We all know about the Phararoh's  of Egypt, but rarely do we think about what it was like to be one of his soldiers. In this book about the soldiers of the Middle Kingdom in Egyptian history, Nic Fields uses information from artifacts such as tomb artwork and inscriptions to help to flesh out what it might have been like to be a soldier from this time period.

The Middle Kindom era was one of the bronze age. It was a time when the use of metals was first coming into play, especially in the use of weapons, though 'standard' items like flint and bone were still used.

Then as now, the cost of keeping a standing army was quite a burden on the treasury of a country and so the size of the standing army was actually quite small. It was enhanced by calling up reserves whenever there was a need. Phararonic armies were used more for expeditions into neighboring lands for purposes of plunder at this time. Since most of the men used in these armies were citizen farmers, most of the expeditions were carried out when the Nile was in flood and no agriculture could be done.

The armies were basically divided into men who used hand weapons like spears and axes and those who were proficient with the bow and arrow.  Combat was bloody and many died from wounds rather than from the initial trauma. No protection aside from a shield was available so it would be rare for a man to not have a wound of some sort as a result of battle. Yet these men were able to maintain a secure border against raiders for many centuries.

The book goes into how these men were recruited, trained, equipped, armed and how they fought on both land and on water. There are sections on medical treatment, border guards, religious beliefs and how they fought.

All of this is superbly illustrated by Peter Bull and includes photos of artifacts from the period to help illustrate sections of the book. In all, an excellent reference and read on Bronze Age soldiering.

December 2007

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