Sources for writing a book on the Greeks

[chairman]

I'm not even a month over 20 years old yet, and I've already decided to write a history book. I've taken as a basis for the book a quote that I've seen on the forums here about how people know more about Nero and Caligula individually than most of the Diadochi combined, especially Antiochus III Megas. The idea is to write a book aimed at high school and college students as well as others, who don't focus on history, that will inform them of who men like Seleukus I, Ptolemy I, Antigonas "the One-eyed", Antiochus III and others in Greek history who are completely ignored by modern school systems. The book will be about 40,000 words and about 120 pages long, so it won't be be too big. My dad, who has a PhD and is a proficient though yet unpublished writer is helping me with planning, editing and other stuff.

I would like to ask for sources on the aforementioned individuals and their kingdoms, as well as on other commonly ignored Greeks who played major roles in hellenic and hellenistic history. I would prefer these sources be simple enough so that they don't scare away young people when I include these sources in a "further reading" section similar to a bibliography.

I must be crazy.

Thanks in advance.

Chairman

[Timoleon]

Check the EB Bibliography. It has a lot of interesting books there. I would suggest to start with
Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age by Peter Green. It's a great overview of the whole era.

Good luck and please let us know when you finish the book.

[MeinPanzer]

What I would recommend you do is read through a few books that the description of your planned book in accessibility and size - "The Greek World After Alexander" by Shipley and "The Hellenistic World" by Walbank come to mind - and see if you can present anything new or in an improved manner.

[oudysseos]

Why non-fiction necessarily? There are in fact many very good books, by eminent and respected scholars with intimate knowledge of the language and period acquired over many many years, which (no disrespect intended)) you will find hard to equal, much less better. And still most people have never heard of Seleucus. So, if you want to make Antiochius, Seleucus et al as famous and popular as Caesar, Caligula and Nero then you need to write a good novel, screenplay or best of all a graphic novel. Why don't you do a Xenophon comic, or write a novel about Iphicrates? Just think, where would Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus be without Robert Graves?