Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War is one of the most important historical records left by the ancient Romans. Written simply and clearly, it is an eyewitness account of the extraordinarily ambitious campaign of 58-51 B. C. to subdue the tribes of Gaul and Britain—what is now western Europe—to extend the reach of Rome and to consolidate Caesar's own power.
The original, in Latin of course, was written for adults of Caesar's time. It lacked the viewpoint, character description, story like and some of the vivid imagery that would make the story exciting to modern children. Recognizing this, Olivia Coolidge wrote Caesar's Gallic War in 1961 as a companion to Caesar's own work. A fictional soldier named Octavius narrates this account, giving here all that Caesar left out—the background, the character, the description, the action of the war—in a way that makes sense today. Drawing on archaeology and classical research, Coolidge has brought much needed drama to this history and fleshed out the warrior chieftains, common soldiers, politicians, and of course, the supreme commander, who made it.
It's fun to get out-of-print used copies like this, but we are also excited to offer this book, published in softcover, by American Home School Publishing.
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