The last great war of antiquity was fought on an unprecedented scale along the full length of the Persian-Roman frontier. James Howard-Johnston pieces together the fragmentary evidence of this period to form, for the first time, a coherent story of the dramatic events, key players, and vast lands over which the conflict spread. 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.