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Author Topic: Recommended Reading Thread...  (Read 95164 times)

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Offline Enodia

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #75 on: July 06, 2010, 03:24:12 am »
Quote from: Philoromaos
Rome's greatest defeat: Massacre in the Teutoburg forest by Adrian Murdoch

i've just started 'The Last Pagan' by Adrian Murdoch. it is the biography of Julian, an emperor i've always found to be extremely fascinating.
while it seems so far to be rather accurate and well researched, it is a somewhat sluggish read.
i'll post more as i get along.

~ Peter

Offline Philoromaos

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #76 on: July 07, 2010, 02:57:28 pm »
Just bought this one today and will let you guys know if it's good once I finish it, but it looks like it will be. It's Rubicon: The triumph and tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland.

Offline David Atherton

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #77 on: July 07, 2010, 04:00:01 pm »
Not coin or history related, but I'm reading Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession by Dave Jamieson. I've never collected baseball cards and really have no interest in them, but the many stories about the collectors reminds me so much of coin collecting. I recognized myself on more than a few pages.

Anyway, it's a great summer read.

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #78 on: July 07, 2010, 04:14:24 pm »

Jay, I was wondering if you have found any good books on Marc Antony. The portrayal of him on HBO's Rome got me really interested in him, but like you I've had no luck on finding any books about.

Nothing... Cleopatra and Antony was okay but was more about Cleopatra.

Quote from: Philoromaos
Rome's greatest defeat: Massacre in the Teutoburg forest by Adrian Murdoch

i've just started 'The Last Pagan' by Adrian Murdoch. it is the biography of Julian, an emperor i've always found to be extremely fascinating.
while it seems so far to be rather accurate and well researched, it is a somewhat sluggish read.
i'll post more as i get along.

~ Peter

I just finished it.  It was great.
Just bought this one today and will let you guys know if it's good once I finish it, but it looks like it will be. It's Rubicon: The triumph and tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland.
Great book

Offline Enodia

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #79 on: July 07, 2010, 04:40:58 pm »
i've just started 'The Last Pagan' by Adrian Murdoch. it is the biography of Julian, an emperor i've always found to be extremely fascinating.
while it seems so far to be rather accurate and well researched, it is a somewhat sluggish read.
i'll post more as i get along.

~ Peter

I just finished it.  It was great

i'm liking the story a lot, but Murdoch's style is a bit scattered and elementary. still, i'm blasting right through it so that's not much of an obstruction (although it has perverted me to the point of considering buying a coin or two of his!).

~ Peter

Offline SVLLAIMP

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #80 on: July 09, 2010, 12:35:18 am »
Looking back up the list, I'd like to second the suggestion of Philoromaos of Sulla: The Last Republican.  It's the best book I've read on Sulla, short and to the point, without the excessive background information that overwhelms most readers who already possess an in-depth knowledge of Roman history, as I know you guys do.

Offline commodus

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #81 on: July 29, 2010, 04:22:59 pm »
"Marcus Aurelius a Life" by Frank McLynn is a terrible read.  I'm sorry but I thought I was reading a book on Marcus Aurelius' life not all the philosopher's who influenced him.  I find it painfull to read and actually skipped a few chapters with no end to the philosophy in sight!  There was one good chapter on Lucius Verus and his "campaign" in the east but that was it.  I'm sorry, not recommending this one.  I tried...really....I tried.  I'm half way through it and will probably not finish it.  Some people may like that sort of stuff, but I don't.  Very dry.

Actually I quite liked this book, though as you observe, it is rather heavily weighted toward his philosophical life and influences. Your complaint has merit, but as one who has always been a fan of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, I found those portions of the book to be particularly relevant to my understanding of M. Aurelius's thinking. I think it depends on what areas of his life interest you most: M. Aurelius as philosopher or M. Aurelius as emperor. Both are covered here, but the scales are definitely tipping toward M. Aurelius the philosopher, which certainly had an undeniably great influence on his role as emperor. Anyway, I think one will either really like this book or really dislike it. If you're more focused on the philosophical M. Aurelius I recommend it highly, otherwise probably not.
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Offline mcbyrne21

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #82 on: August 03, 2010, 12:48:40 pm »
I've recently read a couple of G.P. Baker's books (Justinian & Tiberius) and found them informative and the prose quite enjoyable.

On the fiction side, the High City by Cecelia Holland is definately a new favorite of mine.  It is set during the reign of Basil II, whom I have been trying to find a biography of and/or a book about the history of the Byzantine Empire during that era (c. 800 - Latin overthrow).  Could anyone recommend one? Oxford History has one right on point (Basil II and the Governance of Empire) but unfortunately it is still a little out of my price range and I haven't been able to locate it in a library.   

Offline commodus

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #83 on: August 08, 2010, 12:55:56 pm »
Rubicon, by Tom Holland. Very interesting history of the later Roman Republic. It has been out for a few years, but I'm just now reading it and finding it to be most informative and enjoyable.
Eric Brock (1966 - 2011)

Offline pyramos

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #84 on: August 08, 2010, 05:54:03 pm »
Replying to cwonsidler:  I've recently finished a book, CLEOPATRA by Ernle Bradford,1971. The main characters during the life times of Cleopatra are covered pretty evenly.  However;  the description of Antony was the most interesting, partially because I knew the least about him.  Also well covered were; Julius, Cleopatra and Octavian.  

The author did a good job in describing the history of the eastern Mediterranean during the final stages of the Hellenistic and Roman Republican period. Highly recommended.

Offline David Atherton

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #85 on: September 09, 2010, 04:54:42 am »
Just published, The Great Fire of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins is a cracking good read. Written in a narrative style, the book gives a bit of background about Nero and some of the key players in Rome at the time, gives a good account of the fire itself (with a great map that shows the areas devastated by it), and goes into some detail about the aftermath (Nero's scapegoating of the fire, the Piso conspiracy, ect..).

Be sure to carefully read the introduction and pay close attention to the part where the author speculates the followers of Isis were the persecuted ones Nero fingered after the fire and not the Christians. His explanation: a later Christian interpolation of Tacitus' text with the word "Egyptians" replaced by the word "Christians". Other than that bit of speculation the book is fairly factual.

Offline Joe S2

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #86 on: September 19, 2010, 01:08:43 pm »
Can anyone recommend a good biography of Mark Antony?  Seems to be very little modern references on him...

Jay, I was wondering if you have found any good books on Marc Antony. The portrayal of him on HBO's Rome got me really interested in him, but like you I've had no luck on finding any books about.

Eleanor Goltz Huzar has a awesome bio on him, Mark Antony: A Biography.  It is hard to find, pretty sure it is out of print but I think some of the first chapters are on google books.  That way you can decide to check it out before buying it.  I paid like $95.00 for my copy, which was an old library book.  Second place would be Mark Antony a life buy Patricia Southern.  This lady seems to really go out of her way to shine Antony in a good light but still worth  the read.

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #87 on: October 26, 2010, 05:13:46 pm »
Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John, and the Wars of Conquest (Frank McLynn, Vintage, 2007), A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (Marc Morris, Windmill Books, 2009) and Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England (Alison Weir, Pimlico, 2006). Isabella was the wife of Edward's son Edward II. The next on the list is Weir's book on Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II, and mother of Richard I and John. I'll be looking for books on Henry III and Edward III next. The 12th, 13th and 14th Centuries are altogether a fascinating period, and one I want to know more about.
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Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #88 on: October 27, 2010, 07:26:06 pm »
Just published, The Great Fire of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins is a cracking good read. Written in a narrative style, the book gives a bit of background about Nero and some of the key players in Rome at the time, gives a good account of the fire itself (with a great map that shows the areas devastated by it), and goes into some detail about the aftermath (Nero's scapegoating of the fire, the Piso conspiracy, ect..).

Be sure to carefully read the introduction and pay close attention to the part where the author speculates the followers of Isis were the persecuted ones Nero fingered after the fire and not the Christians. His explanation: a later Christian interpolation of Tacitus' text with the word "Egyptians" replaced by the word "Christians". Other than that bit of speculation the book is fairly factual.

I quite enjoy his books.  As I said a few pages ago sometimes he makes some speculative leaps, but overall they are easy and enjoyable reads.  I'll look for it.

Can anyone recommend a good biography of Mark Antony?  Seems to be very little modern references on him...

Jay, I was wondering if you have found any good books on Marc Antony. The portrayal of him on HBO's Rome got me really interested in him, but like you I've had no luck on finding any books about.

Eleanor Goltz Huzar has a awesome bio on him, Mark Antony: A Biography.  It is hard to find, pretty sure it is out of print but I think some of the first chapters are on google books.  That way you can decide to check it out before buying it.  I paid like $95.00 for my copy, which was an old library book.  Second place would be Mark Antony a life buy Patricia Southern.  This lady seems to really go out of her way to shine Antony in a good light but still worth  the read.

Added to my list...thanks!

Offline WilliamBoyd

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #89 on: November 10, 2010, 10:01:51 am »
The African Emperor: Septimius Severus by A. R. Birley,
published in 1988, was an interesting book about this emperor
and his historical period.

The author was interviewed on an episode of the PBS television show
"Secrets of the Dead" about the excavation of a Roman graveyard
in England, the bodies were of men supposedly murdered by Caracalla,
Septimius' son.

:)
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Offline mcbyrne21

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #90 on: November 17, 2010, 09:14:51 am »
Just finished "The Ghosts of Cannae" by O'Connell.  I was worried it would spend all of its time bogged down on every detail of the battle (I usually don't read books devoted to single battles), but found it instead to be a great overview of Republican Rome, Carthage, Hannibal, Scipio and the Punic Wars.  I would recommend it for anyone looking for a general history on the Punic Wars.

Also finished "Belisarius, the last Roman General" by Ian Hughes.  The author does a nice job of presenting what info we have on him without adding a lot of inferences and suppositions.  Plus lots of great information on the East Roman Imperial Military of 6th century.  I would recommend reading Procopius' works at the same time.   

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #91 on: November 20, 2010, 10:41:38 pm »
Just published, The Great Fire of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins is a cracking good read. Written in a narrative style, the book gives a bit of background about Nero and some of the key players in Rome at the time, gives a good account of the fire itself (with a great map that shows the areas devastated by it), and goes into some detail about the aftermath (Nero's scapegoating of the fire, the Piso conspiracy, ect..).

Be sure to carefully read the introduction and pay close attention to the part where the author speculates the followers of Isis were the persecuted ones Nero fingered after the fire and not the Christians. His explanation: a later Christian interpolation of Tacitus' text with the word "Egyptians" replaced by the word "Christians". Other than that bit of speculation the book is fairly factual.

I just finished this one and loved it.  I really like his quick paced style and enjoyed all of his books on the Roman legions.

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #92 on: January 05, 2011, 01:52:25 pm »
Finally!  "Antony and Cleopatra" by Adrian Goldsworthy.

 Picked it up today and just finished the Intro.  I'm going to enjoy this one!

Offline Bud Stewart

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #93 on: January 05, 2011, 02:51:42 pm »
Finally!  "Antony and Cleopatra" by Adrian Goldsworthy.

 Picked it up today and just finished the Intro.  I'm going to enjoy this one!

Jay, if this book is the same high quality as Goldsworthy's "Caesar: Life of a Colossus" , which I thoroughly enjoyed, you're going to fly through this work.

Keep me posted.  I've just started Klaus Bringmann's "A History of the Roman Republic" (I'm still in the first chapter) and I have Anthony Everitt's "Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician" on my shelf waiting to be read, but I'm almost ready for another title.

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #94 on: February 02, 2011, 09:59:02 am »
Bud, just finished Antony and Cleopatra by Goldsworthy...Just as good as Caesar!

I'm now reading "The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions: Discovering the Varus Battlefield" by Tony Clunn

What an amazing discovery!  Anyone interested in coins and how hoard evidence can pin point Historical dates and events will absolutely love this book! Yet it isn't a dry scholarly paper, it really comes to life and you feel as if you are standing right beside him as he uses a metal detector to find hidden denarii and even more spectacular finds.  It goes back and forth between the Varus battle and the discovery of the site.  Excellent!

Offline casata137ec

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #95 on: February 02, 2011, 11:36:16 am »
Allthough not coin oriented, "Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton is fantastic. It was published in 1942, but still in circulation, so it is easy to find. The book is centered on Greek and Roman gods/heroes/legends and has been an interesting and engaging read. Even though I love coin collecting, I love learning about the cultures even more!

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Offline mcbyrne21

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #96 on: February 02, 2011, 05:33:35 pm »
Allthough not coin oriented, "Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton is fantastic. It was published in 1942, but still in circulation, so it is easy to find. The book is centered on Greek and Roman gods/heroes/legends and has been an interesting and engaging read. Even though I love coin collecting, I love learning about the cultures even more!

Chris

I would absolutely second this one.  This was the first book I ever read on mythology (required reading in my elementary school Latin class!) and I still read it again every couple years just for fun.

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #97 on: February 02, 2011, 05:38:30 pm »
Bud, just finished Antony and Cleopatra by Goldsworthy...Just as good as Caesar!

I'm now reading "The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions: Discovering the Varus Battlefield" by Tony Clunn

What an amazing discovery!  Anyone interested in coins and how hoard evidence can pin point Historical dates and events will absolutely love this book! Yet it isn't a dry scholarly paper, it really comes to life and you feel as if you are standing right beside him as he uses a metal detector to find hidden denarii and even more spectacular finds.  It goes back and forth between the Varus battle and the discovery of the site.  Excellent!

Just to bring this to the current page since it was the last post on the previous page! ;D

Chris I am going to check out that book.  Thanks for the recommendation!

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #98 on: February 03, 2011, 04:33:42 pm »
Ian Mortimer, The Greatest Traitor: the Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, Ruler of England 1327-1330, Vintage Books, 2010.

Mortimer was originally a loyal subject who eventually rebelled against Edward II with good reason. He escaped from the Tower after being arrested, and fled to France. Edward treated his wife, Isabella of France, so badly she fled to her brother the king of France, and she became Mortimer's mistress. The two of them invaded England, overthrew the king, and allegedly Mortimer had him murdered with a red-hot poker up his backside. The book gives and excellent account of Mortimer's life, and lays out a detailed case for believing that Edward wasn't murdered after all, but secretly remained in captivity until Mortimer was executed, when he fled to the Pope, and ended up in an Italian hermitage.

I'm sure someone's going to disagree, and I look forward to reading the counter-arguments!
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Offline David Atherton

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Re: Recommended Reading Thread...
« Reply #99 on: February 04, 2011, 07:51:26 am »
Bud, just finished Antony and Cleopatra by Goldsworthy...Just as good as Caesar!

I'm now reading "The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions: Discovering the Varus Battlefield" by Tony Clunn

What an amazing discovery!  Anyone interested in coins and how hoard evidence can pin point Historical dates and events will absolutely love this book! Yet it isn't a dry scholarly paper, it really comes to life and you feel as if you are standing right beside him as he uses a metal detector to find hidden denarii and even more spectacular finds.  It goes back and forth between the Varus battle and the discovery of the site.  Excellent!

Just to bring this to the current page since it was the last post on the previous page! ;D

Chris I am going to check out that book.  Thanks for the recommendation!

I agree, Clunn's book is a very good read. Highly recommended!

Check out Adrian Murdoch's "Rome's Greatest Defeat" as well. A great read on the same subject.

 

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