Gladius winter archaeologist Matthew Champion shines a

archaeologist Matthew Champion shines a spotlight on a forgotten world of ships

Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up

and engaging storytelling

'What a lovely thing this is: a book that delights in the sheer textural joy of good sentences

As the London streets outside the medical unit fall silent

Gladius winter archaeologist Matthew Champion shines aThe Roman army was the greatest fighting machine the ancient world produced. The Roman Empire depended on soldiers not just to win its wars, defend its frontiers and control the seas but also to act as the engine of the state. Roman legionaries and auxiliaries came from across the Roman world and beyond. They served as tax collectors, policemen, surveyors, civil engineers and, if they survived, in retirement as civic worthies, craftsmen and