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The Conquest of Gaul (Penguin Classics) Paperback – February 24, 1983

by Jane P. Gardner (Editor, Introduction), S. A. Handford (Translator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 453 ratings
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Between 58 and 50 BC Caesar conquered most of the area now covered by France, Belgium and Switzerland, and twice invaded Britain. This is the record of his campaigns. Caesar's narrative offers insights into his military strategy & paints a fascinating picture of his encounters with the inhabitant of Gaul and Britain, as well as offering lively portraits of a number of key characters such as the rebel leaders and Gallic chieftains. This can also be read as a piece of political propaganda, as Caesar sets down his version of events for the Roman public, knowing that he faces civil war on his return to Rome.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    February 24, 1983
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    7.82 x 5.14 x 0.65 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0140444335
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0140444339
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres... It is, perhaps, the most famous opening line of any memoir in Western civilization. What Caesar and the Romans called "Gaul," although we usually think of it as France, also comprised Belgium, the German lands west of the Rhine, southern Holland, and much of Switzerland. This is the only military campaign of the ancient world for which we have a chronicle written by the general who conducted it, and Julius Caesar is an insightful historian, with a keen eye for detail, as in this scene from the repulsion of the forces of the German king Ariovistus: Caesar placed each of his five generals ahead of a legion and detailed his quaestor to command the remaining legion, so that every soldier might know that there was a high officer in a position to observe the courage with which he conducted himself, and then led the right wing first into action, because he had noticed that the enemy's line was weakest on that side.

About the Author

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC into an ancient patrician family. Much of his life was spent on military campaigns, & he returned to govern Rome as dictator. His dictatorship was declared perpetual in 44 BC, but his many bitter enemies hatched a conspiracy & assasinated him later that year.

S. Handford translated a number of authors for Penguin, including Sallust and Aesop.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Revised edition (February 24, 1983)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140444335
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140444339
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.82 x 5.14 x 0.65 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 453 ratings

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Julius Caesar

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
453 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

krebsman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing from a great military mind
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2011
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Julius Caesar was one of the greatest military and political minds who ever lived. Reading Caesar's Gallic war memoirs a second time after the passage of nearly 50 years was a great reading experience for me. I first read it in my high school Latin class in the early 1960s, but most of what I had remembered was the Latin words and grammar, rather than the narrative itself. Caesar knew how to tell a rip-roaring adventure story. More than two millennia later his story is still exciting, with vivid descriptions of battles and the character of his adversaries, as well as enlightening explanations of why he used the particular strategies that he did. Of course he had a political motivation for writing his story the way he did, which makes the book even more complex and interesting. I'd strongly recommend reading this book in tandem with Machiavelli's THE PRINCE just to show how mutually supportive both books are. I basically liked the translation, despite the amusing Britishisms. (Example: "There were only five hundred of them, but the mere fact that German aid had come was enough to make these natives cock-a-hoop.") But I know how deadly some Latin translations can be when the translator sticks too closely to the Latin grammar. This translation is very readable with excellent notes by translator S.A. Handford and editor Jane Gardner. My only real complaint is that the maps at the back of the book are not nearly detailed enough to really be useful. This generally is considered one of the most important books ever written for many reasons. I'd recommend this translation, but I'd also suggest getting Chris Scarre's THE PENGUIN HISTORICAL ATLAS OF ANCIENT ROME, to enhance and further clarify the experience. Five stars.
18 people found this helpful
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Oscar L. Colombo
5.0 out of 5 stars Written by Julius Cesar in the 3rd person.
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
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This work is a translation of the writings ("Commentaries") by Julius Cesar about his campaigns in Gaul, comprising what is today's France and Belgium, written by Cesar in the 3rd person. Reading some of the comments by others who bought this book, I can see that this has caused some confusion among those who were expecting it will be written in the first person, in Julius Cesar's own voice, and thought they have been deceived and received instead a commentary on this work written by someone else. No: this is the real article. I have a bilingual version with both an English translation and the original Latin work as written by Cesar, and the English translation is the same as in this book, except for differences in translator style, and both this translation and that other one already in my possession are in close agreement with the Latin original. So in this Penguin Classics book one finds what Cesar himself wrote, translated to English.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Commentaries on the Gallic War
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
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Gaius Julius Caesar was easily one of the most famous men who has ever lived, and even in the present day his name represents power and grandeur. He was also a very respected (if biased) writer, who penned many books in-between his politicking and military campaigns. 'The Conquest of Gaul' (Commentarii de Bello Gallico in Latin) is one of his two surviving writings passed down the generations, and our major source on his astounding conquest of Greater Gaul (roughly modern day Northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg) from 58-52 BC.

For comparison, it had taken the Roman Republic roughly three hundred and fifty years to conquer the Gallic tribes of Northern Italy and the coast of Southern France, but Caesar pacified an even larger and more heavily populated region in just six years, all while launching additional forays into Britain and west Germany. Even taking into account his memoir of this campaign was self-serving propaganda meant to justify his violations of Roman law and subsequent launching of a civil war to become dictator, it is of immense historical value and a view into the mind of a military genius. It is also very brisk reading, as Caesar was a man who believed in writing in as simple and direct a manner as possible without compromising detail. Even translated into modern English, his distinct voice comes through clearly. This becomes more obvious when reading the eighth and final part of the book, which was written by one of his generals after Caesar's assassination and covers a final minor rebellion from 51-50 BC.

Outside of the text proper, we have a number of footnotes and appendixes by the translator S.A. Handford which provides valuable context to the events taking place; clarifying geography and the identity of figures mentioned by Caesar that would have been obvious to the Roman elite of the time but are obscure today. Handford also take pains to clarify when Caesar is contradicting himself in the text, which happens more than once. Several maps and a brief essay on the structure and equipment of the Roman Army in Gaul round out the content, and makes this volume a useful introduction to new readers who may have no previous experience with this subject.

The only reason I am taking a star off this product is the shoddy quality of the cover. I understand this is a softcover printed with cheaper materials to keep prices down but it should not start to scratch or peel within days of delivery. Even a small scrape against the interior of a book-bag will start to peel off the surface of the cover and that makes it come off as very flimsy. If you are planning to keep this volume for the long term, you will have to handle it with great care to prevent further wear. I may just buy a hardback copy in the future to avoid this problem again.
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David Salim
5.0 out of 5 stars It is what it is
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2022
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Propaganda for the home crowd or irreplaceable historical account? Both. Required reading for those interested in Roman civilization especially late republic period. Stuff this old wasn't often documented this well so it's a treat to peer into the past.
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ken rafferty
5.0 out of 5 stars Straight from Caesar.
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022
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An excellent Penguin edition of the Gallic wars. Very pleasing translation and extremely educational to read.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the Present from the Past
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2020
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There is so much of modern people’s and history that Caesar and the Romans who conquered Gaul have influenced. Caesar defeats his enemies but never at the cost of his armies. He administers peace in a manner to prevent war. This is a great read and gives us a look into the culture of conquest during the time of Caesar.
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Alec
5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal, Dude
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2011
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This is the only edition of the Conquest of Gaul I own, but I'm sure it's a step above the rest. This edition includes maps of battlefields/towns and a glossary for all those funny Gallic names (Parisii, Turdetani, Carnuti, etc.) Further, the book includes notes by the author that give the reader a better understanding of some odd word choice or historical event that is necessary to understand to fully comprehend a statement. The book may be a bit dull at first, but you'll get into it if you enjoy ancient Rome/history in general. I recommend this!
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Top reviews from other countries

Good for the Price
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book
Reviewed in Spain on February 7, 2024
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Written by Julius Caesar, and offers a glimpse into the brutal world and times he lived in.
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Ronald Arthur Dewhirst
5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint-hearted
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2023
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Caesar's conquest of Gaul makes for difficult reading as the Romans ransacked and massacred all who opposed them. Tens of thousands of Gauls died in various pitched battles in their efforts to retain their freedom and avoid slavery and subjection. Caesar was a remarkable man but made a ruthless enemy.
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J
5.0 out of 5 stars We're all lucky this exists
Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2020
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It had me passionately ready to fight and die for Ceasar. Great propaganda from a genius mind
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Biplab
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and yet simple
Reviewed in India on December 8, 2018
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Excellent commentary and a treat for any lover of ancient history
One person found this helpful
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Eric Chu
3.0 out of 5 stars Caesar’s campaign in Gaul
Reviewed in Australia on March 30, 2021
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Read the book by Julius Caesar on his campaign in Gaul. Interesting but slightly bland, with his unemotional and colourless mode of writing, recording facts, telling the story precisely and putting no spin on the material. Glad that I read it, making connection with the great man who died two thousand years ago, but have no desire to read another book by him.
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