Adrian Goldsworthy

Adrian Keith Goldsworthy was born in 1969. He attended Westbourne School in Penarth before pursuing higher education at St John’s College, Oxford. There, he studied Ancient and Modern History, culminating in a D.Phil. in ancient military history from the University of Oxford in 1994. His doctoral dissertation formed the basis of his first book, “The Roman Army at War 100 BC – AD 200.” Following his academic pursuits, Goldsworthy served as a Junior Research Fellow at Cardiff University for two years. He also held teaching positions at King’s College London and spent six years as an assistant professor on the University of Notre Dame’s London program. While his primary expertise lies in Roman history, he has also taught courses on the military history of the Second World War.

Goldsworthy has authored numerous non-fiction historical works focusing on ancient Rome, particularly the Roman army. Notable titles include “Roman Warfare” (2000), “The Punic Wars” (2000), later re-published as “The Fall of Carthage” (2003), “In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire” (2003), and comprehensive biographies such as “Caesar, Life of a Colossus” (2006), “Antony and Cleopatra” (2010), and “Augustus: First Emperor of Rome” (2014). His contributions to historical television include appearances on History Channel documentaries and serving as an expert on the BBC’s “Time Commanders,” offering insights into historical battles. He also acted as the historical consultant for the BBC drama “Hannibal” and its accompanying documentary, among other documentary roles for Channel Five, National Geographic, and UKTV History Channel.

In 2010, Goldsworthy expanded his writing to include historical fiction, beginning a successful series of military novels set during the Napoleonic era. This series typically focuses on Wellington’s redcoat army, an area of military history he has explored extensively. His first novel in this series, “True Soldier Gentlemen,” was published in 2011. He subsequently launched another fiction series set in Roman Britain, starting with “Vindolanda” in 2017. His recent non-fiction work includes “Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors” (2020) and “The Eagle and the Lion: Rome, Persia and an Unwinnable Conflict” (2023), continuing his exploration of ancient military and political history.