An Invincible Beast: Understanding the Hellenistic Pike Phalanx in Action

This is a immensely but highly technical book. While I have enjoyed it immensely at times I must admit I struggled to understand the authors' particular point. It's obvious within the first few pages that the author has carried out a vast amount of research into the subject, everything in fact from how wide arms were spread when holding the sarissa to type of helmet used. He is more than happy to 'debate' other authors opinions and does so on just about every point.It's an enjoyable (if you like brain ache :-) book that is thought provoking and totally focused on one subject though not one time, it covers about two hundred years or so. There are some not great B&W photos/drawings. If you are interested in the Macedonian Phalanx then this is the book.

Solid, but surprisingly lacking in investigative depth. The experimental archaeology is carried out primarily to support the authors conclusions; that the Pezhetaroi used x shield, y length of sarissa, which was in two parts, with a specific butt type, in a fairly rigid, static formation.Methodologically, the testing is sound, but the broader conclusions are dubious. Firstly, the notion that pike-phalanxes only fought from the first rank, the rest of the men just sort of sitting there are a 15-deep reserve, as opposed to moving up to attack targets of opportunity and provide mutual support, engage troops who had moved past the initial spearpoint, or just step into the three-foot gap between their comrades and start stabbing, and that the pike was never, ever used overhand, because it was simply too tiring (largely due to the sheer amount of shoulder muscle this requires), et al.Given that such a mode slow, unaggressive of warfare would be utterly demolished by aggressive close-skirmishers (see; Peltasts, Celts, Thurepoeni) and leave the pikemen quite vulnerable to indirect attack from bowfire (see: Persians), this conclusion strikes me as a touch dubious. Particularly when we consider the fact that the majority of close fighting infantry that emerged after the Galatian migrations fought in the Celtic style; shield, sword/spear, and javelins.A tactical manoeuvre where a phalangite, with his small shield, sets his pike into the enemy shield to exert "gentle pressure", is one which will result in said phalangite's death when the enemy promptly sheathes his sword, and kills the phalagite with the javelin. It is possible, that the armies of Phillip fought in this fashion; the Hoplati, with their heavy shield and lack of missile weapons, would be susceptible to it. But the idea that a Persian archer/spearman formation would not simply take this chance to kill the poorly-protected phalangites from a standoff, loosing their bows from the second rank into the tightly-packed pikemen, is ludicrous. Doubly so, to imagine that the notoriously stubborn Legions of the Roman Republic, would be driven back, by such a lacklustre attack without slaughtering pikemen in droves to their javelins; let alone how such a formation would fare against a horde of migrating Celts.The author also entirely dispenses with the idea of a side-on fighting stance, on the basis of the larger, 60cm shield not fitting with this. No experiments were carried out with a smaller shield, attributed in Bar-Kovcha to the later Successors; though the oblique stance does make sense.Other conclusions: Two-part pikes. Because additional logistical complexity is exactly what you need in making a weapon. In fairness, this idea has a lot of traction, based on... a bronze sleeve. For something.Also; the book specifically states the buttspike was not ever used as a weapon by reversing the pike, because "there would be no room to reverse the pike". (Raising it vertical and then re-extending it forwards does not occur to Matthew).Take a closer look at the cover.Overall, I recommend this book, for the author has a series of informed, well-supported opinions on the whole, and a fascinating weight of information and analysis on the minute of formation maneuvering, file maneuver, drill, et al.

Having once "trailed a pike" in my distant past as a re-enactor, I often found a lot of the academic explanations of ancient pike warfare unsatisfying and lacking in practical considerations. At last we have an author who has brought both practical experience (as a re-enactor) and the rigour of an academic classical background to an analysis of the practicalities of ancient pike warfare and the result is quite impressive and very thought provoking.The coverage is quite extensive, looking at questions such as the weight and make up of the phalangite panoply, the unit combat frontages, the actual mechanics of pike combat, the number of effective ranks, the phalanx small unit organisation and its possible methods of battlefield manoeuvre...... all the way up to how the phalanx was actually used in battle. Additionally, the text is accompanied by plenty of useful diagrams and photographs that effectively convey the points the author wishes to make.The apparent minutiae is important because it provides much of the basis for the final conclusions, most pike combat was underarm pushing, and only the first pike rank did much of the actual killing. The remaining ranks were there to act as replacements, provide protection from missile fire and push (largely) against the shields of the opposition, mainly because they had insufficient physical flexibility to do much more. What emerges is a picture of a tactical organisation optimised for combat against close order shorter spear armed opponents such as hoplites, but less effective against looser more flexible javelin and sword armed infantry such as the Romans, who ultimately caused the phalanx's demise.Inevitably, this is not the last word in the analysis of phalangite fighting, but it is an effective merger of reconstruction and textual analysis techniques and I think it has moved the debate significantly forward.

Brings home the strengths and weaknesses of this type of warfare, and reminds the reader of how little is actually agreed upon about how these tactics operated

Extremely interesting. The academic minutiae may not be for everyone however. If figuring out the possible penetration power of a pike thrust from various stances is your idea of interesting it is a must buy.

Reasonably good, as always, a lot of assumptions, based on pottery shards!

An interesting and informative book on the Macedonian and Successor States core fighting unit. Recommended.

Very well argued ideas about how a pike phalanx actually worked. I am a big fan of experimental archaeology.