Fully illustrated with colour artwork plates, black & white and colour photographs and illustrations, ROMAN MAIL AND SCALE ARMOUR investigates the origins, evolution and use of the mail and scale armour worn by the soldiers and gladiators of Imperial Rome.
Mr. Bishop
I think you’ll find you’re talking about Dr Mike Bishop, one of the leading authorities on Roman Military Equipment. He is the publisher of the Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies (JRMES), the annual periodical of The Association for Roman Military Equipment Studies which means he will be in a good position to be aware of the latest research in a field where (perhaps surprisingly to some) there is frequent revision of long-held beliefs in the light of both new archaeological discoveries and the reassessment of items long tucked away in the reserve collections of museums…
Regards,
M
Hi Tom, thank you for expanding on his credentials. I’ve read beyond the publisher bio that Mr Bishop is considered to be a leading worldwide authority about the Roman Empire. I can only imagine how difficult it is for somebody with his knowledge to condense such topics down into the allotted pages of this format. I would not be surprised if, and certainly advocate for, Osprey to eventually consolidate his various titles into one of their large tomes, in which I’m sure that Mr Bishop could add even more information.
He’s very good at picking out the most salient points and giving modellers the best current impressions of how Roman soldiers looked at various times through history. What is remarkable is the number of people now working in the field and the amount of new knowledge emerging. I’ve quite lost touch myself; I think the last time I was anything like current was when Dr Bishop and Dr J C N Coulston first published their Magnum Opus “Roman Military Equipment: From The Punic War To The Fall Of Rome” in 1993, I never even upgraded to the 2nd Edition in 2006. I’d really like to see a 3rd Edition…
About half-a-century ago you could put most of the then-current experts, up-and-coming students, and assorted hangers-on in one mid-sized not-exactly-full lecture theatre (I know, I was one of the hangers-on; I believe it may have the last time I met Dr Bishop in person). I’m old enough to have imbibed in the same small group as H Russell Robinson, and sat around chatting in the accommodation (while wearing reproduction Roman helmets) after we were kicked out of the Bar… Sadly, some of those I became acquainted with at that time have since passed on, most notably Peter Connolly and, more recently, Dietwulf Baatz. Thank you for having brought back fond memories for me.
Cheers,
M