All time favorite book

[Nephele]

A Day in Old Rome, by William Stearns Davis.

 

-- Nephele

[DecimusCaesar]

Reading this thread has gotten me to realise that I've really haven't read much Roman fiction over the years. I might begin by reading an actual genuine work of Roman fiction, Virgil's Aeneid.

 

As for my favourite Roman book, for nostalgic reasons I'd have to go with 'A Companion to Roman Britain' by Peter Clayton and The Usborne's World History: The Romans by A. J Marks (it was one of my favourite Roman books when I was younger). I also have a fondness for Peter Connolly's books like Greece and Rome at War and Ancient City.

 

In recent years I really enjoyed Rubicon by Tom Holland, The fall of the Roman Empire by Peter Heather, The Classical World by Robin Lane Fox, Roman Life by John Clarke, and Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a day by Philip Matyszak.

[Artimi]

Any fans of 'Eagle Of the Ninth' here?

 

me me.. I mistyped.. I meant Eagle of the Ninth

[Lanista]

I love the Simon Scarrow books but my favorites are not that widely known:

 

James Duffy

"Sand of the Arena"

"The Fight for Rome"

 

The author had intended to write a trilogy but since he did not sell enough of the first two volumes he cancelled this project which makes me very sad since they are the best novels on gladiators I've read so far.

 

Second best, Medusa, surely? *lol*

[Galba]

I don't believe it ! No one has mentioned The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough from her series Masters of Rome

 

Her historical characters are very detailed an vivaed.

[Kosmo]

My favorite Roman fiction novel is M. Yourcenar - Memoirs of Hadrian.

[Medusa]

I love the Simon Scarrow books but my favorites are not that widely known:

 

James Duffy

"Sand of the Arena"

"The Fight for Rome"

 

The author had intended to write a trilogy but since he did not sell enough of the first two volumes he cancelled this project which makes me very sad since they are the best novels on gladiators I've read so far.

 

Second best, Medusa, surely? *lol*

 

Salve Russ,

 

You dealt with the topic more freely while James Duffy's gladiators were very authentic and the way he described the training it felt for me if I was walking onto the training ground myself (though at the time I read the first volume I had a ruptured muscle fibre in my left calf and wished I could train instead of lying on the sofa).

 

Anyhow, I look forward to your sequel to "Gladiatrix".

 

Vale optime,

Medusa

[Medusa]

I don't believe it ! No one has mentioned The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough from her series Masters of Rome

 

Her historical characters are very detailed an vivaed.

 

The first two volumes were really thrilling but the later books of that series are not that good anymore.

[Turb0!]

Has anyone read Rosemary Sutcliff's Frontier Wolf? It sounds like an interesting fiction on the collapse of Roman Britain and I was thinking of getting it.

[Centurion-Macro]

I ordered a paperback of Eagle of the Snow last night online because of this thread. I was having a difficult time deciding which book(s) to read next (until Scarrow comes out with another with my heroes, Macro and Cato). May still go to the library and see if they can find some Lindsey Davis books for me, as I know they don't have them on their shelves.

 

Of course Centurion Macro, you know I loved Eagle of the Ninth. It was my first introduction to Roman historical fiction.

I recently have got into Lindsey Davis books. They are very original for their time.

 

~It was the same with me. Although I barely understood it, I soon figured it all out, and now I love Roman books. However my favorite book of the series was the Lantern Bearers. It was brilliant.

[Centurion-Macro]

James Duffy

"Sand of the Arena"

"The Fight for Rome"

I have never heard of these books. What exactly are they about?

[Artimi]

Has anyone read Rosemary Sutcliff's Frontier Wolf? It sounds like an interesting fiction on the collapse of Roman Britain and I was thinking of getting it.

 

I have but it was a couple of years ago that I read it.(How many books read since then I couldnt even hazard a guess). I looked at the book yesterday, positive feelings about but couldnt remember a lot of the story but the story line is intriguing. It is one of the books I kept so I must have liked it. So I am going to re-read it.

 

I have a system for my books. If my name is in it then I want to keep it and if I lend it I want it back. If no name in the book, then pass it on, I dont want it back. This has worked for years for me.

Edited May 16, 2010 by Artimi

[Medusa]

James Duffy

"Sand of the Arena"

"The Fight for Rome"

I have never heard of these books. What exactly are they about?

 

As I mentioned in my first post about these books they are about gladiators. The main figure become gladiator by some mischance and they are very well researched and well written. Unfortunately the homepage of the author where he advertised this series no longer exists.

[Ingsoc]

The best fiction book that I've read about Rome is M

[Lanista]

James Duffy

"Sand of the Arena"

"The Fight for Rome"

I have never heard of these books. What exactly are they about?

 

As I mentioned in my first post about these books they are about gladiators. The main figure become gladiator by some mischance and they are very well researched and well written. Unfortunately the homepage of the author where he advertised this series no longer exists.

 

 

I think it just must have been down -

 

http://www.gladiatorsoftheempire.com/

 

Cheers

 

Russ