Last Great War of Antiquity

The book "The Last and Longest War: The Persian-Roman Frontier in the Early Seventh Century AD" is a comprehensive history of the war that raged along the Persian-Roman frontier in the early seventh century, drawing in all the available resources and great powers of the steppe world. It fills a conspicuous gap in the history of warfare and focuses on the decisions and actions of individuals, as well as the underlying structures in both belligerent empires and the Middle East under Persian occupation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The final and longest war of classical antiquity, fought in the early seventh century, was a ideological battle that stretched along the entire length of the Persian-Roman frontier. It involved all the available resources and great powers of the steppe world, resulting in an unprecedented scale of conflict. Despite its devastating consequences, the war has left a conspicuous gap in the history of warfare that this book aims to fill.

The war began in the summer of 603 when Persian armies launched coordinated attacks across the Roman frontier. After twenty-five years of fierce fighting, the war came to an end with the final, forlorn counteroffensive thrusts of Emperor Heraclius into the Persian Mesopotamian heartland. James Howard-Johnston has pieced together the scattered and fragmentary evidence of this period to form a coherent story of the dramatic events, as well as an introduction to key players such as Turks, Arabs, and Avars, as well as Persians and Romans.

The decisions and actions of individuals, particularly Heraclius, a general of rare talent, take center stage in this critical history. However, due attention is also given to the underlying structures in both belligerent empires and to the Middle East under Persian occupation in the 620s. The result is a solidly founded, critical history of a conflict of immense significance in the final episode of classical history.

Weight: 902g
Dimension: 241 x 166 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198830191