Praetorian
Book description
A riveting account of ancient Rome's imperial bodyguard, the select band of soldiers who wielded the power to make-or destroy-the emperors they served
Founded by Augustus around 27 B.C., the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian…
Why read it?
1 author picked Praetorian as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I was recently asked to record a podcast for Dan Snow’s History Hit on the Praetorian Cohorts (AKA Praetorian Guard). Being away from my home library, I downloaded a Kindle edition of Guy de la Bédoyère’s book to refresh my memory.
This is a first-rate study of the Praetorian Cohorts, from their inception to their demise. De la Bédoyère is best known as a Roman historian on Channel 4 TV’s Time Team. He knows his sources and draws extensively on them to enliven his text; he tells stories about Guard prefects and the emperors’ growing reliance on them to…
From Lindsay's list on the Roman Army from a military historian.
Want books like Praetorian?
Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 46 books like Praetorian.
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in military history, the Roman Empire, and Rome?
11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about military history, the Roman Empire, and Rome.