers the archaeological evidence in the light of the very latest advances in knowledge and research. It discusses the nature of native society at the time, as well as events leading up to the conflict. The central chapter features a vivid blow-by-blow description of the battle itself. The text also recounts the long quest by scholars and antiquaries to identify the actual site of the battlefield, and examines the rival claims currently put forward for its identification.<P>Well-written, and containing a wealth of up-to-the-minute research findings, this is the definitive work on Scotland’s first major battle, and indeed her first crushing military defeat.. Book: extremities lightly bumped, sticker to ffep, VG, Jacket: unclipped, a little edge creasing, VG (Book ref. 3025 ) £ 16.00 The payment methods accepted by the seller, www.oldscottishbooks.com , are shown in the right-hand column. |
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