EB Bibliography II: What are you currently reading?

Like the previous thread, but Id like to make a spot for EB fans to let us know what antiquity books they are currently reading or enjoyed recently, maybe letting others know of great books on subjects they might be interested in.

Im currently re-reading Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome Series, the classic historical ficiton set from the rise of Marius through the death of Caesar and beyond. The books include The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown, Fortune's Favorites, Caesar's Women, Caesar, and The October Horse.

On the non fiction side of the house, I just got Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor, and a new copy of From the Gracchi to Nero which I will be re-reading soon.

Just finished Gisbert Haef´s "Troy", nice read, but not as good as his "Hannibal"(absolutley loved it, though was a bit carthie biased).

I saw some copies of the "Imperium" series in my local book store today, is it worth buying?

Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy. It's a good read and I should devote more time to it. Next I plan on reading From Samarkhand to Sardis, which my library amazingly actually had a copy of, and picking through the first book of Caesar's commentaries in Latin.

I am currently reading three books which are relevant to your question:

Xenophon's Anabasis. I am rereading this, as I remember reading it when I was translating bits at school. I reckon the version I read then was abridged, as I cant remember reading anything about what happened after they reached Trapezous.
Edit: To anyone who hasnt read this, its an extremely readable, enjoyable book, I highly recommend it. Its the story of a mercenary army of 10 000 greek hoplites hired by Cyrus, a pretender to the throne of Persia (in about 400BC). They get virtually to Babylon, beat the King, but unfortunately Cyrus is killed in the battle (Cunaxa) and the greeks are stuck in the middle of a hostile country. The story tells how they got back to greece, chronicled by Xenophon who was one of the generals.

Polybius' Histories: in preparation for the historical campaign I am going to play as the Romans when EB 0.82 (or whatever the devs consider to be the next big release) is released.

I am also reading Plutarch's Lives, but only when I go to the bookshop on saturdays. Theres a great bookshop where I live which combines comfortable leather armchairs and for some reason being a social hub where all the beautiful people meet, so its a good place to lurk, read and people-watch!

(Just in case people are thinking Im some kind of freak, I am also reading some fiction which is not based in antiquity, but I'll mention it anyway: 'Birds Without Wings' is a story set in Turkey, and traces the development of that country and its neighbours through the lives of characters living through last century. A very interesting book about whats happening now in the region I tend to play in in EB! Also 'Labyrinth' which is a thriller in the vein of the Da Vinci Code, but better IMHO...)

I'm reading Pontus and the Outside World: Studies in Black Sea History, Historiography, and Archaelogy. editied by C.J. Tuplin. It's a collection of articles, the one I'm reading right now is about the Bosphoran Kingdom's political system and it's diplomatic relationships with the rest of the Hellenistic world, espeically the Ptolemaic Egypt.

De Oudheid: Grieken en Romeinen in de context van de wereldgeschiedenis by F.G. Naerebout and H.W. Singor. It's an extremely useful overview of the classical world from the Persian empire to the fall of Rome, with a brief overview of the rest of the world at the same time at the start of each period. Though the reason I'm reading it is for an exam coming tuesday on this subject, I can recommend it to any Dutch reader looking for a comprehensive guide to the period.

Currently reading The Sword of Hannibal by Terry McCarthy

Next up is probably going to be Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham

I'll give you a list of books I enjoyed a little later when I have some more free time. Just about all of them will be historical fiction dealing mostly with Rome and a few with ancient Greece.

Just finished "Empire of Dragons" by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, a bunch of roman soldiers that reach China. Quite simply,it sucked, too Gladiator-style for my taste. I mean the roman general fights with a gladius in each hand, not to talk about the hiper-super-duper chinese warrior monks ...

Done with (generaly) Alexanders campaign talks generaly about the Greeks fued with persia,macedons rise,and the conquest of the persians empire and the aftermath. Pictures of battle formation,weopons, and some small accounts off the battles. Very good in my opinion that tries to detail the conquest but not bieng a college level book.


That xenophons anabasis is interesting. Heard about it when I played age of empires. Now that I know the name Im going to try and find it.

Done with (generaly) Alexanders campaign talks generaly about the Greeks fued with persia,macedons rise,and the conquest of the persians empire and the aftermath. Pictures of battle formation,weopons, and some small accounts off the battles. Very good in my opinion that tries to detail the conquest but not bieng a college level book.


That xenophons anabasis is interesting. Heard about it when I played age of empires. Now that I know the name Im going to try and find it.

Done with (generaly) Alexanders campaign talks generaly about the Greeks fued with persia,macedons rise,and the conquest of the persians empire and the aftermath. Pictures of battle formation,weopons, and some small accounts off the battles. Very good in my opinion that tries to detail the conquest but not bieng a college level book.


That xenophons anabasis is interesting. Heard about it when I played age of empires. Now that I know the name Im going to try and find it.

Ancient books/Books based on that period I am reading:

Plutarch's Life of Alexander for History class
Plutarch's Fall of the Roman Republic (Because I like Plutarch)

Today I bought Adrian Goldsworthy's In the Name of Rome

Nice challenge Zak :beam: , Ok...so a list of recently read historical books and some attempts at their reviews...5 points up, 5 points down.

• The Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham
  
  A novel about the Barca family, their retinue, and their personal involvement in the second Punic War. Very easy to read as the author uses colloquial speech, good introduction on the subject to an uninformed reader, superficial characters, depicts Non-Romans and Non-Africans as cannon-fodder, highly novalised at best, horridly unhistorical at its worse.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: out of 5
  
  
• L'Ultima Legione (The Last Legion) by Valerio Massimo Manfredi
  
  A novel which takes place during the "reign" of the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, and how he is supposedly saved by the last real legionaires. *Very* light read, the whole book is one big hollywood cliché, right down to the hot warrior-girl in leather pants. If you want something to read while you're on the throne get it, otherwise stay the hell away from anything this gentleman writes.
  
  Rating: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: out of 5
  
  
• Viriato - La Lucha Por La Liberdade (Viriato - The Fight for Freedom) by Mauricio Pastor Muñoz
  
  Essentially a basic overview on the Lusitanians, Viriatus and the Lusitanian Wars. It doesn't pretend to be the ultimate book on the matter but rather assumes it's mission as a mean to divulge the subject. Concise and to the point, he makes on hell of a job in just under 240 pages.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: out of 5
  
  
• Under The Eagle by Simon Scarrow
  
  The tales of a centurion by the name of Macro, from the forests of Germania to the mist of Brittania where they follow the trail of a missing chest of gold left there from the first invasions. A light read in league with Cornwell's work for example, though not so successful in making us like the characters. Highly novalised but a fun read all the same.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: out of 5
  
  
• The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  
  Yes, the man who brought us Sherlock Holmes also wrote other things. And very good things for that matter. Such is the case of this book, about a monk turned squire who fights in the company of the hillarious Sir Nigel Loring during the 100 Year War. Easy to read, very naive (and I say that in a good way) along with very likeable and out-of-this-world characters. Recommended.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: out 5
  
  
• The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
  
  This book is essentially a novelization of the Anabasis by Xenophon. It follows the life what was essentially a minor leader within the expedition and becomes the only man capable of leading those men through enemy territory to home. Well written and easy to follow, as well as worthy adaptation to the original text, not to mention a great way to get the reader interested in the actual thing.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: out of 5
  
  
• D.Sebastião e o Vidente [translated to german, italian, spanish and french only AFAIK, but litteraly D.Sebastian and the Seer] by Deana Barroqueiro
  
  An historical romance by a previously unknown author, about the life of what would the last king of the Aviz dinasty in Portugal, D.Sebastian and his squire. The author is extremely meticulous in her research and portrays the intrigue at a 16th century court like few others I've read. The story is interesting from the day the king was born right down to his last battle, the greatest disaster in Portuguese military history. Hard to follow at points (the author is very thorough) with Old Portuguese being spoken at times, but extremely well written and put together. Recommended.
  
  Rating: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: out of 5

Could you tell I was bored with physics? :beam:

I'm on the last chapter of Robit Harris' Imperator, which details Cicero's political career. Quite an enjoyable book, IMHO, focusing on Roman political life rather than military achievements.

As far as non-fiction goes, I read a little bit of Plutarch's Fall of the Roman Republic every now and then, and have read most of Adrian Goldsworthy's The Complete Roman Army and Barry Cunliffe's The Ancient Celts. I also have access to a small pile of Loeb translations owned by one of my neighbours, might scratch through that some day for some light reading...

McClellan's War: Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union.

Europe a history, norman Davis and i just finished The stranger Camus so i guess that means tommorrow i'm starting Hobbes, man and citizen. on the really ancient front Genghis khan and the making of the modern world - Jack Weatherford and then Dogs of God - James Reston jr
Earthy powers - michael burleigh
and a neat litlte thing called the book of lost books by stuart kelly

Downloaded Herodotus (as an audiobook) from iTunes and listen while I play EB. It's a lot of fun that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Geoffrey S

De Oudheid: Grieken en Romeinen in de context van de wereldgeschiedenis by F.G. Naerebout and H.W. Singor.

---

No need to recommend it, I was reading it myself some weeks ago.

I also read Ancient Persia: from 550 BC to 650 AD by Jozef Wiesehöfer.

My current read is Memories of Hadrianus by Marguerite Yourcenar. Not as historical as well as philosophical.

Bob Dylan: Chronicles, volume one.

I know, not really related to EB.
I also have a swedish book about Alexander the Great, but I don't speak swedish... :stupido:

I am currently reading Barry Cuncliff's Ancient Celts.

It's a nice interesting read, or at least chapter one is :grin:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lucasiewicz

My current read is Memories of Hadrianus by Marguerite Yourcenar. Not as historical as well as philosophical.

---

Hey, absolutely loved that book. I found it beautiful how Yourcenar managed to perfectly capture the essence of a great leader confronted by his own approaching demise after living through those of so many others.

"Das Bosporanische Reich - Der Nordosten des Schwarzen Meeres in der Antike"
(The bosporan kingdom - the nordeast of the black sea in antiquity)

A collection of rather independent chapters written by a team of authors, mostly russian or ukrainian archaelogists describing the sites where they have done excavations. Contains one chapter about the history of reasearch in the area, a summary about the kingdoms history and descriptions of some sites: Pantikapaion, Phanagoreia, Tanais, the early greek settlement by Taganarog, Gorgippia and the settlement Vysesteblievskaja 11 in the hinterland of the Taman peninsula.

I always fall asleep when I read, so I dont read ~:mecry:

Great responses guys.

Cunctator and Qwerty in paticular, those are great, Ive been wanting some great Pontic-type historical sourcebooks, Im going to have to look for those!

• Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. Pulled from actual accounts from a variety of people, it puts them all together into a narrative of what will always be the greatest American chase scene.
• Death's Men by James Winter. WWI told from the British and colonial soldiers' points of view, pulled from collected memoirs and first-hand accounts. Winter assembles and sifts through all these accounts to present the experience of the men in the trenches rather than those moving chess pieces on the map.

Troy : Lord of the Silver Bow - by the now sadly late David Gremmel.

A lot of plotting leading up to the war, with lost love and slaughter of prisoners. Even a hero that is not always nice

David Gemmell passed away? When?

Pierre Briant : "From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire "

Yes, David Gemmell passed, and its unfortuante. The new Troy series is quite good.


Does anyone have good sourcebooks/histories on Pergammon or Syracuse? I cant seem to find anything worthwhile in print on amazon or barnesandnoble.

How about The Attalids of Pergamon by Esther V. Hansen?