Lindsay Powell, “The Bar Kokhba War, AD 132-136: The Last Jewish Revolt Against Imperial Rome” (Osprey Publishing: Oxford, 2017).

Pages: 96

RRP: £14.99

Like its 2013 precursor, The Jewish Revolt by Si Sheppard, this book follows the standard Osprey format. Beginning with a succinct overview, Powell proceeds to provide a detailed chronology, comparison of the key characters and military forces, followed by a brief discussion of the campaign itself. In the book’s conclusion they look at the aftermath of the conflict and the modern day battlefield. Included within its pages are a plethora of photographs of artefacts and locations, as well as a small number of illustrations. From a wargaming perspective I found these illustrations (by Peter Dennis) particularly inspiring. The book ends with a four-page bibliography, which will be valuable to anyone looking for further reading.

The strength of this book lies in its breadth and brevity, providing a clear and concise summary of the war. In this respect it is valuable introduction to this confusing and poorly understood conflict. One of the challenges faced by historians writing about this war is how little is known with any certainty. While it is not unusual in ancient history to have to rely solely on one or two second-hand sources who make reference to an event occurring, in the case of the Bar Kokbha War we often do not even have that. Fundamental chronological events such as when the war started and how the Jewish forces began their liberation campaign are simply unknown. Until 1961 the real name of the Jewish leader was unknown until some letters were found preserved in the refugee caves of Nahal Hever which made reference to his name; Shim’on Ben Koseba. We know very little about any specific engagements or the details of the final siege of the capital, Betar. Despite this, Powell navigates these gaps well, making good use of peripheral sources to make some plausible assumptions about what likely occurred.

One minor criticism I do have of this book is that the author does not go into any real detail about the lack of sources. Compared to the First Jewish War for instance we know comparatively little. While this absence is to be expected of a book designed to offer a short introduction to the subject rather than a detailed academic analysis, it would have added useful context to the history the author relates.

Other than some minor potential gaffes (such as referencing the now discredited idea that the Pila was intentionally designed to bend on impact) this is a useful book for anyone new to the period. Like its precursor it can be easily found online for less than RRP. Highly recommended.