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The Catapult: A History. By Tracey Rihll. Yardley, Pa.: Westholme, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59416-635-6. Maps. Photographs. Illustrations. Appendixes. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xxiii, 380. $29.95.
To start with, this is a very good book, though not primarily military history. Tracey Rihll, who teaches classics and ancient history at the University of Wales, is best known as a historian of Greek science. Because catapults are by far the best documented of ancient technologies, she argues, studying them offers an unusual entry into understanding the practice of science and technology in antiquity. Although Rihll discusses military matters only for the purpose of clarifying aspects of technical development, she does so with a high degree of competence, deftly weaving together politics, strategy, military organization, weaponry, and fortification in a persuasive narrative. Rihll's style throughout is relaxed, even in...