Conquering Jerusalem

The Judean War saw Jews and Romans spend four years early in the present era trying to do away with each other in order to hold Jerusalem. The Jews ultimately lost, though as the author points out, they are still around but the Romans have vanished. Readers are introduced to characters who hold multiple military and political ranks, some with changing names and relationships supplying further challenges.

Stephen Dando-Collins has studied Roman legions for almost twenty years, penning a scholarly series he humanizes with details of dress and appearance, moods and behaviors as well as military prowess. The novices among us will find the book engrossing or feel defeated.

Set in this context, from a perspective of two thousand years, Roman names remembered from Middle School history are restored to life: the evil, probably gay Nero, nephew of the infamous Caligula, Vespasian, the ferocious Roman emperor with a timid personality.

Geographically, the region still holds center stage, places that are no less familiar today for their political and economic situation. Travel, before the jet age, its hard to visualize, but Dando-Collins’ skillful descriptions enable us to see not only how much, but how little the world has changed.