Chester G. Starr

[Artimi]

Has any one read any CG Starr's books? and if so what do you think?

 

The book I noticed at Chaptures looks interesting and little different.

 

 

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Roman-...r+G.+Starr%2527

[Ursus]

I had never heard of him until now, probably because a lot of his books are from the 1970's.

[Formosus Viriustus]

I had never heard of him until now, probably because a lot of his books are from the 1970's.

Yes, it's not like we read any books that have been written longer than 20 years ago.

 

Actually, I hardly ever read anything that has been written more recently than 100 years ago. Those books have proven they are good enough to stay around. (And if they don't contain 'the latest insights', well, that's too bad for me then.)

Where ancient history is concerned I think that one should read the classical authors themselves first and foremost. All other books about the subject are of necessity based on their works.

 

So, I've never heard about C.G. Starr either. (Nor of most of the present day historians that are mentioned here on the site regularly.)

 

His credentials seem fine enough

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=2921

and he has written quite a few books on ancient history. A few too many to my taste.

 

And 224 pages to cover 500 years of history ? That can't be anything but very superficial. Might be a good introduction to the subject for someone who has never read anything about it before. But that is not the case with you, Artimi.

 

I'm amazed at the prices of those books : nearly 50 $ for a 200 page paperback ?

Second hand it might be a reasonable buy. I hardly ever buy new books. I go to the public library and I can find pretty much anything I want there. And it's free (well, 5 Euro a year membership fee). I do occasionally pick up a second hand book for 1 or 2 Euro when I run into something interesting. If it turns out not to be good, I don't have to feel like I've wasted my money.

Unless it is a reference work, you're not likely to want to read the same book twice anyway and if you do, well you can always lend it again.

 

And with all the good info and books on-line nowadays I feel it is less and less of a handicap that I hardly have a book about ancient history at home.

 

Formosus

[Ursus]

I had never heard of him until now, probably because a lot of his books are from the 1970's.

Yes, it's not like we read any books that have been written longer than 20 years ago.

 

Um, well I like up to date books with the latest discoveries and methods.

 

But whatever works for you.

 

Here's a thought - you could always write a book review on your century old textbooks and why they are, in your view, better. UNRV loves book reviews.

[Artimi]

[

And 224 pages to cover 500 years of history ? That can't be anything but very superficial. Might be a good introduction to the subject for someone who has never read anything about it before. But that is not the case with you, Artimi.

 

I'm amazed at the prices of those books : nearly 50 $ for a 200 page paperback ?

Second hand it might be a reasonable buy. I hardly ever buy new books. I go to the public library and I can find pretty much anything I want there. And it's free (well, 5 Euro a year membership fee). I do occasionally pick up a second hand book for 1 or 2 Euro when I run into something interesting. If it turns out not to be good, I don't have to feel like I've wasted my money.

Unless it is a reference work, you're not likely to want to read the same book twice anyway and if you do, well you can always lend it again.

 

And with all the good info and books on-line nowadays I feel it is less and less of a handicap that I hardly have a book about ancient history at home.

 

Formosus

 

I can see we have very different reading habits:)

I have tried libraries, but library fines add up when you dont take the book back on time. A lot of non - fiction I read slowly and end up reading a few at a time.

 

I felt this book was not a straight forward history book, but a study of Rome from a particular perspective.

 

btw what does having written many history books have to do with quality of books?

 

and yes books here are expensive unless you catch the sales.

 

Reading on line for any length of time is very difficult and reading books is so enjoyable.

[Formosus Viriustus]

Well, I'm not exactly an expert on present day historical authors, if you don't mind an understatement. But since nobody else has stepped up so far :

 

I found a few long excerpts from

[Artimi]

I have book marked the 'new' on line bookstore and the articles here at UNRV.

 

I will take your advise about reading these articles before deciding about purchasing the books.

thanks FV

 

 

 

Online book stores are lots of fun except when shipping, taxes and duty starts to pile up.

[Faustus]

Has any one read any CG Starr's books? and if so what do you think?

I'm familiar with Starr. His two books The Ancient Romans and another The Emergence of Rome as Ruler of the Western World have positions of prominence on my 'Roman history' bookshelf. Both of these I bought at a used bookstore and price was part of my decision. I went back and bought a second copy of Emergence of Rome just to have a give-away copy.

 

If it's possible where you live, find a used bookstore near a college campus, and you'll probably find something by him there. Then you can sit down and read for as long as you like. I do that and then if I feel I just can't leave it behind I buy it, which was the case with those two.

 

I look for new ways of looking at old information, and a new take on the Roman mind, and their political institutions. I remember that there were others and some of these, although used, seemed pricey. His literary style is a lot like E. Gibbons' and provides the reader that kind of minutia.