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Roman Fiction?

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Other than that in the ancient world (greek or roman) you have :

 

- Harry Turtledove "Give me back my legions" - Varus' defeat, a true historical novel for the master of the alternate history

- Harry Sidebottom "Warrior of Rome" serie : "Fire in the east" and "king of kings" (even Goldsworthy recommands the reading of these novel from a Oxford University professor, warfare in the middle of the 3rd century AD)

- Christian Cameron "Tyrant" serie : "Tyrant" and "Storm of Arrow" : greek mercenaries in the black sea area at the time of Alexander the Great

- Valerio Massimo Manfredi : his big Alexander trilogy, "The Lost Legion"(end of the roman empire), "The spartan" (thermopilae), "tyrant" (greek against carthaginians in the 4th century), "Empire of the dragons" (romans from Carrhae enter the chinese army), "The lost army" (Xenophon's 10 000) and in october you'll have "The ides of march" (Cesars' last days)

- Steven Pressfield : "Gates of fire" (Thermopylae), "Alexander : The afghan campaign", "Last of the amazons" (Attic's invasion by Amazons in the time of Theseus), "Tides of war" (Alcibiades live), "Alexander : the virtue of war" (Alexander's life)

- Scott Oden : "Men of Bronze" (Greek mercenaries in Egypt at the time of the persian invasion), "Memnon" (life of the greek commander of the persian forces during the first months of Alexander's campaign)

- John Stack "Ship of Rome" (Rome's first fleet during the first punic war)

 

Have a plaisant reading ! I've read all those books and while some pleased me better than other none were bad.

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Other than that in the ancient world (greek or roman) you have :

 

- Harry Turtledove "Give me back my legions" - Varus' defeat, a true historical novel for the master of the alternate history

- Harry Sidebottom "Warrior of Rome" serie : "Fire in the east" and "king of kings" (even Goldsworthy recommands the reading of these novel from a Oxford University professor, warfare in the middle of the 3rd century AD)

- Christian Cameron "Tyrant" serie : "Tyrant" and "Storm of Arrow" : greek mercenaries in the black sea area at the time of Alexander the Great

- Valerio Massimo Manfredi : his big Alexander trilogy, "The Lost Legion"(end of the roman empire), "The spartan" (thermopilae), "tyrant" (greek against carthaginians in the 4th century), "Empire of the dragons" (romans from Carrhae enter the chinese army), "The lost army" (Xenophon's 10 000) and in october you'll have "The ides of march" (Cesars' last days)

- Steven Pressfield : "Gates of fire" (Thermopylae), "Alexander : The afghan campaign", "Last of the amazons" (Attic's invasion by Amazons in the time of Theseus), "Tides of war" (Alcibiades live), "Alexander : the virtue of war" (Alexander's life)

- Scott Oden : "Men of Bronze" (Greek mercenaries in Egypt at the time of the persian invasion), "Memnon" (life of the greek commander of the persian forces during the first months of Alexander's campaign)

- John Stack "Ship of Rome" (Rome's first fleet during the first punic war)

 

Have a plaisant reading ! I've read all those books and while some pleased me better than other none were bad.

Whoa thanks for all the suggestions! that Men of Bronze book looks awesome and so do the others!

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Mate, if you're going for historical fiction, check out McCullough if you haven't already. Take no notice of the naysayers, they are bloody good reads! First Man In Rome, Grass Crown, Fortune's Favourites, Caesar, Caesar's Women and The October Horse.

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Since many authors have joined us in the last few month I thought I'd update the list of recent ancient greek and roman fictions I know of (and, for most, have read)

 

- Richard Blake "Aelric" serie : "Conspiracies of Rome", "The Terror of Constantinople", "The blood of Alexandria" : A young british barbarian is sent to Rome for both education and security but finds himself hurled into the politics of the late 6th century AD...

- Christian Cameron "Tyrant" serie : "Tyrant", "Storm of Arrow", "Funeral Games", "King of the Bosphorus" : greek mercenaries in the black sea area at the time of Alexander the Great, then the adventures of his children in the time of the Diadochoi

- Christian Cameron : "Killer of men" and "Marathon" : the first greco-mede war

- David Anthony Durham : "Hannibal Pride of Carthage" : The second punic war seen from the carthaginian point of view

- Robert Fabri : Vespasian Tribune of Rome

- Robert Harris "Cicero's life" serie : "Imperium", Lustrum : Cicero and his time

- Robert Harris : Pompe

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A lovely list of books.

From which I have added a few to my wish list.

 

One of joys of age, I can be 'discrimnating' about my choices. I can narrow my choices to things that really really interest me and then throw in the odd book that is totally outside my tunnel vision.

And sometimes a wonderful thing happens, I have found a new author or subject I like..

 

Colleen McCullough is one author I never was able to read. I tried and tried but no...

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...no roman fiction list should be without John Maddox Roberts SPQR series,

 

The SPQR series is a collection of detective stories by John Maddox Roberts set in the time of the Roman Republic. SPQR (the original title of the first book, until the sequels came out) is a Latin initialism for Senatus Populusque Romanus ("The Senate and People of Rome"), the official name of the Republic.The stories are told in first-person form by Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (born c 91-95 BC), nephew of Metellus Pius and member of the powerful Caecilius Metellus family of the Roman Senate. The stories are told in flashback-form by the old Decius, writing during the reign of Augustus Caesar. The stories range from 70 BC (The King's Gambit) to 20 BC ("The King of Sacrifices").

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What about Steven Saylor , his Roma Sub Rosa series of books starring Gordianus the Finder are excellent.

 

These are similar to John Maddox's series of books but in my opinion slightly better. He's also responsible for the epic novels 'Roma' and 'Empire'

 

 

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What about Steven Saylor , his Roma Sub Rosa series of books starring Gordianus the Finder are excellent.

 

These are similar to John Maddox's series of books but in my opinion slightly better. He's also responsible for the epic novels 'Roma' and 'Empire'

 

I've read the entire Roma Sub Rosa series except for the latest which is being serialized in a fiction magazine. You are right, it is an excellent series with an unconventional hero.

 

"Roma" and "Empire" by Saylor should be on the must read list. These novels tell the history of Rome from the perspective of various members of two of the most ancient, somtimes competing, patrician families, from the founding of the city through Hadrian's reign. Excellent reading.

Edited by Hieronymus Longinus Rufus

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We seem to be missing the Roman period set detective fiction of Lyndsey Davis which has been discussed extensively elsewhere on UNRV including here and several times previously in the 'What's the last book you have read' thread.

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We seem to be missing the Roman period set detective fiction of Lyndsey Davis which has been discussed extensively elsewhere on UNRV including here and several times previously in the 'What's the last book you have read' thread.

 

You missed out the word 'excellent', Melvadius! :P

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You missed out the word 'excellent', Melvadius! :P

 

We seem to be missing the excellent Roman period set detective fiction of Lyndsey Davis which has been discussed extensively elsewhere on UNRV including here and several times previously in the 'What's the last book you have read' thread.

 

Corrected now :thumbsup:

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I meant:

 

We seem to be missing the Roman period set detective fiction of Lyndsey Davis which has been discussed extensively elsewhere on the excellent UNRV including here and several times previously in the 'What's the last book you have read' thread.

 

Though your version is also correct.

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I picked up Saylor's first in his mystery series, "Roman Blood", at the library yesterday. Gordianus is an interesting character so far.

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