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Everything posted by parthianbow
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Classic! Enjoy.
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I thought was very good, but I am biased!
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Every December, I trawl through the newspaper articles 'Best Books of the Year', noting down any titles that appeal to me. I'm picky, so it's usually only a few. In December 2011, The Dovekeepers was one of two titles that I wrote down. I'm usually pleased by these choices, recommended by other authors or academics, but rarely am I transported the way that I was upon reading this magical book. I won't delve deeply into the plot. Suffice it to say that the novel concerns four women who find themselves in the fortress of Masada after the sack of Jerusalem by the Romans. Through the eyes of these four women, Hoffman weaves an extraordinarily luminous tale, breathing life into ancient Judaea and its people, their customs, religion and habits. We learn much about the Jewish religion, the practices of witchcraft and herblore, the tending of crops and livestock, and the claustrophobia of living in an isolated fortress in the desert. As most of you know, the story of Masada was a tragic one. As such, this book is full of harrowing and haunting images - particularly the final pages, which constantly had me in tears. Yet it is also full of the love that mothers have for their children, lovers have for each other, and of the deep bonds of comradeship that bring men to fight together to the end. I was entranced from the first page by Hoffman's wonderful writing. As the pages flew by, I found myself counting how many I had left until the end - because I desperately did not want to finish it. For me, that is a rare occurrence, and the mark of a great book and a great writer. Bravo, Alice Hoffman! Although this novel was published in 2011, I read it in 2012. It's currently the best book I've read this year. It will be very hard for another to knock it off that position.
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@Aegyptus: Having recently written a novel about the SEcond Punic War, I'm pretty up to date on 'new' texts on Carthage. Sadly, Miles' excellent book is about the only one. There's Goldsworthy's book, which has been mentioned, and which is also very good, and then back a bit in time to 1995, there's Serge Lancel's Carthage, which is now a little dated, but is very much worth the read. If you go back even further, there's Picard's book on daiy life in Carthage, which has some interesting info too.
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Spartacus Star has passed away
parthianbow replied to DecimusCaesar's topic in Hora Postilla Thermae
I echo what Hieronymus said - unrealised promise - and also the gap he's left in the lives of his wife and two young children. I posted a short piece in homage to Andy on my website. -
For all that the Carthaginians weren't ones to besiege cities, Hannibal encircled Saguntum and took it by siege, using multi-storey towers and covered structures (vineae) that allowed his engineers to mine under the walls. Maybe he left those guys behind when he went to Italy?!
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I hadn't seen that before. Excellent! Thanks for posting.
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Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight
parthianbow replied to Klingan's topic in Hora Postilla Thermae
I don't believe it! (Victor Meldrew) ;-) -
Iberian falcata sword, third century BC
parthianbow replied to parthianbow's topic in Trajan's Market
It was great to meet you too, Gaius. I hope to meet other UNRV members soon! I'm also impressed that your girls managed the full circuit of the walls. It's a great walk, and a lovely way to see the city. -
Not sure where to post this, but this is about military gear, so here goes: Hannibal's Iberian infantry included the caetrati, lightly armed soldiers who used the beautiful and lethal falcata sword. Using an archaeological template supplied to me by Professor Fernando Quesada de Sanz, a world expert on falcata swords, I commissioned a swordsmith (the incredibly talented Iain at Armour Class) to make one for me. It's stunning, and Fernando has said it's one of the three best replicas he's ever seen. Result! See it here.
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Roman ship had on board fish tank
parthianbow replied to Gaius Paulinus Maximus's topic in Archaeological News: Rome
I think this falls into the unfortunate and all too common area of "We need some publicity for our new find, so we will use whatever headline we can come up with to get it". Yes,the pipe may have been for an onboard fish tank, but equally, it may have been for lots of other things. Sadly, it's unlikely that the truth of it will ever be revealed - unless another ship with more artefacts is found. -
Shock and awe: Nijmegen helmet gives Carlisle museum a boost
parthianbow replied to Viggen's topic in Archaeological News: Rome
And, to celebrate, they're having a big open day. Wish I could go! -
Roman Gladiator's Gravestone Describes Fatal Foul
parthianbow replied to Klingan's topic in Archaeological News: Rome
A fascinating interpretation, and while I have no doubt that it will be called into question, because it is only speculation, I agree with caldrail that such things must have happened. Referees today are human and can make errors; they were no different in ancient times. There have been instances of corruption in modern sport; it would have also happened in ancient times. Could this tombstone mean that a summa rudis was bribed to rig a fight? We shall never know for sure, but I love the idea of it! -
Good work indeed. Thanks to Ghost and Russ. Plus, Roma Victrix is a great read!
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Thanks guys! Now I want a film made of it
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Finally, it's ready! Watch it here.
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Bronze Age battle site in Northern Germany
parthianbow replied to Ursus's topic in Archaeological News: The World
Thanks for the post, Ursus. Fascinating stuff, and I got all excited about it. Then a German reader of mine said something along the lines of, "Huh. It takes about two years for this news to reach Britain. This is old hat in Germany." What a shame that it takes that long to reach us. :-( -
Gallo Roman Museum wins European Museum of the Year Award
parthianbow replied to Viggen's topic in Vacatio
Anthony Riches, fellow Roman author, was there a few months ago doing research for his latest book, and he praised it highly. It will definitely be on my list when I next go to Belgium. -
Events such as the Varian or Kalkriese disaster did not happen to the Roman Empire very often. Indeed few battles in Rome's entire 750 year history can be compared to the battle of the Teutoberg forest in AD 9. Most would agree that Hannibal's unparalleled victory at Cannae and Carrhae in 53 BC are of similar importance, but the Kalkriese disaster seems to have a special resonance even today. Perhaps it is because the battle took place in the middle of Europe, and the victors are still a recognisable nation (whereas the other victors, the Carthaginians and Parthians, are not)? This Osprey title is a most welcome addition to the other texts on the subject, not least because of its well-written text and its excellent pictures (by Peter Dennis). In typical Osprey style, it lays out the background to the battle for Germania Magna (the lands to the east of the River Rhine) in the years previous to Kalkriese, the generals who led the opposing armies - Varus and the Cheruscan leader Arminius - the details of their armies and so on, before moving to what is known of the battle itself. Here it should be noted that the descriptions of combat events in the book are NOT historical fact - in fact almost nothing is known of what happened during the real battle. In my mind, this should have been prominently acknowledged. Last of all, the book considers the aftermath - the punitive campaigns to recover lost eagles and honour, and the fact that from AD 9, Rome's policy towards Germania Magna was one of containment, rather than offense. (previously published on Amazon) It doesn't mention, however, the 3rd Century AD battlefield deep inside Germania Magna that proves that Rome continued to launch attacks into the area for hundreds of years after Kalkriese (i.e. it wasn't all about containment; see relevant threads on here and on www.romanarmytalk.com.) Nor does it mention the fact that there is NO conclusive proof that the site at Kalkriese is THE battlefield where Varus and his men were annihilated. Many many pointers suggest that it is, but frustratingly, there is nothing concrete to prove absolutely that it is. Interested readers would undoubtedly enjoy the Ancient Warfare (AW) special edition about the Varian Disaster. Find it here. In my mind,the AW magazine pips this Osprey edition by a good margin. Another text well worth reading is Rome's Greatest Defeat: Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest.
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My new website has just launched. The background art features Hannibal's army leaving the Alps, and I think it looks quite good. Check out the designs on the infantry's shields. :-) (I know that the elephants portrayed are African, not African forest.)
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Iberian falcata sword, third century BC
parthianbow replied to parthianbow's topic in Trajan's Market
Cheers, Gaius. I have it now and haven't hurt myself - yet. Sadly, I asked the swordsmith to blunt the edge on it. Much as I'd have loved to have had it sharp, I will be using it at talks and events, and couldn't answer for what someone else might do with it... -
Roman ship wreck found in Ostia Antica
parthianbow replied to Melvadius's topic in Archaeological News: Rome
Very cool indeed. I hope that they find more remains there. Ostia is meant to be one of the most amazing sites to visit, with its merchants' premises, flats, and the entrance to a Mithraeum which is a mosaic of various aspects of the mysterious religion. -
You're welcome. I hope you all enjoy it. I thought it was absolutely tremendous, and it got great press reviews, but it doesn't seem to have sold well, sadly. It's out of print already in the UK :-(
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OK, so I've looked through the threads and can't find any posts about this book. Excuse me if there already are. I happened upon this book by chance a while back. Don't let the poor cover put you off - it looks like something drawn by a 5 year old, but what is within the covers is a little gem. It's a series of short stories covering the history of Roman Britain through the eyes of generation after generation of the same Roman family. The author has used little gems of real information or archaeological finds to weave into the stories - they are tremendously effective, and the book is very well-written. A definite five out of five stars. Amazon.com Amazon UK
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That looks amazing! I want to see the 20 minute film now. Next time I'm up north, I think I might go up to Vindolanda to check it out. Thanks for posting.