(Reading Rats) Books you might want to read while you wait
Well i cancelled preorder that said i ve read the thread about movies to come into the right mood before the rtw2 release and i want to share my fair and extended reading experience about rome with you none-the-less:
The first epic rome series ive read is...tatat...the
Eagle Series from Simon Scarrow. Last Book "Praetorian" doesent really touched me but the dozen others did. Very cool and mostly historical accurate series about a battle hardened centurion (Macro) who take a new raw recruit (Cato) under his wings who turned out to be made out of more stuff then just becoming a centurion. Highly recommended.
http://www.scarrow.co.uk/page9.html
Marius Mules from S.J.A. Turney. Again here the last Book didnt touch me as others before but still a good read. Its mostly about Front the legate of the 10th legion who is one of Caesars most trusted generals in the conquest of gaul and some advantures in britain. A very good read about brutal warfare, a critical point of view about Caesar and later on Pompeius. The story so far ends right before the civil war but will go on. If you enjoy messy battles and a good laugh i highly recommended! The Author really has a good sense for funny jokes. If you dont know why the 10 th become the 10th equestrian, read it
Marching with Caesar from R.W.Peake. Very graphical, intense, authentic story about a young man in the age of 17 (i think) Titus Pullo who enlists to the legions even tough he is to young. Making his career in the fields of hispania, gaul, britain and both following civil wars (so egypt and greek etc). He mets all of the common known characters of that time frame. First making his career to primus pilus under caesar. Later on serving first under Labienus then antonius and in the end switching side with his legion to octavian (caesar augustus) as antonius become the drunken dull cleopatra pet.
While the first books are more about the live and fighting and his career in the legions his high position later on leads to the fact that the civil war circumstances and politics are more in focus.
What is really shocking in this book is the authentic discription about not only the fighting but the violance later on. Specially after capuring citys who are declared "free to pillage". While mercifully his first rape is not described in detail the author is not hiding the fact that rape and pillage was (and sadly is) a instrument of war.
Books like those from Scarrow doesent let you feel like you are in the front rank of an advancing cohort who is about to storm a wall with all the very frightening realistic details like your very low chance of survive if you go first. This one really really reach this goal. Titus Pullos first optio would make it in simon scarrows book to the end because he is such a cool character. In the book of Peake his optio is just burning to death because his sense of duty let him climb the ladder first.
http://www.marchingwithcaesar.com/
Vespasian Series from Robert Fabbri. Story about the "career" of the later on empire Vespasian including Claudius, Narcissus, Caligula etc. While not that historical accurate you still find yourself in the time frame. Its a more hollywood like story with many adventure like storys. But well writen and so recommended (if not primary).
Hannibal series from Ben Kane. Story about Hanno ( a carthaginian nobel son) and Quintus (Roman nobel son) who met to to some rather far stretched circumstances. Hanno got captured by pirates and sold to Quintus family. They befriend and Quintus helped Hanno to escape. Later they find themselves on differend sites as hannibal invaded romes territory. Interesting is the pre-marian timeframe and so the differences to the other books mentioned above. Good writing style.
http://www.benkane.net/his-books/han...enemy-of-rome/
Empire series from Anthony Riches. Story about a senators son Marcus Aquila which father has been murdered by the praetorian prefect Sejanus in a political fight (his father was a republican). He flees to britain to hide in a auxilary unit (tungrians). Very very well written. Not historical accurate and Marcus is becoming sort of a two swords wielding hero while the tungrians are also god like. What are legionaries? Just get some tungrians to get the job done!
Riches has really a talent for describing combat and for some good runing jokes. If not for that i wouldnt have laid hands on that series. But i still recommend it!
Now one of my favs:
Warrior of rome from Harry Sidebottom. Again another timeframe. Story about the son of a germanic tribe allied to rome named Marcus Claudios (Ballista). Sidebuttom let himselfe inspired by the writings of tacitus about this not so famous one-day-emperor. Ballista has become a roman nobel when beeing forced to succesfully murder a roman emporer (one of the many field crowned imperators in that timeframe). Beeing haunted by the ghost of that murdered emporer he got many mandates from first Valerian to fight either sassanids or even to root out christianity. He is even send into the bosporus to get some diplomatic deals for the roman empire which is strugling with its own survival. While he has become a roman name, noble and roman noble wife he is not accepted in the roman court and always got the bad missions. His missions always feels like suicide missions. The good thing is...this is no hollywood story with only happy endings.
Sidebottom is a very very gifted author who really take the immersion into your brian while you read. His discriptions about the tactics he used to defend Arete agains the sassanid are very accurate and well written.
Harry Sidebottom is just a awesome Author. really...read...this series!
Wherever you go, old enemies will find you!
Masters of the sea from John Stack. Story about a greek captain in service of the roman navy. Very intense novel about the naval warfare in the punic wars. Learned a lot about ancient naval warfare in this books.
The books mentioned above are more or less about warfare in the roman time frame. If you are interested in more than the warfare but also very interesting politics (which is sort of a battlefield itself regarding rome) and the multitude of interesting characters who made rome you.must.read.this.series:
Masters of Rome from Colleen McCullogh. She is focusing on "New mans" of rome. Beginning with Gaius Marius she ends with Cleopatra and Antonius. Between them of course the focuses on Sulla, Caesar, Pompeius etc. etc.
What is most interesting in this series is the fact thats the great persons meet other great persons but doesent even know they will become great persons. Like Marius meets a interesting, handsome bright and very smart boy called gaius caesar in some side story about his own story. They interact. You meet them all. Marius is trying to block caesars career while fending off sulla with whom he was good friend and allied in the book before. Pompeius childhood is introduced. The civilwar rome vs. italian states about the citizen rights.
Every interesting roman politic / war /intrigue / person just freaking all is written in this series. Just amazing epic! To bad the author has macula degeneration and more books are unlikely.
If you only want cruel brutal warfare this is nothing for you. But if you are thrilled about the characters of caesar,marius,sulla,augustus,crassus etc. etc. and only read about them individually this is your must read. Really amazing to read about marius rise in the roman republic his friendship to sulla and the childhood of caesar. The beginning rivalry marius vs sulla while the apperance of caesar and pompeius increases untill all of them are fighting for power and the next generation is born and and and....
Not a series but a very very very very good read is a book about the end times and struggle for surival of west rome:
Eagle in the snow from Wallace breem. The roman legate has the hopeless task to defend the rhine (hadrian wall) against the no-longer-without tactics-fighting-germanic tribes who push into the dying empire.
The books makes you feel really sorry for dying good old rome. Very well written. Takes many facts in account. Not only the fighting on the rhine. Also the dying paganity making room for christianity.
What you should not, ever, EVER read is:
Soldier of Rome Series from James Mace. This series is so utterly crap. Its like the auther put marines into legionary gear and lets them fight. He is freaking unbelievable even talking of squads. Hello? Squads?!?
You only need to change a few lines in his book and the content could easily be the USMC fighting in falludscah.
Never read this!
Emporer Series Conn Iggulden. I have read the first books in german in my childhood and so bought the newly released "The blood of gods" out of sentiments to my old times.
This series makes you a bad taste in your mouth. Iggulden puts senators fighting into the arena. He changes known family trees. He changes all! The writing style is good. But if you have even the lowest knowledge about rome and her legions and her politics as well as persons you will encounter way to much "wtf! you serious?" moments. Legionaries just dont slash with the gladius. Brutus was not known as the best sword fighter in the known roman world and octavian was not a general of caesar. And brutus was also not adopted by caesars father and was not in the same age then caesar. He was a roman senator from the brutti family. Damn it! damn...before i start ranting to much i stop here.
Sorry for my bad english. If you like to read probably you know most of em...but you never know. Maybe im able to help someone out.
Oh another recommandation: Hero of Rome from Douglas Jackson
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Originally Posted by Rodent24
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