Colleen McCullough Masters of Rome series

[muzrub]

Hi guys,


Not sure who here has read the series but its pretty damn good.
A new edition to the series is soon be released.

The books are a worth while read.
And if you havent read them they will at least tide you over until the new version of the game will come out.
At a 1000 pages a book time rushes by.

cheers.


Personally I'm excited with the new edition, I didnt expect it with her health issues.

So cool!

[Zaknafien]

They're very good novels, yes. Dont get them confused with history though. McCullough did her research but still takes many liberties in the series. Overall, a great read and way to pass time if you're interested in Rome!

[Lysander13]

I've always wanted to read this series and have never gotten around to it. I have a copy of what i believe is the first installment...i believe it's called First Man in Rome? I'll be sure to read this series eventually as i don't miss out on any historical fiction that comes highly recommended.

[Strategos Alexandros]

The Emperor series by Gonn Iggulden is also good

[Zaknafien]

I beg to differ. The Emperor series is utter crap IMO as a historian and as a writer.

[Strategos Alexandros]

Its not very historically accurate but a fairly good story IMO.

[Long lost Caesar]

the only emperor story i have is death of kings, which i thought was actually quite good, since it was the first book i noticed to include triarii, hastatii, velites and equites once i played rome. but imo a better book involving rome would have to be druid king by norman spinrad, about the roman invasion of gaul. likely to be innacurate, but makes for a great read.

[Intrepid Adventurer]

"I, Claudius" any good?

[Zaknafien]

Yes, a classic.

[micasa]

I've only read Simon Scarrow's "Under the Eagle" and Robert Harris' "Pompeii" so far but bought "Emperor: The Gates of Rome" by Conn Iggulden and "Imperium" by Robert Harris, which I have yet to read.

The Simon Scarrow book was reasonably interesting and the Robert Harris books are really quite good.

Terry Jones' Barbarians is amusing if nothing else.

[Zaknafien]

Harris is good, no doubt. Scarrow has a certain appeal if you're in the mood for saturday-morning serial action. His under the eagle series is more like a guilty pleasure ;)

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Yes, a classic.

It is indeed, but it's much more in the line with 1970's and early 80's television and film - it is very very slow for audiences more used to the Bourne Identity and its ilk. It's also filmed on just a handful of sets - very little action to speak of.

[Zaknafien]

I think he was referring to the book, not the movie.. but either way, still good. Book is preferable though if you ask me. The sequel "Claudius the God" is also good.

[Geoffrey S]

Bah, the Emperor series. A mistaken relative bought three of the books for a birthday, and not only did I thoroughly dislike the inaccurate portrayal of the times (both in events and in general society), I found the writing style extremely poor; long-winded, filled with irrelevancies, and simply unoriginal. For that type of writing I still go for Bernard Cornwall's Warlord Trilogy, or somewhat older, Henry Treece (in particular I loved The Queen's Brooch).

For those who liked I, Claudius and Claudius The God, I most heartily recommend Count Belisarius also by Robert Graves. It's probably the book that got me interested in military tactics, the TW series, and following on from that historical studies.

It is indeed, but it's much more in the line with 1970's and early 80's television and film - it is very very slow for audiences more used to the Bourne Identity and its ilk. It's also filmed on just a handful of sets - very little action to speak of.

Which is no problem, since I think they were referring to the (also classic) book.

[Kurulham]

Not sure how historically accurate it is - I rather suspect "not" - but The Last King (I forget the author) is a highly interesting novelization of the life of Mithradates VI.

[ciprianrusu]

I just bought a trilogy by Massimo Valerio Manfredi, about Alexander the Great. I haven't read it yet, but i've heard good things about it. From the same author i've read The Last Legion (it's a fictional tale about the las emperor of rome Romulus Augustus, who was overturn by Odoacer, and in this book he runs in Britannia-and so the Arthurian myth is born)
As regards of history books i would recommend Tom Holland's Rubicon.

[Shifty_GMH]

Can't be to hard on the "Emperor Series." His first book got me interested in Rome. However McCullough's "Master of Rome Series" got me hooked. All excellent reads.

I'm a big fan of the Simon Scarrow books too.

"I, Claudius" and the follow up "Claudius the God" were both good books. Might also want to try "The Twelve Caesars" by Suetonius, Michael Grant, and Robert Graves. It was pretty good too.

Read "Pompeii" and "Imperium" by Harris. Liked "Imperium" better.

I thought "Men of Bronze" by Scott Oden was a good read.

"Eagle in the Snow" by Wallace Breem was ok.

"Hadrian's Wall" and "The Scourge of God" by William Dietrich were ok.

Would highly recommend the works of Steven Pressfield and Michael Curtis Ford.

I agree about Bernard Cornwell. He is an excellent author. I really like his "Saxon Chronicles." His "Warlord Chronicles" and "Grail Quest" series are good too.

I know I have read more historical fiction, but these are the only ones I can think of right now.

If anyone is interested, here is a pretty good site for checking out fiction and historical fiction books: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

[Bava]

I just bought a trilogy by Massimo Valerio Manfredi, about Alexander the Great.

Ouch. Manfredi...

Read one of Gisbert Haef´s Alexander or Hannibal books and you´ll never even look at Manfredi´s "novels" (waste of paper imho) again.

[pseudocaesar]

Ouch. Manfredi...

Read one of Gisbert Haef´s Alexander or Hannibal books and you´ll never even look at Manfredi´s "novels" (waste of paper imho) again.

Did a quick google, all german. Can you get his books in English?

[Bava]

Well, ive seen italian and dutch translations but im not sure if his work is available in english.

If you cant find an english copy, have a look at the EB bibliography thread, i found a lot of interesting reads there.

[konny]

He is also available in Spanish; but I couldn't find any English books by Haefs as well (I am bookseller - German, but with access to several English catalouges). BTW, German authors published in English are always rare to find.

[Lysander13]

I agree about Bernard Cornwell. He is an excellent author. I really like his "Saxon Chronicles." His "Warlord Chronicles" and "Grail Quest" series are good too.

I really enjoyed the Saxon Chronicles...That Uhtred fella is a badass..

[Centurion Crastinus]

Stephen Dando-Collins books are pretty good. He writes about the history and people in specific legions. He has done four thus far. They were on the III Galica, IV Ferrata, X Frestensis, and the XIIII Gemina Martia Victrix. All of them were really great especially the ones written about the X legion and the XIIII legion.

[Centurion Crastinus]

Sorry about the typo, it was the VI Ferrata.

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

She is great, and her stories are good, I agree. She has released a new book recently, and now maybe she'll write about The Five Good Emperors... That is, if she can get through the macular degeneration. There are rumours Colleen is losing her sight :(.

[Radier]

I want to read Colleen McCullough badly, but my father has lost the first book!

What is this about a new edition? What is new in it?

[M V Agrippa]

The Masters of Rome series is great, I can say too many good things about it. The Scarrow Eagle books are a fun read too as has been said. At the Molment I am reading Julian by Gore Vidal it's an interesting look at the late Roman Empire.