The Erotic Poems by Ovid
September 25, 2008
Love be not proud. Let love be cynical, irreverent and bawdy! Ovid is the perfect cure for maudlin saps pining for unrequited romances. The good man from Sulmo is perhaps the most infamous Roman poet, and deservedly so. Not content with being a creature of the Augustan propaganda machine and its prudish morality, Ovid literally turned fornication into a high art. Adultery, seduction, objectification of women - Ovid pulled no punches in his early career. Obsessed with achieving immortality through the written word, Ovid attained his goal - but at a cost. Like an overly proud angel, the poet was cast down from heaven to his own hell. Penguin's The Erotic Poems gives us a glimpse of this forbidden but delicious fruit...
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An Imperial Possesion by David Mattingly
September 14, 2008
"Every telling of history is a product of its age"
The opening words by the author of An Imperial Possession - Britain in the Roman Empire underline what is perhaps the entire purpose of this book. David Mattingly makes it clear from the outset that the story of the Roman occupation has been studied and written before, many times. The setting has been described, the characters outlined, and the plot established. Like an old favourite story by the fireside, the Roman occupation of Britain has become something familiar and comfortable. But is it correct?
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Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield
September 10, 2008
When I received Russell Whitfield’s Gladiatrix for review, I was ecstatic. Even before I opened to the first page I was impressed. The cover itself, though paperback, is a work of art. A brief glimpse through the pages revealed that this was definitely something I wanted to read. I was not disappointed. Mr. Whitfield wastes no time at all getting into the action. The first page starts out with a fight scene, vividly described in awe-inspiring, and heart racing, detail. The action does not slow down as the story continues, either. The depictions are graphic; a very good book, but not one for the faint of heart...
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