The Sarmatians 600 BC–AD 450 (Men-at-Arms, 373)

I like how the migrations of the people across Asia have influenced us so directly. Especially the parts about the Sword in the Earth/Stone.

Great visuals, good reference material.

Love the Osprey series- very insightful glimpse into The Sarmatian culture.

Detailed and accurate

I found this book very informative and well-written. The detailed art work in this book is a helpful visual aid, informative and appealing.

Despite its age (it was first published in 2002), this Osprey publication remains a rather good little introduction and summary of the Sarmatians. This is especially the case since, as the author mentioned a decade ago, the secondary literature in English on the group of nomadic tribes that got bunched together under this term is still rather sparse. A few references on the Sarmatians or the Alans have appeared since this book was first published (in French, for instance, but also in Polish and Russian). The French ones, however, largely deal with the presence of "Sarmatians" (in fact their Alan cousins) in Gaul during the fifth century.I am not aware of any monographs in English which deals with them specifically and would be more than happy to learn about them, if anyone reading this review knows of any. There are also some books recently published or about to hit the shelves that deal with nomadic tribes from the East, more generally, but nothing as specific as the monographs we know have on the Franks, the Goths, the Alamans or the Vandals, not to mention the Saxons, of course.In addition to the topic covered, the book's contents put together by a couple of Polish historians are rather good. They cover the ground and make all the important points, including who were the Sarmatians, their organization, tactics, arms and armour, horses and equipment. They also show why they became and remained a rather significant problem for the Romans for several centuries by combining heavy lance and bow cavalry and light archer cavalry.One of the most interesting parts of the book is the section on the Sarmatians' legacy. This includes their influence on Roman cavalry, their more controversial impact on medieval "milites" (or knight) and the links that some have established between the Sarmatian regiments that got posted to Britain and the legendary stories about King Arthur (the film makes the point quite clearly).One last good point made in this book is the authors' short but to the point discussion of "the Sarmatian roots of the Slavs". Given the authors' origins, and the fact that the Sarmatians have been claimed as "ancestors" both well before (in Poland in particular) and after 1918, their care in avoiding any "nationalistic" bias can only be commended. Still worth a good 4 stars.

This book was the first Osprey book I ever bought, but has inspired me to come back for, so far, about seventy more. It is an excellent source on this oft-overlooked warrior people, giving a summary of the history of the various tribes (Aorsi, Alans, Rhoxolani, etc.) and then going on to examine tactics, armor, lancing gear, blades, archery equipment, and lassos. Their roles in the 3rd-5th Century Roman army, as well as their possible role in the myth of King Arthur is also examined. The book also briefly looks at the unique Kingdom of the Bosporan Cimmerians, a Crimean people who combined the military thought of the Romans, Greeks, Gauls, Scythians, and Sarmatians. This is an excellent source on some of Rome's most fearsome 'barbarians'!

The pictures were'nt that captivating as some of the other books except the cover the narratives can use a bit more work but it was not that bad on it, but should have extended it more.

Has all the information I was missing on the Sarmatians, Perfect! loved the book good swift service, very efficient, a very good e-bayer!

A good overview on the subject although the first parts on the various tribes, etc. left me a bit confused. Good explanation on the offensive techniques, handling of the spear in two hands, etc.This opus is also very short, 40pages only! Left me a bit hungry I must say.As a person always trying to see a glass half full than half empty, I still do not regret the purchase - a good introduction to the subject but would have liked more description of lifestyle, horsmanship, etc.

For my DAD

It's a booklet. I was expecting a book. My fault: didn't check number of pages.