Aiming for a better understanding of the Roman army and its place in Roman culture and society, the authors present a study of their military equipment from a historical perspective. The study, limited to second century BC to the beginning of the fifth century AD, excludes dona militaria, siege engines, draught harness and wagon fittings and most personal decorations, but includes standards and musical instruments. Representational, archaeological, and documentary evidence is addressed, followed by discussions of equipment in various periods, production and technology, and the study of military equipment. The text has been revised extensively for this edition, reflecting new finds, publications, and research, such as that on the Republican period and Roman helmets, among other revisions. Bishop is a writer, publisher, and archaeologist specializing in the study of military equipment. Coulston is a lecturer in Classics at the U. of St. Andrews. Distributed in the US by the David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)