Roadrunner Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 If you don't have time to read Gibbons, but want to read good books on Roman history written by modern scholars, what would you read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 "SPQR" by Mary Beard. Also, FWIW, remember the title of Gibbons is "The decline and fall of the roman empire", and only covers the fall of the empire, and not the republic at all. So, even at a gazillion pages, it isn't even a complete history of Rome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) I would not read anything...I would listen to the podcast "The History of Rome" by Mike Duncan. It's excellent and you can listen while you fold laundry, or in the car while you run errands. So while technically you may spend more time on it than reading a book, it will feel like less time because you can multitask while listening. I'm in the middle of it now. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-rome/id261654474?mt=2 Edited March 20, 2017 by goldenecho 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purduemeche Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 A second reco here for History of Rome. It is EXCELLENT. Are you looking for non fiction only? The Eagle of the Ninth series comes to mind as a fantastic fictional series, as does the Caroline Lawrence series (Pirates of Pompeii, Thieves of Ostia, etc.). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865166919/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and this https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Reformation-European-History-Millennium/dp/0865167184/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865167184&pd_rd_r=BVEPEC1R3CD931EPY5DY&pd_rd_w=AHIre&pd_rd_wg=TOR3n&psc=1&refRID=BVEPEC1R3CD931EPY5DY and this https://www.amazon.com/Original-Dysfunctional-Family-Classical-Millennium/dp/0865166900/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865166900&pd_rd_r=GBVCF5A6XZP6628YEPN4&pd_rd_w=FhXUX&pd_rd_wg=VafBX&psc=1&refRID=GBVCF5A6XZP6628YEPN4 And have this in my wishlist https://www.amazon.com/Be-Roman-Topics-Culture/dp/0865166331/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865166331&pd_rd_r=416KASCKXPVD8QGZ745G&pd_rd_w=28PWS&pd_rd_wg=0RGs6&psc=1&refRID=416KASCKXPVD8QGZ745G These are public school Roman history texts meant to be used to supplement Latin instruction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Yes, I would like non fiction only. We are hitting ancients next year again and I would like one high quality text per civilization in addition to our regular textbook. We aren't fans of historical fiction. Love the podcast recommendation as well. We could do that while driving. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 I bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865166919/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and this https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Reformation-European-History-Millennium/dp/0865167184/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865167184&pd_rd_r=BVEPEC1R3CD931EPY5DY&pd_rd_w=AHIre&pd_rd_wg=TOR3n&psc=1&refRID=BVEPEC1R3CD931EPY5DY and this https://www.amazon.com/Original-Dysfunctional-Family-Classical-Millennium/dp/0865166900/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865166900&pd_rd_r=GBVCF5A6XZP6628YEPN4&pd_rd_w=FhXUX&pd_rd_wg=VafBX&psc=1&refRID=GBVCF5A6XZP6628YEPN4 And have this in my wishlist https://www.amazon.com/Be-Roman-Topics-Culture/dp/0865166331/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0865166331&pd_rd_r=416KASCKXPVD8QGZ745G&pd_rd_w=28PWS&pd_rd_wg=0RGs6&psc=1&refRID=416KASCKXPVD8QGZ745G These are public school Roman history texts meant to be used to supplement Latin instruction. So many great books. So little time. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 So many great books. So little time. :) I really like the Original Dysfunctional Family. It is very slim and gets right to the Olympian gods and covers both the Greek and Roman versions. I'm almost all eBook, and most of those free vintage, but this book is a keeper in hardcopy. It nails the Olympians, which is something I like to cover explicitly. To me, the Olympians are part of nonfiction and history. I have no "truth", but I like to cover the history/mythology of a culture, which to me is all the same. A people's stories they like to tell about themselves, "true" or not. I'd family tree the Olympians before a family/dynasty of kings. :lol: I like these books as they are meant to be SQUEEZED into a Latin class. There is NO fluff, fat, or whatever you want to call it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I am a Romanophile. Hands-down the first book to read is Empires of Trust. https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Trust-Built-America-Building/dp/0525950745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490139472&sr=8-1&keywords=empire+of+trust It is a comparison of America to Rome, and in my opinion the only comparison that is worthwhile. You get a ton of Roman history and the American comparisons give it a modern context. You said modern scholars, but Livy is amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 I am a Romanophile. Hands-down the first book to read is Empires of Trust. https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Trust-Built-America-Building/dp/0525950745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490139472&sr=8-1&keywords=empire+of+trust It is a comparison of America to Rome, and in my opinion the only comparison that is worthwhile. You get a ton of Roman history and the American comparisons give it a modern context. You said modern scholars, but Livy is amazing. Oh, this is a gem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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