{"title":"Matyszak Philip","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"greece-against-rome-book-matyszak-philip-9781399000123","title":"Greece Against Rome","description":"Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms (the fragments of Alexander the Great's short-lived empire) were near their peak. In terms of population, economy and military power each individual kingdom was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy and literature.  Philip Matyszak relates how, over the next two-and-a half centuries, Rome conquered and took over these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as  Graeco-Roman'  Refreshingly, the story is largely told from the viewpoint of the Hellenistic kingdoms. At the outset, the Romans are little more than another small state in the barbarian west, and less of a consideration than the Scythians or Jews. Much of the narrative therefore focuses on the  game of thrones' between the Hellenistic powers, a tale of assassinations, double crosses, dynastic incest and warfare. As the Roman threat grows, however, it belatedly becomes the primary concern of the kingdoms as the legions destroy them one by one.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49740509643025,"sku":"NGR9781399000123","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51317047197969,"sku":"GOR014224358","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399000128.jpg?v=1750921830"},{"product_id":"sparta-book-matyszak-philip-9781399014564","title":"Sparta","description":"Their contemporaries were fascinated by the Spartans and we still are. They are portrayed as the stereotypical macho heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless and impervious to discomfort and pain. What makes the study of Sparta so interesting is that to a large extent the Spartans lived up to this image.  Ancient Sparta, however, was a city of contrasts. We might admire their physical toughness and heroism in adversity but Spartans also systematically abused their children. They gave rights to citizen women that were unmatched in Europe until the modern era, meanwhile subjecting their conquered subject peoples to a murderous reign of terror. Though idealized by the Athenian contemporaries of Socrates Sparta was almost devoid of intellectual achievement.  Philip Matyszak explores two themes: how Sparta came to be the unique society it was, and the rise of the city from a Peloponnesian village to the military superpower of Greece. But above all, his focus is on the Spartan hoplite, the archetypal Greek warrior who was respected and feared throughout Greece in his own day, and who has since become a legend. The reader is shown the man behind the myth; who he was, who he thought he was, and the environment which produced him.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741772816657,"sku":"NGR9781399014564","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50380538708241,"sku":"CIN1399014560G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51903425642769,"sku":"GOR013190752","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52414344626449,"sku":"GOR014519628","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399014560.jpg?v=1751369528"},{"product_id":"cataclysm-90-bc-book-matyszak-philip-9781399085182","title":"Cataclysm 90 BC","description":"We are accustomed to think of the late Republic as a period in which Rome enjoyed almost uninterrupted military success against foreign enemies. Yet at the start of the first century BC, Rome, outnumbered and out-generalled, faced a hostile army less than a week's march from the Capitol. It is probable that only a swift surrender prevented the city from being attacked and sacked. Before that point, three Roman consuls had died in battle, and two Roman armies had been soundly defeated - not in some foreign field, but in the heartland of Italy. So who were this enemy who so comprehensively knocked Rome to its knees? What army could successfully challenge the legions which had been undefeated from Spain to the Euphrates? And why is that success almost unknown today? These questions are answered in this book, a military and political history of the Social War of 90-88BC. This tells the story of the revolt of Rome's Italian allies (socii in Latin - hence the name of the war). Because these Italian allies had the arms, training and military systems of the Roman army which they usually fought alongside, all Rome's usual military advantages were nullified. This brought the war down to a clash of generals, with the Roman rivals Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla spending almost as much time in political intrigue as combat with the enemy. The Italian leaders had to manage an equally fractious coalition of peoples. Some tribes sought negotiation with Rome, and others would settle for nothing less than the total extermination of the city and its people. The interplay of personalities (the young Cicero, Cato, and Pompey were also protagonists); high-stakes politics and full-scale warfare combine with assassination; personal sacrifice and desperate measures (such as raising an army of freed slaves) to make for a taut, fast-paced tale.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743720022289,"sku":"NGR9781399085182","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50235247919377,"sku":"CIN1399085182G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50763840094481,"sku":"CIN1399085182VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399085182.jpg?v=1751240615"},{"product_id":"roman-empire-in-100-moments-book-philip-matyszak-9781789299557","title":"Roman Empire in 100 Moments","description":"Travel back to one of history’s most fascinating eras in this expansive, bite-sized guide to the empire you can’t stop thinking about.  Explore the defining moments of one of history’s greatest civilizations. An expert in Roman history, Dr Philip Matyzsak captures the Romans’ rise from a small city-state to a dominant power, its golden age and its internal struggles, all the way to its eventual fall. This concise guide presents the extraordinary events that defined Ancient Rome – battles that rewrote history and cultural achievements that still echo to this day. It details the death of Julius Caesar and how he was killed by his fellow senators, how Tigranes quite literally shot the messenger and how Rome staggered through a century under the threat of ever-present violence.  History is often shaped by long-term trends, but sometimes a single moment can permanently alter its course. A crisis erupts, a decision is made, a life is lost … and the world changes forever. The ‘100 Moments’ format finally gives these small, vital moments the attention they deserve.  Featuring illustrations throughout, Dr Philip Matyszak takes the reader on a sweeping exploration of the delicate threads upon which the fate of an empire hung – the triumphs, tragedies and seismic transformations that have shaped the modern world.  This is the story of the Roman Empire, which rose from a republic torn by civil war to become the greatest imperial power the world has ever seen.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52828540731665,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":52828540993809,"sku":"NGR9781789299557","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781789299557.jpg?v=1770288059"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-matyszak-philip.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}