Presenting a range of evidence for these diverse styles, from Roman art to early medieval bracteate amulets, and from classical texts to Beowulf, the Edda and Icelandic sagas, Professor Speidel here details seventeen different Germanic warriors styles, including berserks, wolf-warriors, club-wielders, long-hairs, ghost warriors and horse-stabbers, and how they indicate an unbroken continuity of customs, beliefs and battle-field tactics. Ancient Germanic warriors played a decisive role in historical events from 200 BC, when Germanic culture first became identifiable, to AD 1000 when Christianity swept through the Nordic countries. Arising from beliefs and states of mind, a variety of warrior styles manifested themselves in differences of dress, weaponry and fighting technique. Fully illustrated with over fifty photographs, this vivid and fascinating survey adds a colourful new dimension to our understanding of the history of Europe.

Fully illustrated with over fifty photographs, this book describes the ancient fighting styles and mythical self-images of Germanic warriors from 200 BC - AD 1000 and presents vivid and fascinating survey that adds a colourful new dimension to our understanding of the history of Europe.

It has been 210 years since Rome's greatest general, Scipio Africanus, triumphantly won what is arguably Rome's greatest victory at the Battle of Zama against the great Hannibal of Carthage. For over two centuries Rome has continued its empirical march, leveling all opposition and conquering new lands and people. The world has never seen a force like that of the Roman Empire. Roman life is at its zenith as it witnesses the continual rise of an empire. At her northern borders Rome is knocking on the door of Ancient Germania. It is a densely forested land inhabited by a highly fractured society. The people of Ancient Germany are a fiercely independent people yet they lack any cohesion or structure. From the outside looking in Rome expects a quick and simple victory. However, while Rome organizes her strategy to kick down the door she has overlooked the barbarians at the gate. Amongst those barbarians sits an elite class of Germanic warriors. They are a ruthless, efficient, and highly skilled elite force. They attack in the pitch of darkness and they are the first warriors to ever don camouflage. They fight in silence with spears, slings, javelins, and blunt battle-clubs. They are the warriors that legends and nightmares are made of and they are remembered by history as Germania's Ghost Warriors.This is the true story of history's greatest victory. Never before in history has an army overcome such amazing odds and done so with such definiteness. It will mark the beginning of the end of the mighty Roman Empire and give birth to one of history's greatest military leaders, Arminius. He will single handedly spark the rise of a nation by uniting a fractured and unorganized group of communities that will one day become Germany. As one ancient civilization stumbles the other finds firm footing for centuries to come.

An overview of the Germanic peoples’ military history from this period and an examination of the weapons and tactics they employed on the battlefield. Gabriele Esposito begins this study by showing how, from very early on, the Germanic communities were heavily influenced by Celtic culture. He then moves on to describe the major military events, starting with the first major encounter between the Germanic tribes and the Romans: the invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones. Julius Caesar’s campaigns against German groups seeking to enter Gaul are described in detail as is the pivotal Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which effectively halted Roman expansion into Germany and for centuries fixed the Rhine as the border between the Roman and Germanic civilizations. Escalating pressure of Germanic raids and invasions was a major factor in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. The author’s analysis explains how Germanic warriors were able to crush the Roman military forces on several occasions, gradually transformed the Roman Army itself from the inside and, after the fall of the Empire, created new Romano-Germanic Kingdoms across Europe. The evolution of Germanic weapons, equipment and tactics is examined and brought to life through dozens of color photos of replica equipment in use.

An account of the Germanic peoples and their kingdom between the 3rd and 8th centuries, as they invaded, settled in and transformed the Roman empire.

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