Complementary Reading

[Hellboy909]

Has anyone else been inspired to pick up a book with a Roman theme? My suggestion for a way to spark your imagination: John Maddox Roberts. "Hannibal's Children" has some wonderful descriptions of Roman tactics and society from a speculative-fiction point of view (imagine Hannibal getting help from the Macedonians and banishing the Romans to live in the north). Also the "SPQR" series by the same author (conspiratorial murder mysteries set in Rome circa 70 BC).
OK, so I'm back to dealing with my Cretan rebel ambush.

[Attalus]

I'll keep an eye out for them Hellboy909.

I've just finished reading the third in the Emperor series by Conn Iggulden.
They are a sort of condensed version of the life of Gaius Julius Caesar...sort of in a similar vein to the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell.

Not too heavy, rather enjoyable reading!

Another good read is the 'Eagle' series by Simon Scarrow.

Starting with 'Under the Eagle' the books follow the careers of the two Junior Officers (Centurian Macro and Optio Cato) serving in Legio II during the Roman Invasion of Britain under Emperor Claudius (commanded by General Aulus Plautius of 'Ah yes...the infantry. Poor beggars' fame).

There is also a series of books about Boudicca, the name of the Author eludes me at the moment, though I'm sure it's a woman.

-Attalus-
Fool me once...shame on you
Fool me twice...prepare to die

[Herodotus]

'The First Man in Rome' series by Coleen McCullough is brilliant. Uses fact where possible and fills the gaps with educated guessing. The only problem is RTW just doesn't size up to these books -sigh-

[Ziu]

I recently read ; Cannae by Adrian Goldsworthy ISBN 0-304-35714-6
and The Complete Roman Army by same ISBN 0-500-05124-0

Both great books and well written.

[Emren]

I've recently bought "The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage and the Struggle for the Mediterranean" by Nigel Bagnall, but I haven't gotten around to actually reading it yet. It's not fiction, by the way!

[Grumfoss]

Me I just started reading again, Greece and Rome at War by Peter Connolly, Excellent reference book going through all the military developments in the region. ( some really good pictures too )

[Nelson]

'The First Man in Rome' series by Coleen McCullough is brilliant. Uses fact where possible and fills the gaps with educated guessing.

I agree. And even for those who are put off by historical fiction, McCullough's glossaries are worth having.

[jeffreyLebowski]

I've been reading an abdriged (sue me, it's impossibly unreadable in any other form) version of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Pretty interesting stuff, albeit a bit dry thanks to the time period it was written in.

[Petrus]

I would advise you 'the gallic wars' by Julius Caesar, it was written by a roman, concerns roman military and political activities - the conquest of gauls by the author himself- and is very easy to read.

All you shall need to fully understand this book is a lexical, concerning specifical terms such as omens, but it still remains extremly clear and agreable.

[Arrowhead]

The battles of the ancient world,the eagle of the ninth,spartan, the alexander trilogy and the last legion are all good.

[Fridge]

Rubicon by (can't remember). It concentrates purely on the politics, and glosses over the military details, but it covers the period right up to Ceasar crossing the Rubicon and seizing power, so there's a lot on the power shifts and struggles between three families we all know and love, and Marrius has a big part to play - though no mention of any reforms.

[Count Belisarius]

The biographies of Caesar, Alexander, and Hannibal by Col. Theodore Ayrault Dodge are all very good. They outline not only the events of each man's life, but also the strategies, tactics, armies, and flaws of each of these men. Written in the late 1800's, these books are meticulously researched and well-written.

[Krusader]

A book I would suggest if you got some spare cash, and don't know what to use it on, is Count Belisarius by Robert Graves.

It's a fictional story about Belisarius (and to some extent his wife Joanna) seen from Joanna's eunuchs view. (Joanna btw, is a close friend of Empress Theodora from their prositute days.)
It's heavily based on Procopius' (if he was named that) texts on Belisarius, and could have happened historically.

It has some nice views on Byzantine (or East Roman) tactics, equipment, politics and society. It is however, anti-Justinian, and the author implies Justinian as a good politician, but bad strategist who hated Belisarius (which I think he did, as Belisarius was popular). Belisarius however is portraited as the close-to-perfect hero.
The parts about politics, and power-playing and the Byzantine (or Constaninoplean society) is described in the chapters about Joanna.

It involves most of Belisarius' battles, even his "first" against Asian Greeks at an inn near Adrianople, when he's 10 years old.

The Nika riots, and the Blue & Green factions are nicely written about.

You should find this as paperback, for a cheap buck.

[Blitz]

geezz i dun go for thick book, to tell the truth i hate . But i like to read comics. my suggestion will be ASTERIX & OBELIX

[lgw]

Nero's killing Machine Stepehen Dando - Collins

The story of Rome's 14'th legion

A good read.

Takes you from the legions creation in northern italy in 57 B.C. it's being wiped out by the Eburones king Ambiorix in Belgium. The Varrus disaster, civil wars, and it's best moment at Watling Street, and much more!


Caesar's Legion Stepehen Dando - Collins

The saga of Caesar's Elite Spanish 10'th legion.

Anouther good read!

[Arrowhead]

geezz i dun go for thick book, to tell the truth i hate . But i like to read comics. my suggestion will be ASTERIX & OBELIX

How old are you blitz?