Brief Reviews

[Ursus]

In the tradition started by Pertinax, I shall deliver a few "pocket" review of books I read this weekend.

 

Eck, Werner. Augustus. Blackwell Publishing, 1998.

A no-nonsense survey of Augustus. The first half is a chronology of Augustus from early years to the battle of Actium. The second half explores the political and military accomplishments of his rule. The writing (or at least the translation from German) is clear and crisp. The book from Blackwell is put-together very well, and the appendix includes a copy of Res Gestae. The one downside is that the book is very skimpy with the cultural and religious developments of Augustan Rome.

 

 

Galinsky, Karl. Augustan Culture. Princeton University Press. 1996.

Galinsky seeks to undo the interpretation of Augustus as proto-fascist set by Syme's Roman Revolution. I believe he largely succeeds. Galinsky establishes auctoritas as the central Augustan virtue, and then demonstrates how Augustus ruled by incorporating this trait in every aspect of culture. Galinsky provides ample evidence that Augustus was far from being a godfather of 20th century totalitarians. A sweeping survey of Augustan Rome. My one problem is that the author's prose is long-winded and somewhat postmodern in perspective - I felt he was writing more for his fellow academics than for the general reader. Which is a shame, because the themes in this book need to be read by the average Romanophile. I intend to do a fuller review of this book for UNRV.

 

Galinsky, Karl. The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Augustus. Cambridge University Press. 2005.

A collection of essays of various topics on Augustan Rome written by scholars in the US and Europe. Edited by Galinsky. The quality of the essays vary with the individual author, but in general the book provides an interesting and multifaceted survey of the period.

[Pertinax]

Here's another snippet from myself:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...9931322-1950335

 

Hadrian's Wall in the days of the Romans.

 

Probably a familiar title to some .Published 1984, revised twice since that time. This is about useful facts combined with the most evocative of illustrations, its really a re-enactment for the imagination. Plenty of decent information on Wall building and history, but an avalanche of good illustrations.This book is a sort of guilty pleasure after a more "serious" work ,

you can be a Romanophile of mature years enjoying the "Boys Own" drawings, or a small kid to whom the mystery of the actuallity of the Wall and its soldiery has been revealed.Good bedside browse to pick up information in an ad hoc way if you are not an obsessive Wall prowler ( :bag: ) and probably a good way to get a favourite neice or nephew interested in Rome.All the Wall museums have the main illustrations from this book as a kind of sub-context to their displays.Ron Embleton's illustrations were a gold standard for quality boys comic books. The following link takes you to his amusing Vircovicium (Houseteads) Latrine artwork and if you go to my Vindolanda gallery at msnblog you will find this very latrine,photographed in glorious colour.

 

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...cial_s%26sa%3DN

 

 

Also:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...9931322-1950335

 

The Romans at Ribchester by Edwards.

 

Which in its own quiet , small scale way shows how determined, scholarly amateurs make institutional preservation look slow and dead handed. The same story could be told about Cooper at Chesters (Cilvrinum) in the 18th C and Birley today at Vindolanda.What I very much enjoyed was the sensational finding of the Victorian sunday school being built directly onto the old Praetorium substructure.The actions of the small man are vindicated.

Edited May 24, 2006 by Pertinax

[Pertinax]

Another snippet for your information:

 

"Roman Britain" by Plantagenet Somerset Fry.

 

This is the third book with this title I have read, the others are by Salway the OUP heavyweight mainstream academic standard, and the recent slick and informative publication by De La Bedoyere .

 

the Gazetteer takes up over half of a reasonably substantial book , the "history " is essentially an quality resume of Romano -British history written by an eloquent and stylish journalist

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...5550885-0966207

 

in essence it is an extended essay , chatty and informative. The Gazetteer is invaluable for British Romanophiles, it is accurate and exhaustive .This is exactly what I hoped to have in the car glove compartment (along with the OS map ) to pin down elusive sites, for example I have been unable to pin down "old penrith " (Voreda) an unexcavated site which I now realise I have driven past a dozen times . A useful practical text.

Edited June 20, 2006 by Pertinax

[Ursus]

Chronicle of the Roman Emperors by Chris Skarre is one of those books imminently grounded in scholarship, but not presented as a scholarly work per se. It is designed to be an intelligent survey for the general reader concerning the personalities and political history of the men who ruled Rome from Augustus to the fall of the West.

 

The history of the emperors is comparatively brief, as one might expect, but does a great service in highlighting the major events and foibles of the subject under study. Visually the book is beautiful; sculptures of the emperors, and photographs and illustrations of their public works, offers an enjoyable aesthetic experience.

 

The prose is intelligent but free of academic jargon. It is fast paced, and the Chronicles read as a page turner. Skarre frequently comments on the primary sources used in his studies of these individuals. He is not afraid to comment on what should be treated as fact and what should be treated as propaganda or gossip. Interestingly, Skarre details all the various titles assumed by an emperor and the dates they received them.

 

For someone new to Roman political history, this work would make a lively introduction of the imperial era. For old hands, it makes a convenient annotated historical outline which can be enjoyed if nothing else for the photographs and illustrations. It is a charming work and makes the perfect item to grace your coffee table.

[Ursus]

Hey, maybe we need a subfolder to house all the book reviews?

[Pertinax]

Hey, maybe we need a subfolder to house all the book reviews?

My previous stuff is just single posts per book,so it would tidy the place up a bit if they were drawn together.Presume you mean these "pocket " reviews ? I just wonder if other members would chip in a few more snippets if they didnt think that a full blown "serious" review was needed?

Edited July 4, 2006 by Pertinax

[Ursus]

Actually, I meant all the book reviews done by Patricians and Equestrians, whether full length or abridged. I know there is a now a link to "leading contributors" with their reviews, but making a subforum here would still be conveneint.

[Pertinax]

Actually, I meant all the book reviews done by Patricians and Equestrians, whether full length or abridged. I know there is a now a link to "leading contributors" with their reviews, but making a subforum here would still be conveneint.

Yes indeed, I bet more will get read as well, and commented upon.

[Primus Pilus]

Hey, maybe we need a subfolder to house all the book reviews?

 

We are still in the very slow process of developing a book site project that should help organize, present, etc all of our related book efforts.

 

However a subforum strictly for book may serve the purpose for now