The Roman-Judaeo War of 66-74 A.D.: A Military Analysis, by James Bloom

Rochester, N.Y.: SAGA Publications, 2002. Pp. 132. Illus., maps, diagr., append., biblio. wire-bound paperback. $25.00. ISBN:.

While drawing critically upon the works of Flavius Josephus, the also uses other ancient sources, often fragmentary, supplemented by archaeological evidence and modern scholarship to provided a thorough look at the events of the "Jewish Revolt," which led to the destruction of the Second Temple and the beginnings of the Jewish Diaspora. The treatment is critical, analytic, and quite readable.

While military events naturally are of central importance in The Roman-Judaeo War, the author pays careful attention to the causes of the war, the political issues involved, the often vicious internecine fighting among the various Jewish factions, and the place of the war in the history of the Jewish people.

James Bloom, a veteran gamer, analyst, and military historian who worked with Trevor Dupuy on several projects related to the Middle East, has taken a number of unique approaches. For example, the work is illustrated using dioramas of military miniatures, which not only permit him to depict the uniforms of the period rather faithfully, but also provide a three-dimensional aspect to what would otherwise be two-dimensional diagrams of tactical formations and situations. There are also a number of useful appendices addressing such issues as Jewish combat efficiency, the reliability of Josephus as a source, and Jewish political factions. The Roman-Judaeo War may be ordered from www.saga-publishing.com, a veteran publisher of wargames and war-game related materials

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