Good Fiction set in the time period

**mini** · 03-27-2008, 14:50

Originally Posted by Apgad

McCullogh is great, and she's written a Anthony and Cleopatra novel released just recently which I haven't read. Not exactly what you've asked for, but certainly also worth a read.

I've got it, and it's actually just a continuation of her Masters of Rome series, and of the same quality.
Haven't read much better tbh

and Konny: 700 pages from founding to collapse? must be swift story tellin'

**konny** · 03-27-2008, 17:11

Originally Posted by mini

and Konny: 700 pages from founding to collapse? must be swift story tellin'

Yes, seems to be. I have ordered it for tomorrow and will have a look.

**Gaius Scribonius Curio** · 03-28-2008, 01:45

Colleem McCollough's Masters of Rome series is just about the best historical fiction I've read, and I'd recommend it.

Iggulden seems to be a fairly good author, but absolutely no historical accuracy is taken into account. Scarrow deserves better than to be mentioned with him Apgad.

Manfredi's books are interesting, and I agree that they have a sort of mystical quality. I've never read the Alexander books, but I have read The Last Legion and Spartan, along with Tyrant. I don't really see how the first two can be described as historically accurate, in terms of the action although peripheral events do seem to be accurate. Worth a read though.

**Spartan198** · 03-28-2008, 03:45

Originally Posted by J.Alco

Stay away from the 'Boudicca' series. I've flipped through them when I'm killing time in Waterstone's. Basically it's big on druidic hocus-pocus, it turns the Romans into caricatures, blows Boudicca's revolt out of proportion, makes claims about equal-sex society in Celtic Britain, and it's history is, well, it's not that impressive.

I concur. I bought Ravens of Avalon from a book club expecting at least a sub-par portrayal of legionary combat,but the only thing that really stood out (in a bad way,I mean) is a vague description of a legionary shield wall amounting to just a few words,something about shields guarding sword arms (I'm by far not even an expert compared to most you guys here,but wouldn't you need to stick your arm out ahead of your shield to use a sword?).
Not to mention that the climactic final battle between Boudicca's and the Roman army is barely even present,amounting to no more than a couple of short paragraphs.
A sad experience,IMO.

**Divie** · 03-28-2008, 14:41

Don't think these have been mentioned but Rosemary Sutcliffe (sp?) has a few very good books on the romans, frontier wolf and eagle of the ninth amongst them, havn't read them for years but do remember they what first got me hooked on classical fiction novels!

**SaFe** · 03-28-2008, 15:46

Soldier of Rome by James Mace is the worst book i've ever read about the attempted roman conquest of Germania.

Not only describes Mr.Mace the battles of Germanicus Caesar against Arminius in a very unhistorical one-sided way (Battle Pontes Longi, Battle of Idistaviso, Battle at Angivarian Wall, etc...) but also likes to describe numerous times the germanic tribesmen as dirty and brutal while the romans act like "freedom soldiers" from modern day Iraq.
I mention Iraq because the author wrote his novel during his service time as soldier in Iraq. Sadly he seems to compare those two completely different wars.

As a sidenote the book ends with the total annihilation of the germanic tribal coalition under Arminius and the destruction of the Cheruscii.
Makes me wonder why the calling back of Germanicus to Rome (because of the heavy losses the roman army took during those three year long war) is totally left out from the book. Also Arminius was able to fight against Marbod's Marcomanni tribal coalition (who's plea for help the romans ignored) a few months later and suceed with numerous tribal warriors from the allegedly destroyed Cheruscii.

Stay away from this "historical" book.

**Lynchius** · 03-30-2008, 16:24

Just discovered a book called Funeral Games is a 1981 historical novel by Mary Renault. Its based on the disintergration of Alexander the Great's empire, with Ptolemy the chief protagonist. Does anyone know of it or hve read it?

"Kill them all. God knows his own."
- Albigensian leader during their 13th century crusade against 'heretics'

**Disciple of Tacitus** · 03-30-2008, 18:44

Originally Posted by konny

Does anyone know the book from the 2007 hardcover?

~~No, sorry. Poked around a bit and couldn't find it.~~

Oops. Found it.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...=Roma&x=56&y=9

But is sounds like I am too late, anyway. Sorry.

**konny** · 03-31-2008, 01:03

Originally Posted by Disciple of Tacitus

Oops. Found it.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...=Roma&x=56&y=9

But is sounds like I am too late, anyway. Sorry.

Yes, thank you. I have now started reading, but seems to be not the best of read. At least the (fictional) stories and the style reminds me more of a childrens' book than an adult novel (save for occasional sex).

BTW, when I saw the prices behind the link I thought of opening a shop at abebooks; then I realised that this were $$ - what a difference! (the hardcover is about 24,00 € in Germany)