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What's the last book you read?

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a novel in which archeologist discover the shipwreck of St Paul,

I'm assuming the setting for that would have been the island of Malta?

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in fact no, it is near Sicily, and the author develops why he thinks so but I'll let you find out :) Let's just say that he doubt a lot that a grain supply ship would go toward Malta and also that the short time span between the wreckage and the arrival in a big sicilian city is too short.

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I finished reading Roman Art: From Romulus to Constantine. I rather enjoyed it, but I bought a cheap used copy. Not sure I'd pay full sticker price for it.

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Just finished "Antony and Cleopatra" by Colleen McCullough. An entertaining read, as I felt all of her books from this series were. Well researched as always.

 

I've been reading "Nero, the End of a Dynasty" by Miriam Griffian on the side as well.

 

Going to begin "The Skystone" by Jack Whyte tonight.

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What's the last book you read? What was it about? Did you like it?

Currently reading "Knights of the Black and White" and its very interesting, before that I read "The Orthodox Church" and before that the first volume of John Julius Norwich's "Byzantium" called "The Early Centuries". I recommend all of these, they are really interesting.

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The Mongols by Stephen Turnbull. I've been a big fan of Stephen Turnbull ever since I'd read his books on Medieval Knights and Japanese Samurai ( He is the leading expert on Japanese feudal warfare outside of Japan), and The Mongols did not disappoint.

 

It's basically a very short overview of Mongol campaigns, from battles against Khwarazim Empire, to China, Japan, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Iraq, Vietnam etc

 

It gives you a great appreciation of how powerful the Mongol War Machine must have been in its heyday, allowing Genghis and his descendants to conquer the largest land empire in history.

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I'm really hitting the fiction at the moment and I'm in the middle of the final instalment of the Attila trilogy by William Napier. The first novel was brilliant, the second a bit of a 'filler', but this third one is pulling out all the stops so far. Napier manages to convey the sense of fear that the Eastern - and Western - Empires experienced at the threat of this monster of a man. The third book opens with the famous heroic last stand of the VII at Viminacium - and I was living that siege with them all.

 

I'm thoroughly enjoying this - and the author is clever. During his first two books he had us loving Attila, now he is showing how power has gone to his head, and he's a bit of a bastard - not to put too fine a point on it. There are quite a few layers going on - proving, for me at least, who has been reading historical fiction since I was 10 (40 years), that Napier is one of those authors who has a bit more to say than the average run-of-the-mill popular novelist.

 

As I am getting back into harness, I may well review this trilogy for the Forum. It has its flaws, but I've been quietly impressed.

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I have just read 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins. I am about to start on the petulantly named and significantly thinner 'The Dawkins Delusion'.

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I have just read 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins. I am about to start on the petulantly named and significantly thinner 'The Dawkins Delusion'.

 

Have fun with that. His logic is ... interesting. I don't think it's a strong criticism of Dawkins.

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Just started Karen Armstrong's "Holy War". Very interesting so far. Explores the impact of the Crusades on modern-day Middle Eastern politics.

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I have just read 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins. I am about to start on the petulantly named and significantly thinner 'The Dawkins Delusion'.

 

How was it?

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I have just read 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins. I am about to start on the petulantly named and significantly thinner 'The Dawkins Delusion'.

 

How was it?

Well, to be honest, it didnt say much I hadn't already thought about myself, although Dawkins does of course put the case in a very fluent and methodical manner. But then, I was 'converted' before I read it - so I found it more reassuring, than informative.

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I'm finishing Nero by Michael Grant and The Roman Art of War Under the Republic by F.E. Adcock. When I finish those I plan on attacking Gaius Marius: A Political Biography by Richard J. Evans, a book I've long wanted to read; I just got my hands of it for fairly cheap and I'm eager to read it.

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Just read "Roman Women" by Eve D'Ambra. A short review for this short work was duly submitted.

 

Moving on to "The Roman Army" by Pat Southern. Though I don't usually care for military studies, Southern's clear prose and no nonsense approach is making it enjoyable.

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