5The two great commentaries of Julius Caesar - the Gallic War and the Civil War - are united in this superb hardcover edition. The commentaries were devised by Julius Caesar as a means of gaining support amongst the plebiscite, securing his position against his cunning political enemies in Rome. The Gallic War details both the battles and the merits of imperialist expansion: together with fierce accounts of bloody warfare, we hear arguments for the advantageous nature of conquest in terms of gaining cultural influence and new resources. Caesar's Civil War offers his perspective on the chaos which engulfed Rome following the conclusion of the Gallic campaigns. The factional conflict, wherein Caesar was pitted against his former friend and ally Pompey, lasted five years and was the precursor to the creation of the Roman Empire. Translated to English by classics scholar W. A. McDevitte, this version of Caesar's Commentaries remains as authoritative and well-regarded today as when first published in 1915.