Ron Embleton
Encyclopedia
Ronald Sydney Embleton was a British
comics artist
and illustrator
whose work was much admired by fans and editors alike. David Ashford and Norman Wright, writing in Book and Magazine Collector (March 2002) note that "his work for such diverse periodicals as Express Weekly
, TV Century 21
, Princess, Boy's World and Look and Learn
have earned him the respect of every practitioner in the field and the gratitude of all of us who admire the art of the comic strip
."
and submitted his first cartoon
at the age of nine and, aged 12, won a national poster
competition
. After training at the South East Essex Technical College and School of Art he worked in a commercial studio for six months during which time he began freelancing comic strips to independent publishers. 'Ron' was beginning to establish himself when Embleton turned 18 and was called up for his National Service
.
In 1950, Embleton returned to freelancing, setting up a studio with a schoolfriend, Terry Patrick, and James Bleach, whom Patrick knew from life-drawing classes. The three quickly established themselves with various independent publishers -- Scion, TV Boardman, Norman Light, DCMT and others—and Embleton also began contributing to Amalgamated Press
's Comet, Comic Cuts, Cowboy Comics and Super Detective Library.
Embleton's finest work during this period was for Mickey Mouse Weekly where he drew 'Rogers' Rangers' (1953), 'Strongbow the Mighty' (1954–57) and 'Don o' the Drums' (1957), and Express Weekly
, where he took over the artwork (and subsequently the scripting) of 'Wulf the Briton'. It was on the latter that he developed his techniques for working in colour, creating over 300 pages of meticulously painted artwork during his four-year run on the strip (1956–60).
Embleton's fascination with historical characters and settings served him well with later strips, 'Wrath of the Gods' (Boy's World, 1963) and 'Johnny Frog' (Eagle
, 1964), although Embleton was equally at home with contemporary adventure strips ('Biggles', TV Express
, 1960) and science fiction: his artwork for 'Stingray
' in TV Century 21
led to the show's creator, Gerry Anderson
, inviting Embleton to provide artwork to grace the closing credits of his new show, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
.
Embleton's ten paintings depicted Captain Scarlet in various states of peril and appeared under the closing credits at the end of every episode. After shooting they were stored in producer Reg Hill's safe where they remained in perfect condition for more than thirty years. In 2003, all ten paintings were sold by Reg Hill's estate at Christie's auction house in South Kensington: the pieces went for between £2500 and £3500 each. Shortly afterwards, publisher Iconagraph produced limited edition versions of the art, each signed by Francis Matthews
, the voice of Captain Scarlet.
In the 1960s, Embleton was also a prolific contributor to Look and Learn
, producing illustrations for numerous series, including 'The Bath Road' (1962), 'Pioneers Across the Atlantic' (1962), 'The Travels of Marco Polo' (1964), 'Men of the Jolly Roger' (1965), 'Rogers' Rangers' (1970) and 'Legends of the Rhineland' (1972–73) amongst others; in 1969, Embleton illustrated a fill-in story in the long-running 'Trigan Empire
' strip. During this period, Embleton also provided illustrations for titles aimed at younger children, amongst them Playhour
, Once Upon a Time, The Storyteller and numerous books.
In 1971, he became a frequent contributor to IPC
's World of Wonder
magazine, a similar publication to Look and Learn which also relied on painted illustrations by a roster of British artists. Embleton provided artwork for long-running features such as 'Men of Waterloo' (1971), 'Ships of the Seven Seas' (1971), 'The Winning of the West' (1972) and 'Mutiny!' (1972), as well as contributing a number of cover paintings (issues 118, 124 and 131). Late in 1973, he returned to World of Wonder to illustrate an adaptation of Lewis Carroll
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
.
During the late 1970s Embleton was commissioned by This England magazine to draw what became a total of 43 Characters from Dickens and the Classics which were published quarterly throughout the 1980s. All but two of these coloured illustrations in large A2 format are still held by the magazine in Cheltenham.
As well as providing illustrations for historical books and prints, Embleton spent much of the remainder of his career illustrating full-colour comic strips for Penthouse
. Oh, Wicked Wanda!
(1973–80) was written by British author Frederic Mullally
and poked fun at politics and sexual mores; it was followed by Sweet Chastity, written by Penthouse founder Bob Guccione
.
Embleton died of a heart attack at the age of 57.
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...
comics artist
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
whose work was much admired by fans and editors alike. David Ashford and Norman Wright, writing in Book and Magazine Collector (March 2002) note that "his work for such diverse periodicals as Express Weekly
Express Weekly
Express Weekly was a children's comic of the late 1950s, and featured, among others:* Wulf the Briton drawn by Ron Embleton* Journey Into Space, from 1956, drawn first by Tacconi, and then Bruce Cornwall and Terence Patrick...
, TV Century 21
TV Century 21
TV Century 21, also known as TV 21, was a weekly British children's comic of the 1960s and early 1970s. It promoted the many television science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Century 21 Productions...
, Princess, Boy's World and Look and Learn
Look and Learn
Look and Learn was a British weekly educational magazine for children published by Fleetway Publications Ltd from 1962 until 1982. It contained educational text articles that covered a wide variety of topics from volcanoes to the Loch Ness Monster; a long running science fiction comic strip, The...
have earned him the respect of every practitioner in the field and the gratitude of all of us who admire the art of the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
."
Biography
Embleton—who, in his early career, signed his work 'Ron' -- was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and submitted his first cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
at the age of nine and, aged 12, won a national poster
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
. After training at the South East Essex Technical College and School of Art he worked in a commercial studio for six months during which time he began freelancing comic strips to independent publishers. 'Ron' was beginning to establish himself when Embleton turned 18 and was called up for his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
.
In 1950, Embleton returned to freelancing, setting up a studio with a schoolfriend, Terry Patrick, and James Bleach, whom Patrick knew from life-drawing classes. The three quickly established themselves with various independent publishers -- Scion, TV Boardman, Norman Light, DCMT and others—and Embleton also began contributing to Amalgamated Press
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
's Comet, Comic Cuts, Cowboy Comics and Super Detective Library.
Embleton's finest work during this period was for Mickey Mouse Weekly where he drew 'Rogers' Rangers' (1953), 'Strongbow the Mighty' (1954–57) and 'Don o' the Drums' (1957), and Express Weekly
Express Weekly
Express Weekly was a children's comic of the late 1950s, and featured, among others:* Wulf the Briton drawn by Ron Embleton* Journey Into Space, from 1956, drawn first by Tacconi, and then Bruce Cornwall and Terence Patrick...
, where he took over the artwork (and subsequently the scripting) of 'Wulf the Briton'. It was on the latter that he developed his techniques for working in colour, creating over 300 pages of meticulously painted artwork during his four-year run on the strip (1956–60).
Embleton's fascination with historical characters and settings served him well with later strips, 'Wrath of the Gods' (Boy's World, 1963) and 'Johnny Frog' (Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
, 1964), although Embleton was equally at home with contemporary adventure strips ('Biggles', TV Express
Express Weekly
Express Weekly was a children's comic of the late 1950s, and featured, among others:* Wulf the Briton drawn by Ron Embleton* Journey Into Space, from 1956, drawn first by Tacconi, and then Bruce Cornwall and Terence Patrick...
, 1960) and science fiction: his artwork for 'Stingray
Stingray (TV series)
Stingray is a children's marionette television show, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment from 1964–65. Its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened on ITV in the UK and in syndication in the USA. The scriptwriters included Gerry and...
' in TV Century 21
TV Century 21
TV Century 21, also known as TV 21, was a weekly British children's comic of the 1960s and early 1970s. It promoted the many television science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Century 21 Productions...
led to the show's creator, Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
, inviting Embleton to provide artwork to grace the closing credits of his new show, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
.
Embleton's ten paintings depicted Captain Scarlet in various states of peril and appeared under the closing credits at the end of every episode. After shooting they were stored in producer Reg Hill's safe where they remained in perfect condition for more than thirty years. In 2003, all ten paintings were sold by Reg Hill's estate at Christie's auction house in South Kensington: the pieces went for between £2500 and £3500 each. Shortly afterwards, publisher Iconagraph produced limited edition versions of the art, each signed by Francis Matthews
Francis Matthews
Francis Matthews may refer to:*Francis Matthews , British actor*Francis P. Matthews, 49th United States Secretary of the Navy and the 8th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus...
, the voice of Captain Scarlet.
In the 1960s, Embleton was also a prolific contributor to Look and Learn
Look and Learn
Look and Learn was a British weekly educational magazine for children published by Fleetway Publications Ltd from 1962 until 1982. It contained educational text articles that covered a wide variety of topics from volcanoes to the Loch Ness Monster; a long running science fiction comic strip, The...
, producing illustrations for numerous series, including 'The Bath Road' (1962), 'Pioneers Across the Atlantic' (1962), 'The Travels of Marco Polo' (1964), 'Men of the Jolly Roger' (1965), 'Rogers' Rangers' (1970) and 'Legends of the Rhineland' (1972–73) amongst others; in 1969, Embleton illustrated a fill-in story in the long-running 'Trigan Empire
Trigan Empire
The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire, later called simply The Trigan Empire was a science fiction comic series written mainly by Mike Butterworth and most notably drawn by Don Lawrence...
' strip. During this period, Embleton also provided illustrations for titles aimed at younger children, amongst them Playhour
Playhour
Playhour was a British children's comic published between 16 October 1954 and 15 August 1987, a run of approximately 1,700 weekly issues....
, Once Upon a Time, The Storyteller and numerous books.
In 1971, he became a frequent contributor to IPC
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
's World of Wonder
World of Wonder (magazine)
World of Wonder was a British educational magazine for children published by IPC's Fleetway Publications from 1970 to 1975. It was launched under the editorship of Robert Bartholomew with a cover price of 1/6 on 28 March 1970, and it replaced the earlier title, Tell Me Why...
magazine, a similar publication to Look and Learn which also relied on painted illustrations by a roster of British artists. Embleton provided artwork for long-running features such as 'Men of Waterloo' (1971), 'Ships of the Seven Seas' (1971), 'The Winning of the West' (1972) and 'Mutiny!' (1972), as well as contributing a number of cover paintings (issues 118, 124 and 131). Late in 1973, he returned to World of Wonder to illustrate an adaptation of Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
During the late 1970s Embleton was commissioned by This England magazine to draw what became a total of 43 Characters from Dickens and the Classics which were published quarterly throughout the 1980s. All but two of these coloured illustrations in large A2 format are still held by the magazine in Cheltenham.
As well as providing illustrations for historical books and prints, Embleton spent much of the remainder of his career illustrating full-colour comic strips for Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
. Oh, Wicked Wanda!
Wicked Wanda
Oh, Wicked Wanda! was a British full-color, satirical adult comic strip, written by Frederic Mullally, and drawn by Ron Embleton. The strip regularly appeared in Penthouse magazine from 1973 to 1980...
(1973–80) was written by British author Frederic Mullally
Frederic Mullally
Frederic Mullally is an English journalist, public relations executive, and novelist.-Career:Mullally's journalism carer began in India where, from 1937 to 1949, he was sub-editor on The Statesman of Calcutta, then editor of the Sunday Standard of Bombay...
and poked fun at politics and sexual mores; it was followed by Sweet Chastity, written by Penthouse founder Bob Guccione
Bob Guccione
Bob Guccione was the founder and publisher of the adult magazine Penthouse. He resigned from his publisher position in November 2003.-Early life:...
.
Embleton died of a heart attack at the age of 57.
Written and illustrated
- Pioneers and Heroes of the Wild West, by Embleton (London, Purnell, 1969 ISBN 0-361-01208-X)
Illustrated
- The Adventures of Robin Hood Annual 2-4, nn, by Arthur Groom (London, Adprint, 1957–60)
- King Arthur and His Knights (London, Spring Books, 1957?)
- Davy Crockett Painting Book (London, Birn Bros, 1957?)
- The First Book of Heroes, by David Thornycroft (London, Dean, 1958)
- The Adventures of Sir Lancelot 2 (London, Adprint, 1958)
- Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, by David Roberts (London, Adprint, 1959)
- R.C.M.P. Annual, by Graham Anderson (London, Purnell, 1961)
- Robin Hood Painting Book (London, Purnell, 1961)
- Great Spy Stories, ed. Virginia Shankland (London, Purnell, 1966)
- The Valiant Book of Pirates (London, Fleetway, 1967)
- The Finding Out Book of Battles, by George Surtees (London, Purnell, 1968)
- Slumber Tales, retold by Shirley Dean (Young World, 1968)
- The Land of Tales, retold by Edward Holmes (North Cheam, Young World, 1969 ISBN 0-7238-0602-0)
- The Nightingale Book of Fairy Tales, retold by Shirley Dean (London, Young World, 1969)
- Time for Tales, retold by Phylis Brown (North Cheam, Young World, 1969 ISBN 0-7238-0605-5)
- The Story of Newspapers, by W. D. Siddle (Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth Ladybird BooksLadybird BooksLadybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
, 1969) - Once Upon Another Time, being the latest adventures of your best loved fairytale folk, by Anne Webb (Sutton, Young World, 1970 ISBN 0-7238-0656-X)
- Know About Dogs, by Edward Holmes (North Cheam, Young World, 1970 ISBN 0-7238-0664-0)
- Know About the World by Edward Holmes (North Cheam, Young World, 1971 ISBN 0-7238-0703-5)
- Aladdin, and other fairy stories, by Anne Webb (London, Young World, 1971 ISBN 0-7238-0710-8)
- Jack and the Beanstalk, and other fairy stories, by Anne Webb (London, Young World, 1971 ISBN 0-7238-0711-6)
- Sleeping Beauty, and other fairy tales, by Anne Webb (London, Young World, 1971 ISBN 0-7238-0712-4)
- Snow White, and other fairy tales, by Anne Webb (London, Young World, 1971 ISBN 0-7238-0713-2)
- The Ghost of Crumbling Castle, by Jane MacMichael (London, Blackie, 1972 ISBN 0-216-89533-2)
- My Rhyme Book of Fairytale Land (Sutton, Young World, 1972 ISBN 0-7238-0851-1)
- Birds of the Farne Islands, by Peter Hawkey (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1973 ISBN 0-902833-79-0)
- The Frog Prince and five other traditional tales, retold by Jane MacMichael (Glasgow, Blackie, 1973 ISBN 0-216-89623-1)
- Puss in Boots [and] Tom Thumb (London, Collins, 1973 ISBN 0-00-120469-6)
- Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs, retold by Christian Willcox (Glasgow, Blackie, 1973 ISBN 0-216-89559-6). Pop-up book with models designed by Brian Edwards
- The Roman Wall Reconstructed, by Charles Daniels (Newscastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1974 ISBN 0-85983-056-X)
- Geordie Pride, by Frank Graham & Sid Chaplin (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1974 ISBN 0-85983-061-6)
- Historical Northumberland, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, 1975 ISBN 0-902833-42-1)
- Holy Island, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1975 ISBN 0-85983-033-0)
- What the Soldiers Wore on Hadrian's Wall, by H. Russell Robinson (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1976 ISBN 0-85983-093-4)
- Hansel and Gretel and The Frog Prince (London, Collins, 1978 ISBN 0-00-120467-X)
- Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty (London, Collins, 1978 ISBN 0-00-120468-8)
- Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood (London, Collins, 1978 ISBN 0-00-120470-X)
- Housesteads in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1978 ISBN 0-85983-116-7)
- Chesters and Carrawburgh in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle unpon Tyne, F. Graham, 1979 ISBN 0-85983-120-5)
- Legions of the North, by Michael Simkins (Oxford, Osprey, 1979 ISBN 1-84176-129-X)
- The Purnell Book of Famous Fairy Tales, by Barbara Hayes (Maidenhead, Purnell, 1979 ISBN 0-361-04413-5)
- The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine, by Michael Simkins (Oxford, Osprey, 1979 ISBN 0-85045-333-X)
- The Armour of the Roman Legions, by H. Russell Robinson (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1980 ISBN 0-85983-151-5)
- The Conquest of Mexico to the Great Fire of London (Basingstoke, Macmillan Children's Books, 1980 ISBN 0-333-28424-0). Series of wallcharts illustrated by Embleton, Angus McBrideAngus McBrideAngus McBride was an English historical and fantasy illustrator.Born in London to Highland Scots parents, Angus McBride was orphaned as a child when his mother died when he was five, and his father in World War Two when he was twelve. He was educated at the Canterbury Cathedral Choir School...
and Kenneth Lowther - South Shields, Wallsend, Newcastle and Benwell in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1980 ISBN 0-85983-156-6)
- Dean's Enchating Stories from the Magic Castle (London, Dean, 1981 ISBN 0-603-00248-X). Jointly illustrated by Gill Embleton
- Roman Cook Book (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1981 ISBN 0-85983-127-2). Jointly illustrated by Gill Embleton
- The Stanegate, Corbridge, Vindolanda and Carvoran in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1981 ISBN 0-85983-181-7)
- Birdoswald, Bewcastle and Castleheads in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1982 ISBN 0-85983-137-X)
- Benwell to Chester in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1982 ISBN 0-85983-147-7)
- Best Known Fairy Stories, by Charles Perrault, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1983 ISBN 0-600-37814-4)
- Children's Favourite Stories, by Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1983 ISBN 0-600-37815-2) - Best Children's Stories, by the Brothers GrimmBrothers GrimmThe Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1983 ISBN 0-600-37816-0) - The Best Traditional Fairy Stories, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1983 ISBN 0-600-37817-9)
- Hadrian's Wall in the Days of the Romans, by Frank Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne, F. Graham, 1984 ISBN 0-85983-177-9)
- Aesop's Fables, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1985 ISBN 0-603-00425-3)
- Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1985 ISBN 0-603-00427-X)
- Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1986 ISBN 0-603-00424-5)
- Sinbad the Sailor, retold by Lornie Leete-Hodge (London, Dean, 1986 ISBN 0-603-00426-1)
- Finding Out with Terry and Son, by Conrad Frost (London, Express Newspapers, 1987 ISBN 0-85079-158-8)
- Hadrian's Wall Reconstructed (Butler, 1987 ISBN 0-946928-14-2)
- Caesar's Legions. The Roman soldier 753BC to 117AD, by Nicholas V. Sekunda et al. (Oxford, Osprey, 2000 ISBN 1-84176-044-7). Illustrated by Embleton, Richard Hook and Angus McBrideAngus McBrideAngus McBride was an English historical and fantasy illustrator.Born in London to Highland Scots parents, Angus McBride was orphaned as a child when his mother died when he was five, and his father in World War Two when he was twelve. He was educated at the Canterbury Cathedral Choir School...
. Based on previously published titles Early Roman Armies, Republican Roman Army 200-104BC and The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan