I've gone all HA atm. Shadows of the Desert (persian warfare, incl. Parthians) and some book about Warriors of the Steppe (a bit general really "The Alans had armoured horse, but for the steppe it was a dead end"). It dioes seem a fair introduction for a beginner, but to much detail is washed aside in favour of grand adjectives like devastating and invincible.

Next is The Mongol Way of War by Tim May (not the Australian Cricket administrator). Thank goodness for a well stocked local library.

I won't be reading The Fall of Constantinople, which describes on the dust jacket how Constatiniple in 1450 was "impregnable..having only fallen to seige twice...". Thats like being a virgin after only your second bonk.

On the tram to work I'm reading Kim and next is Arrian's Alexander (more NAMBLA).

Quote Originally Posted by agua
Alexander by Robin Lane Fox
He seems to know his stuff. I read The Classical Age and found it very impressive, even if the old queer is rather obsessed with the NAMBLA side of things. I'm certainly no expert but the few areas I had read a bit about for my degree he handled with aplomb, there's no false notes in his reduction of broad history to a single volume.