The Spartan

Great book, it is short but very descriptive and accurate. Gives good general knowledge background on the Spartan army. What could make it better is to go into detail on the battle array and more tactics.

A great combination of good solid text coupled with some great illustrations about a really strange militaristic society from the Ancient Greeks period.

I love this whole series of books by Osprey on the warrior elite. Great book for kids. Lots of artwork. Easy to understand history and outline of Spartan culture. Great for the novice. May be too light for the serous student of Sparta. Well worth your money. Wyatt Kaldenberg

There's nothing like an illustrated study of an ancient epoch to really thrust you back into the essence of what it was like to live during the period under consideration. Such is the case with this present edition from the Osprey Military ELITE SERIES.This book is rich in the amount of information that it bestows to the reader on what it must have been like to be a Laconian warrior some 2,500 years ago. The book details a rough historical outline of the Spartans as it concentrates on the rigorous training, tactics, dress, social structure, eating habits, rituals, organization, discipline, attitudes and alliances of the Laconians. The text is adorned with sundry pictures of artifacts and artwork from ancient Greece that bring help the reader visualize the topics being discussed by the archeologist author, Nick Sekunda. The middle pages offer lush modern illustrations of different Spartans and allies in the way scholars believe they were dressed and armed. One of the paintings depicts the key moment of Amompharetos' insubordination of Pausanias' orders @ the battle of Platea in 479BC.For those who have the ambition to learn all they possibly can about this majestic race, this text belongs on your bookshelf. For those who have a passing curiousity in the Lacedamons, this edition serves as a superb introduction.

Enjoyed this book tremendously; Not only are the color plates excellent, but the photos of archaeological evidence are also great. Especially liked the plate of the warriors of Lycurcus' era (not many artists venture to illustrate this poorly documented period).