Adrian Goldsworthy
Encyclopedia
Adrian Keith Goldsworthy (born 1969) is a British
historian
and author who specialises in ancient Roman history.
, Penarth
. After studying ancient and modern history at St John's College, Oxford
, he completed a D.Phil in ancient military history
from Oxford University in 1994, and then used his dissertation as the foundation of his first book, The Roman Army at War 100 BC – AD 200.
Goldsworthy was a Junior Research Fellow at Cardiff University
for two years, and he has taught briefly at King's College London
and was an assistant professor on the University of Notre Dame's London programme for six years. His expertise is in Roman history, but he also taught a course on the military history of the Second World War at Notre Dame University. Goldsworthy said that although he enjoyed teaching, he enjoyed writing more and now writes full-time.
Goldsworthy has appeared on History Channel
documentaries and the television game show Time Commanders
, serving as an expert on battles being fought by the contestants, and he gave a speech about Roman history and politics to the cast of a 2010 Liverpool production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra
.
Asked about his philosophy of life, Goldsworthy responded that he was "English, so obviously do not have a philosophy. I am a Christian, though, if you want to know about important beliefs." Goldsworthy lives in South Wales
.
, and one novel.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author who specialises in ancient Roman history.
Biography
Goldsworthy attended Westbourne SchoolWestbourne House School Penarth
Westbourne School is a small coeducational independent day school, nursery and prep school for children between the ages of 3 and 18 located in the holiday resort town of Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.Traditionally the school...
, Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
. After studying ancient and modern history at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, he completed a D.Phil in ancient military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
from Oxford University in 1994, and then used his dissertation as the foundation of his first book, The Roman Army at War 100 BC – AD 200.
Goldsworthy was a Junior Research Fellow at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
for two years, and he has taught briefly at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and was an assistant professor on the University of Notre Dame's London programme for six years. His expertise is in Roman history, but he also taught a course on the military history of the Second World War at Notre Dame University. Goldsworthy said that although he enjoyed teaching, he enjoyed writing more and now writes full-time.
Goldsworthy has appeared on History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
documentaries and the television game show Time Commanders
Time Commanders
Time Commanders was a series of programmes made by Lion TV and PlayGen for BBC Two that ran for two seasons from 2003 to 2005. The programmes, originally hosted by Eddie Mair and more recently by Richard Hammond, featured a specially made game engine to reenact historical battles. A team of four...
, serving as an expert on battles being fought by the contestants, and he gave a speech about Roman history and politics to the cast of a 2010 Liverpool production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony...
.
Asked about his philosophy of life, Goldsworthy responded that he was "English, so obviously do not have a philosophy. I am a Christian, though, if you want to know about important beliefs." Goldsworthy lives in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
Works
Goldsworthy has written several acclaimed historical works on ancient Rome, especially the Roman armyRoman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
, and one novel.
- The Roman Army at War 100 BC – AD 200 (OUP, 1996)
- Roman Warfare (Cassell, 2000) ISBN 0-304-35265-9
- The Punic Wars (Cassell, 2000) ISBN 0-304-35967-X
- Reprint title: The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265–146 BC, (Cassell, 2003) ISBN 978-0-304-36642-2
- Fields of Battle: Cannae (Orion, 2001) ISBN 0-304-35714-6
- Caesar's Civil War: 49–44 BC (2002), Osprey PublishingOsprey PublishingOsprey Publishing is an Oxford-based publishing company specializing in military history. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company produces over a dozen ongoing series, each focusing on a specific aspect of...
- In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire (Orion, 2003) ISBN 0-7538-1789-6
- The Complete Roman Army (Thames & Hudson, 2003) ISBN 0-500-05124-0 |Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2003100798
- Caesar: Life of a Colossus, (Yale University Press, 2006) ISBN 0-300-12048-6
- The Fall of the West: The Death of the Roman Superpower (Orion 2009)
- U.S. title: How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower, (Yale University Press, 2009) ISBN 0-300-13719-2
- Antony and Cleopatra (2010); Yale University PressYale University PressYale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
- True Soldier Gentleman (2011), (George Weidenfeld & Nicholson) ISBN 0-297-86035-6; his first novel
External links
- Adrian Goldsworthy's website
- Audio interview with Goldsworthy at National Review Online
- Interview with Goldsworthy on "New Books in History"