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What's the last book you read?

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I'm reading as a bed time story a novel by Steven Saylor "The Judgment of Caesar" (of the Roma Sub Rosa series).

 

Have you read the rest of the series?

 

I've just ordered the latest in the series, "The Triumph of Caesar" It's been over three years since the last Gordianus book so I hope it's worth the wait!

 

I've read all books before "The Judgment of Caesar" but not the latest one which obviously is "The Triumph of Caesar". I also have not read the volume with the short stories in it though the title "A Gladiator dies only once" is of course appealing to me ;-) But I'm not into short stories at all, I rather prefer full length novels.

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Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi by Donald Spoto

 

A book that looks at St. Francis within the context of the Medieval times and the zeitgeist of the Catholic Church. The author is a confirmed Christian and doesn't apologize for it. But he is not above criticizing the Catholic Church and the Medieval World. Indeed, he sees Francis as a heroic reformer of a sometimes corrupt Church. The author can be long winded at times.

 

Francis started out in life as a spoiled merchant's son and playboy. After spending some time as prisoner of war in a local dispute, he eventually has a religious conversion while sitting in an abandoned church. Eschewing both the hierarchy and social institutions of the church, as well as the sterile environment of learning Scripture without practicing it, Francis dedicates himself to a life of poverty and quietly caring for the poor and sick.

 

Francis is sometimes little more than a garden gnome in popular treatment. He did see beauty in nature, and treated animals with kindness. However, such things are probably overblown. Francis' primary mission was always serving the god of his understanding by administering to the poor and disaffected. Artistic renderings of Francis with birds and animals should be understood symbolically; in Medieval times, birds were symbols of human souls, ever ready to fly to heaven above the constraining feudalist society.

 

Overall, a decent read, and I can see why Francis is one of Catholicism's best loved saints.

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I just finished the Ship of Rome book that you guys recommended to me. I thought it had an awesome story, with it following the Roman Navy and not solely on the legions like a lot of books. The characters were very deep and they all had great story's behind them, as well as a number of separate plots. I think that the way the book combines fighting and politics is great. The only thing I did not like much was the end, because it left quite a few things unexplained.

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I just finished "Eagle in the Snow" by Wallace Breem. It was a far departure from Scarrow and Duffy and took a good 50-75 pages before it sucked me in.

 

But I'm still thinking about it. I think that, for me, defines a special kind of book.

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I've recently finished the third book in the Genghis Khan (Conqueror) trilogy by Conn Iggulden, I know he gets a pretty bad press around here for his "stretching" of the truth but for out and out fast paced entertaining storytelling IMO he's one of the best around.

 

Genghis Kahn, Life, Death and Resurection by John Man.

 

Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Currently reading Warrior of Rome: Fire in the East pt 1 also by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Think I might get the book recently reviewed by Ursus called Black Ships by Jo Graham, sounds like quite an interesting read.

 

 

Gaius - it appears that Warrior of Rome is just being published in the US this fall. Sounds like it was popular overseas? Did you like it?

 

Jason

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Reading The Aztecs by Michael Smith. Fascinating! The Aztecs (and maybe the Incas) are the only Native American tribes in which I had an interest. I believe it is because the Aztecs at least have a few things in common with Rome.

 

Ursus - I have a deep appreciate for Aztec and Inca pre-columbian and conquest-era history. My office has a connection to Hiram Bingham and his discoveries at Machu Picchu and so my heart is in the Andes.

 

However I've done some reading on the Aztecs and one of the most memorable books I've ever read...and I mean I keep having flashes of memory from this book...is "Aztec" by Gary Jennings. It's a beast (just over 1000 pages), but it's deep, and expansive and very touching. And I felt like I was learning something on top of it.

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Gaius - it appears that Warrior of Rome is just being published in the US this fall. Sounds like it was popular overseas? Did you like it?

 

Jason

I don't know if it was popular but it's definitively worth the read. It's also recommended by Goldsworthy. The second volume of the serie (king of kings) has just been published about one month ago too.

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I've recently finished the third book in the Genghis Khan (Conqueror) trilogy by Conn Iggulden, I know he gets a pretty bad press around here for his "stretching" of the truth but for out and out fast paced entertaining storytelling IMO he's one of the best around.

 

Genghis Kahn, Life, Death and Resurection by John Man.

 

Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Currently reading Warrior of Rome: Fire in the East pt 1 also by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Think I might get the book recently reviewed by Ursus called Black Ships by Jo Graham, sounds like quite an interesting read.

 

 

Gaius - it appears that Warrior of Rome is just being published in the US this fall. Sounds like it was popular overseas? Did you like it?

 

Jason

 

I think the book was fairly popular over here, It didn't break any records or anything like that but on the whole I think it was pretty well received. I for one thoroughly enjoyed it, I thought it had a great storyline, interesting characters and above all else it was very well researched.

 

The second book in the series "King of Kings" has just been released over here, I haven't got round to reading it yet but judging by the reviews I've read it appears to be even better than the first book.

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Thank you. I'll order it when it's released in about a month.

 

I'm about to put in an Amazon order and it looks like you enjoyed the Forgotten Legion by Kane. How does it match up against the Scarrow series?

 

J

 

 

I've recently finished the third book in the Genghis Khan (Conqueror) trilogy by Conn Iggulden, I know he gets a pretty bad press around here for his "stretching" of the truth but for out and out fast paced entertaining storytelling IMO he's one of the best around.

 

Genghis Kahn, Life, Death and Resurection by John Man.

 

Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Currently reading Warrior of Rome: Fire in the East pt 1 also by Harry Sidebottom.

 

Think I might get the book recently reviewed by Ursus called Black Ships by Jo Graham, sounds like quite an interesting read.

 

 

Gaius - it appears that Warrior of Rome is just being published in the US this fall. Sounds like it was popular overseas? Did you like it?

 

Jason

 

I think the book was fairly popular over here, It didn't break any records or anything like that but on the whole I think it was pretty well received. I for one thoroughly enjoyed it, I thought it had a great storyline, interesting characters and above all else it was very well researched.

 

The second book in the series "King of Kings" has just been released over here, I haven't got round to reading it yet but judging by the reviews I've read it appears to be even better than the first book.

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Thank you. I'll order it when it's released in about a month.

 

I'm about to put in an Amazon order and it looks like you enjoyed the Forgotten Legion by Kane. How does it match up against the Scarrow series?

 

J

 

I reviewed The Forgotten Legion for UNRV a while back, have a read and see what you think ;)

 

Kane's not quite in Scarrow's league yet but it was his first ever novel and in my opinion he did a very good job with it.

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

 

I am in the middle of Tacitus' The Annals of Imperial Rome. Third time through it.

 

I love Tacitus!

Edited by Marius Romilius

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I am currently reading "A Hundred Decisive Battles" by Paul K Davis

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I recently finished Collingwood-Bruce's "Handbook to the Roman Wall" (the most recent edition, by David Breeze). Very dry, acedemic - possibly better for reference than reading cover-to-cover.

 

I'm now about to embark on 'Dawn of the Dumb' by Charlie Brooker (click here).

 

I challenge you to find two more dissimilar books, and yet I can't help thinking both would be widely appreciated by this forum's members.

Edited by GhostOfClayton

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Buffy: Tales of the Slayers. Great stuff.

 

I just finished the third in Scarrow's "Eagle" series. Much stronger end than start to the story.

 

Just starting Matthews' "Age of the Gladiators"

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