"The Last Great War.offers a much-needed and indispensable introduction into a period that is, due to the complexity and pace of geopolitical changes, and the scattered nature of the evidence, notoriously difficult to grasp." -- Nadine Viermann, Durham University , Early Medieval Europe"Howard-Johnston provides a useful education in disciplined and meticulous historiography. He also explores larger themes, such as imperial motivations, grand strategy, foreign relations, military geography, and religion. This accessible volume reveals a relatively unknown topic and fills a significant gap in the history of warfare." -- J. D. Lyons, CHOICE"James Howard-Johnston succeeds in providing a gripping and detailed account of the Persian-Roman War.

" -- Usman Butt, Middle East Monitor"His (James Howard-Johnston) narrative is lively, his knowledge of the sources is unmatched, his interpretations masterful, and he exposes the inner workings of the book regularly in philosophical comments on the job of the military historian, causation in history, and the problems of source interpretation." -- Stephen Morillo, Shepherd"Howard-Johnston's book is a masterpiece of positivist historiography." -- Federico Montinaro, Plekos 25"Howard-Johnston offers a comprehensive but highly imaginative and speculative treatment of the last Roman-Sasanid war, which seeks to clarify confused and scattered sources. Oxford University Press has produced a magnificent volume. The work merits applause for the valiant effort, but caution is advised against any notion of a definitive discussion, which extant sources preclude. Only time will tell how many of Howard-Johnston's views will survive future scholarly criticism." -- Everett L. Wheeler, Classical Journal.