What's the last book you read?

[M. Corvus Cato]

Just finished a Dream of Rome by Boris Johnson.

 

Not bad. I can recommend this to anyone who wants a light, opinionated essay on aspects of Roman history with lots of modern comparison. It

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

I'm begining "Julien dit l'apostat' by Lucien Jerphagnon before going to the "Pericles" of Kagan, "La romanisation de la Germanie" by W. Eck and "L'historia : commencements grecs" by C. Dabro- Peschansky. That is, when i don't read novels, which i tend to do quite a lot these days

[Traianus]

totally off-line : World without end (Ken Follet)

Edited June 30, 2008 by Traianus

[DecimusCaesar]

Cosmos by Carl Sagan. It was one of the most fascinating science books I've read. It also had some interesting sections on the Ancient World , including Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Greek Philosophy and the Great Library of Alexandria. It's basically a wonderul and well-rounded look at the history of science and the importance of the scientific method.

[The Augusta]

I've finally got around to Heather's 'Fall' and I'm enjoying it immensely. I like his ease of style combined with non-intrusive scholarship - which is exactly what I want in a generalised account. And it has made me wonder - is Heather the successor to Grant? He certainly has the potential to be.

[Ursus]

I've finally got around to Heather's 'Fall' and I'm enjoying it immensely. I like his ease of style combined with non-intrusive scholarship - which is exactly what I want in a generalised account. And it has made me wonder - is Heather the successor to Grant? He certainly has the potential to be.

 

 

I enjoyed Heather's style immensely. I had nothing to do with the Late Empire until he came along.

[DecimusCaesar]

I've finally got around to Heather's 'Fall' and I'm enjoying it immensely. I like his ease of style combined with non-intrusive scholarship - which is exactly what I want in a generalised account. And it has made me wonder - is Heather the successor to Grant? He certainly has the potential to be.

 

 

I enjoyed Heather's style immensely. I had nothing to do with the Late Empire until he came along.

 

It was very well written. I thought his ideas about the fall of the Roman Empire were very plausible. They also contradicted Edward Gibbon in many ways, especially his claims about Rome's decline, which as Heather points out have been over stressed by many historians.

 

Bryan Ward-Perkins book 'The Fall of Rome' would make a good follow up to Heather's 'Fall'. He gives us an archaeological perspective on the Empire's fall, showing how the quality of life declined in the Dark Ages.

[guy]

A great book I'm reading now: Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War, by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh.

 

Although I haven't completed the book, yet, from what I've read, I've enjoyed the book greatly. It is an easy read packed full of great information.

 

This book is a must read for anyone interested in appreciating the great Persian rivals of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome-Achaemenid Persia, Parthia, and the Sassanians.

 

A description from Amazon.com:

The ruins of Persepolis evoke the best-known events of ancient Persia's history: Alexander the Great's defeat of Darius III, his conquest of the Achaemenid empire, and the burning of the great palace complex at Persepolis. However, most of the history of ancient Persia remains as mysterious today as it was to contemporary Western scholars. Compared to the world-famous Alexander, the many wars won by the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanian empires, and their revolutionary military technology, have been almost forgotten in the sands of the East.

 

In its day, Persia was a superpower to rival Greece and Rome, and conflict between them spanned over a millennium. Through these wars, and trade, these foes learnt from each other, not only adopting elements of military technology, but influences in the arts, architecture, religion, technology and learning. In this beautifully illustrated book, Dr Kaveh Farrokh narrates the history of Persia from before the first empires, through their wars with East and West to the fall of the Sassanians. He also delves into the forgotten cultural heritage of the Persians, spread across the world through war and conquest, which, even after the fall of the Sassanians, continued to impact upon the Western world.

 

So far, this has been a great book that has made me appreciate these little known, but great civilizations.

 

I recommend this book highly!

 

guy also know as gaius

 

Edited September 7, 2008 by guy

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

Ave

Currently reading "Ancient Rome" - A Military and Political History by Christopher Mackay

[Zanatos]

I just read "Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a day." by Matyszak.

[DecimusCaesar]

I'm currently reading Caesar: Life of a Colossus in paperback by Adrian Goldsworthy. It's a good read , and worth dipping into for those with no prior knowledge of Caesar and his times.

I've enjoyed Goldsworthy's previous books like In the Name of Rome, and I was wondering how he'd tackle a non-military subject such as Caesar's early life. He does a good job, I think.

 

What do others with greater knowledge of the Late Republic think of this book, if they've read it? I believe the hardback edition got quite a positive response from this forum when it was released a few years back.

Edited October 22, 2008 by DecimusCaesar

[Ludovicus]

"Papal Sins: Structures of Deceit" by Gary Wills

Here's a review:

 

Amazon.com Review

"Catholics have fallen out of the healthy old habit of reminding each other how sinful Popes can be," notes Garry Wills in the introduction to Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit. In his book, Wills alludes occasionally to the most egregious papal scoundrels: "In the tenth century a dissolute teenager could be elected Pope (John XII) because of his family connections and die a decade later in the bed of a married woman." But most of the author's energy is devoted to an incisive analysis of recent popes' doctrinal pronouncements, which Wills believes have eroded the Church's moral authority and contributed to the drastic decline in vocations to the priesthood today. "The arguments for much of what passes as current church doctrine are so intellectually contemptible that mere self-respect forbids a man to voice them as his own," Wills writes. "The cartoon version of natural law used to argue against contraception, or artificial insemination, or masturbation, would make a sophomore blush. The attempt to whitewash past attitudes toward Jews is so dishonest in its use of historical evidence that a man condemns himself in his own eyes if he tries to claim that he agrees with it."

[DDickey]

I'm blasting through Rome in the Late Republic (second edition) by Mary Beard & Michael Crawford. It's my second time reading it, and I forgot how beautifully they distilled the essence of the Late Republic. It's a simple, wonderful overview. Has anyone read Beard's book on Triumphs or the one on Roman Religion? I've been thinking about picking one up. Any recommendations?

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

Just getting started on "Boudicca" - The Warrior Queen by M.J. Trow

[cornelius_sulla]

I just read "Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a day." by Matyszak.

 

I read that one too and really enjoyed it. Maty is a UNRV member (you probably knew that) and very helpful with a wicked sense of humor that comes out in his books.