Julius Caesar: The Gallic War Books V-VI : Liverpool University Press : 9781802074680 : 02 Apr 2024 : Books V-VI of Julius Caesar's The Gallic War narrate Caesar's campaigns in Britain, Gaul, and Germany in 55 and 54 BCE. His political rival Pompey was at the height of his popularity in Rome, making it all the more incumbent upon Caesar to deliver exciting news of victories. Book V should have been the tale of triumphant conquest in Britain, but Caesar's campaign was underwhelming; Caesar the politician and general thus needed assistance from Caesar the author. In Books V and VI Caesar masterfully compensates for the lacklustre British campaign with a dramatic account of his forceful suppression of Ambiorix's revolt and new incursions into Germany; the narrative is further enlivened with speeches and digressions on the Britons, Germans, and the wonders of the Hercynian Forest. This English translation faithfully represents the clarity and precision of Caesar's Latin while also conveyi