Jump to content
UNRV Ancient Roman Empire Forums

Favourite Historical Book


Recommended Posts

Ok we've had favourite historical film now lets find out what everbody's fovourite historical book is fact or fiction?

 

my favourite fiction book is probably Eagle in the snow by Wallace Breem, Simon Scarrow's eagle series of books are also up there, another favourite is the Roma sub rosa series about Gordianus the finder by Steven Saylor.

Fact books- Michael Grant's history of Rome takes some beating it's got pretty much everything you need to know about the rise and fall of Rome

 

Ok guys whats yours??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I quite literally find the non fiction category impossible to answer in a single example but will throw out a few titles I particularly enjoy:

 

I think my favorite non fiction historical account of all time is the American Civil War 3 volume set written by Shelby Foote. Its an extensive account of the war from battlefield to politics to personal implications written in a style that reads likes a novel.

 

Another relatively recent writer of American history is David McCullough. I am very much enjoying his "1776" at the moment.

 

An excellent account of the American Revolution: "Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution", by A.J. Langguth

 

I must also mention The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer.

 

As for Roman: I'm most partial to the ancients, Tacitus and Dio Cassius in particular, but of more contemporary authors I rather enjoyed Tom Holland's "Rubicon" for just pleasant reading material.

 

Favorite fictions:

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.

First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough

Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin

Gates of Fires, by Stephen Pressfield

 

I'm sure there are plenty of others that I am leaving out of there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm,

 

Fiction Books: I,Claudius, the Horatio Hornblower series, A Sailor of Austria by Biggins, and my favorite since 12-years-old : "All's Quiet on the Western Front".

 

Fact: Geez.... Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Berlin Diary, One Gallant Rush by Buchard, Paul Revere's Ride by Fischer, and just about anything by Lamb....just to name a few.

Edited by Spurius
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Favourite non-fiction: Churchill: a biograpghy by Roy Jenkins (very colourful language), and From the Gracchi to Nero: History of Rome from 133 B.C.to A.D.68 by H. H. Scullard (brilliant outline of the period it covers).

 

Favourite classical non-fiction: Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars

 

Favourite historical fiction: Not such a fan of historical novels --I much prefer books set in mythical kingdoms, unconstrained by reality-- but I did recently read Pompeii by Robert Harris (read it on a nine hour train journey) and though it was ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm,

 

Fiction Books: I,Claudius, the Horatio Hornblower series, A Sailor of Austria by Biggins, and my favorite since 12-years-old : "All's Quiet on the Western Front".

 

Fact: Geez.... Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Berlin Diary, One Gallant Rush by Buchard, Paul Revere's Ride by Fischer, and just about anything by Lamb....just to name a few.

 

Wow, i am austrian, and never heard of that guy from the book A Sailor from Austria, i defentiley have to look into that one, if you liked that one spurius, you will enjoy this book too The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The character of Otto Prohaska is one of the most sympathetic and wry ones created in modern fiction, IMHO.

 

All three books have a great feel to them, some what depressing in places (it is WWI in the doomed Empire) but a good way to inspire research into a relatively uncovered area of WWI. At least not covered very much in the USA...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...