Twilight of the Hellenistic World (2012)
Mike Roberts, Bob BennettThe authors demonstrate that this period of almost-constant conflict and rivalry makes a fascinating subject of study in its own right. For example, it describes Macedon's war with Cleomenes and the final crushing of a much-diminished Sparta as an independent power; also the campaigns in the east whereby the Seleucid king, Antiochus (later defeated by the Romans at Magnesia) earned his title of Antiochus the Great. They show how the Hellenistic monarchs, while aware of Rome's epic clash with Carthage in the West, did not yet see her as a major threat and were preoccupied with more immediate concerns.
As well as clearly narrating the complex events, Roberts and Bennet assess the various military systems of the Hellenistic states and developments in warfare on land and sea. This is a very original book on a neglected period of politico-military history.