Rome: Strategy of Empire

This excellent book chronicles the rise and fall of Rome through the eyes of a strategist. The premise Mr. Lacey seeks to convey is that leaders of Rome, over four hundred years, were able to think and act strategically. He uses many published resources effectively to support his argument.He works his way through Cesar after Cesar and all the pretenders that emerged, all the while taking into account many major and minor wars and foes. It’s a breathless race through time, as if we were there watching time speed past us. This is the ultimate fly on the wall narrative.He explores some of the decisions we see in history books and stones and rock and bones we find around us. He demonstrates how planning food supplies, weeks or months in advance, must have taken place to support the longest marching armies to battles. He reviews the ideas behind placement of forces to defended its frontiers. This is contrasted to tactics regarding the location of legions and auxiliary forces in reserve some way behind the line, being more flexible for varied response.Managing penetrating thrusts of large enemy forces unable to feed itself is analyzed compared to strong barriers at the front to prevent the breakthrough in the first place. It turns out that the author argues persuasively enough that most authors seem to have misunderstood what Roman strategists may have thought. Some frontier defenses were build to as to force breakthroughs into key areas in the rear, where mobile forces could be mustered at speed. This was more effective than trying to build a Maginot wall everywhere.It is so fascinating to compare Rome’s fall with what we see in the West today. The Republic gave way to dictators; civil wars and arguments over leadership were rampant. Even with enemies prancing around the Empire, usurpers were prioritized. But at the end of the day, it was civil war that consumed the riches that paid for empire; and the loss of Africa removed the economic and food vein needed to fund and feed empire.Most enjoyable read: very recommended 9 out of 10.

I learned a lot and it was fun to read. It is one thing to read about the principles and theories of strategy but to fully understand them you must see them in action. Lacey does this for us, using the Roman Empire. Seeing how different Emperors and other actors pursue their goals over the same terrain but often in different circumstances is like replaying the same war-game multiple times. You begin to see things that are not apparent the first time around, notice that some things are always important and maybe decisive. Lacey makes use of information discovered in recent years, that was not available to previous authors and might be a surprise to some readers. It is well researched and footnoted and author's conclusions are always derived from and supported by facts we have available to us. His experience as a soldier, a military historian, consultant and a professor at the Marine Corps War College makes him well suited for this work.

Lacey takes issue with consensus historians and several of Edward Luttwak's key assertions in his classic Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire. Lacey contends "that the Romans were, for their time, very sophisticated strategic thinkers who possessed all the tools to plan long term strategies and to act according to those plans.” Packed with good history and great analysis, he is persuasive. He addresses continency, adaptation, and context in a sweeping look at Roman strategic history from the Principate to the end. He provides a great argument for continuity in the practice of strategy. If I were still teaching Strategic Art, I would require my students to read Rome: Strategy of Empire.

Excellent maps. As a retired officer and student of military history I appreciate quality maps. Dr. Lacey makes marvelous work of maps to support his points. There is much more besides. Being of the same generation as Dr. Lacey, I’d always been of two minds about Roman Grand Strategy. He has convinced me. This is a must read for anyone interested in Roman military history.

The author brings a military background to the subject. He's very clear eyed regarding the possible causes and courses of Roman campaigns. Well written and an easy read. He is very knowledgable but I don't think he breaks a lot of new ground, it's more his reappraisal of existing histories.

Dr. Lacey's brilliant analysis is a must read for anyone interested in grand strategy from a historical and or modern perspective. His treatment of the Roman Empire's grand strategy is meticulously documented and eminently readable. Dr. Lacey has a true gift for making history come alive!Dr. Lacey's insightful treatment covers the trajectory of the Roman Empire from start to finish. This book is destined to become a classic.Dr. Lacey's book makes clear that grand strategy is a topic of enduring importance. His timeless insights have clear implications for the United States' current competition with the People's Republic of China.

Lacey challenges many great minds of Roman History and he offers an expansive history of Roman strategy and he clearly articulates the decision making process of Rome’s most influential (good and bad) leaders. A must read for any military history buff or budding strategist!

A very helpful book that confirms Luttwak's thesis that Rome had, throughout its history, a very profound grasp of strategy, with a detailed knowledge of the Empire and surrounding lands.I felt that the concentration on the doings of every individual Emperor, whilst fascinating, took away some of the key emphasis on strategy and tended to slide into general Roman history.