This book was a highly scholarly study of the famous 9th Legion, which disappeared without a trace. Did it cross Hadrian’s Wall into Scotland and lose to Northern tribes? Get disbanded after a revolt in London? Or even get transferred to the eastern frontier during fighting later in the empire’s history than was previously thought? “Roman Britain’s Missing Legion” reads like a thesis exploring four possible fates of the 9th Legion, evidence for and against each theory, and provides a fairly neutral view of each before presenting Elliott’s personal conclusions. Definitely more for the serious Roman military scholar than the casual reader, this was heavy going, but interesting.

I received an Arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Roman Britain's Missing Legion is an appealing military history book combining the best parts of historical mystery and meticulously researched exposition presented and set out by Dr. Simon Elliott. Due out 22nd March 2021 from Pen & Sword, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

The book is meticulously written, with numerous quotes throughout. It is not annotated, and there are no chapter notes in the eARC which I received for review. I found that the narrative flowed quite a bit better because I wasn't constantly stopping my reading to check references. The author has cited both period and modern scholarly research to support the narrative. There are numerous notes, timelines, and an index. The bibliography notes alone will keep keen readers reading for ages. Probably the most engaging part of the book for me were the numerous photos of buildings and artifacts which give a comprehensive context for the history. I enjoyed the photos (black and white) as well as the numerous timelines and data tables which are included.

The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. He manages to convey a wealth of information without being pedantic or preachy. I imagine he would be a capable and talented teacher. I envy his students. He writes clearly and concisely with a logical progression and a clear threads to follow which interweave the real and imagined history, backed by a plethora of sources. Where actual contemporaneous sources shade into speculation, he says so clearly and unambiguously.

This would be a great choice for libraries, military historians, ancient historians, students of Roman/Empire history, early British history, and similar.

Five stars. This book is clearly the product of a prodigious amount of research by an author who is a bona fide expert in this field.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I've read Simon Elliott's work before, so I was sure "Roman Britain's Missing Legion" would be well-written, informative, and very, very interesting. It was! The evidence in this book is fascinating, and the way it is presented makes this a fast read. I guess we will never truly be certain what happened to "Legio IX Hispana", but this book offers some intriguing potential fates.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

I received a free copy of Roman Britain's Missing Legion from Netgalley - many thanks to both the author and the publisher!

The book explores what happened to Legio IX Hispana which mysteriously disappeared in Roman Britain.
It is extremely well-researched and goes into so much detail about Roman military history, the structure of the legions, the events that happened in Britain. I especially enjoyed the first chapters. For me, as a layperson, they were extremely helpful to understand the later arguments.
The author describes all the available evidence and explores all sides of the argument, something I really enjoyed.
While I'm glad that I got a chance to read the book, I have to say that some prior historical knowledge about the Romans and the Britains is needed. At times I struggled and had to do some research online to keep up with the events described. That's not the book's fault, but it's something to keep in mind before picking it up.

Overall, it's was a very informative, pleasant read and I can definitely recommend it to people who are interested in Roman military history.

I really thought this is a good read - I have always wondered how it must of been stationed at Romes last outpost and suddenly you hear that Rome has fallen and no one is being sent to help you and your fellow men fight the invading Saxons and Vikings. Do you fight at all or just give up military life and blend in with the locals?

A curious and incredible part of early medieval British history, a must for anyone who enjoys Roman or British history.

This is NOT the book to start your voyage into Roman History. I would definitely say you need a good, in-depth knowledge of Rome and its history to truly get your head around this book.

Well researched and evidenced book for the well-informed layperson or even academics. Weight is given to both sides of the argument over various pieces of evidence. The various suppositions of what happened to the legion are discussed in full and I'd say the introduction and initial chapters are a great way to understand Roman military history in general.

This was a great read for me to unfurl my dormant historian mind! I'm not an academic but I do have a BA in Classical History so this was right in my wheelhouse!

This is another superb history book from net galley.
This is proper history for grown ups, background is set out, evidence is examined, conclusions are reached. But it is not polemical, contrary views to the author's are also examined and given the weight they deserve.
It far more than a history of a mystery, it is a good solid introduction to the Roman military machine, the empire and their enemies.