For a short (367 pages) bibliography on all the Roman Emperors from 31 BC - 476 AD I recomend The Roman Emperors, A biblographical Giude to The Rulers of Imperial Rome 31 BC - AD 476 by Michael Grant.

Ace, maybe in the topic post keeping a list of books and what they are about would be a good idea.

Such as:

Years - Peoples/regions/places - Author - Title

31BC to 476AD - Roman Empire - Michael Grant - The Roman Emperors, A biblographical Giude to The Rulers of Imperial Rome 31 BC - AD 476

[This message has been edited by NA Lord Blaine (edited 02-26-2006 @ 11:22 PM).]

Been waiting for a thread like this a long time.

For those interested in finding out more about great Roman generals, I would recommend Adrian Goldsworthy's In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire. Those featured include such luminaries as Fabius, Marius, Africanus, Pompey, Caesar and Corbulo, along with lesser-known figures such as Septimus Severus, who waged a skilful guerilla campaign in Spain for years against mounting odds. An excellent, succint read.

Goldsworthy has also produced a superb book on the Punic Wars called, uh, The Punic Wars. It is a comprehensive account of all three Punic Wars, replete with information on the weapons, tactics, generals and major actions of all three conflicts, complete with battlefield diagrams and excellent general narratives of the courses of all three wars. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to learn about the Punic Wars.

Another author of note would be Tom Holland, whose work Rubicon: Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic is a superb narrative account of the Roman Republic's dying decades - presented as a vast, sweeping drama where great men such as Caesar, Pompey, Crassus and Octavian play out their tragic roles on the stage of the Mediterranean. His other historical work, Persian Fire, is an equally dramatic account of the Achmaenid Persian Empire from its founding to its invasion of Greece and defeat by the Greek city-states. Both make for excellent reading and are highly recommended for anyone with an interest in classical history.

Syme's classic 'The Roman Revolution' is highly readable (for a work of 'proper' scholarship), full of dry asides and useful and sometimes surprising insights into the workings of the late republic. It is a political history from Sulla to Augustus with little or no military details but it would be folly to ignore it for that reason. An absolute belter.

'Rubicon' by Hammond is a very readable narrative history of the late republic. Good for those who know little about the period. After reading it though, read Syme.

Peter Green's biography of Alexander the Great is probably the most readable (and one of the most contentious).

As Ace says, anything by Xenephon is good. Polybius and Thucydides were also military men and tended to have 'done their homework'.

Keegan's 'The Face of Battle', though not dealing with the ancient period in any detail does enlighten one considerably as to the problems of 'battle narratives'. His equally good 'Mask of Command' has a considerable sectin devoted to Alexander.

[This message has been edited by Furius Venator (edited 02-27-2006 @ 09:54 AM).]

Lawrence Keppie's Making of the Roman Army: From Republic to Empire is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the military aspects of the Roman Republic and the first decades of the Empire. Not only does it cover the development of the army over 700 years, there's also an outline of the Civil War and Caesar's conquest of Gaul.

EDIT: Hey I'll sticky this!

[This message has been edited by GloryofSparta (edited 02-27-2006 @ 07:54 AM).]

'Persia and the Greeks' by Burn is excellent as an introduction to the Persian Wars, having large sections devoted to the wars in the west and to Persian history as well as dealing with the attempts to bring mainland Greece to heel.

'The Roman Imperial Army' by Webster is probably as useful as Keppie.

Connolly's 'Greece and Rome at War' is erratic in its historical coverage but contains a wealth of information about ancient arms and armour. Everyone should have a copy of this (and of Syme's 'Roman Revolution' mentioned above).

Nice sticky.

Does this include historical fiction? because I put a few in there.

Has anyone read Xenphon's "The Education of Cyrus"?

First off, if you haven't read "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves, do so now. It is not only arguably the greatest work of historical fiction ever, it is one of the greatest book written in the 20th century, if not the whole English language.

Candide is Voltaires classic tale of, well, Candide. It is very funny and interesting. One irrepressable Optimist's journey through Enlightenment Europe and the colonies.

For history essays disguised as fiction, the Ancient Roman stories of Steven Saylor's are pretty good. The Steven Saylor books are pretty dumb at first, but they can grow on you. They aren't great literature, but they can be plenty of fun.

For the "of course" catagory, you have the Fagles transaltion of "The Iliad", the Penguin Classics "The Persian Expedition" (Anabasis), and all of the plays by the Greek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and especially Aristophanes (He grants true insight into the way Athenian society works). For Aristophanes, check out The Birds or Lysistrata first.

Suetonius, while not the most reputable source (My teacher aptly calls him "The People Magazine of Ancient Rome"), is a ton of fun, and interesting too. Graves' translation.

For a great introductory book on Hannibal, check out "Hannibal: Enemy of Rome", of whom the author's name escapes me.

My top nonfiction recomendation goes to Theodore Ayrault Dodge's "Hannibal". Just read it.

[This message has been edited by Legio Yow (edited 02-27-2006 @ 07:41 PM).]

Sweet, he took my idea!

Quote:

They should be specified so we know which ones, and don't accidentally use it as fact (I think you did specify though). I will add a couple historical fiction ones later.

Ace: Holland, not Hammond for Rubicon. My mistake...

Greeks/Macedonians/Persians - Herodotus "The History"

I just bought it and currently reading it, it's great especially when you want to learn more about the Persian history / culture and of their neighbours...
It's also available at "Project Gutenberg":
part 1
part 2

Good books for details of the Late Republican Army (though most cover a wider period of time).

'The Roman War Machine' by Peddie (excellent on logistics, command/control, the value of the marching camps and other arcana. Really one for the total Roman army geeks, but fascinating).

'The Making of the Roman Army' by Keppie (solid work containing a goodly amount of useful information).

'Greece and Rome at War' by Connolly (well illustrated. One of the best works for seeing what the weapons and armour really looked like. The text is useful but secondary).

'Caesar's Legion' by Dando-Collins (a history of Legio X. A mine of information but some of it, especially his theories on where units were raised and how long the legionaries served, are in direct contradiction of Keppie and some literary and archeological evidence. Read with a sceptical eye and AFTER reading Keppie, it's useful).

'The Civil War' and 'The Gallic War' by Caesar (straight from the horses mouth. Good for insight into how a general commanded and the vital importance of the centurians. Also revealing as to how little FIGHTING actually went on in ancient battles and how the actions of a few brave men tended to decide unit on unit combats).

'The Complete Roman Army' by Goldsworthy (lavishly illustrated, but beware, most of the illustrations are of imperial, not republican troops, and contains a vasty fund of interesting snippets regarding recruitment, pay etc. One buys Connolly mainly for the illustrations but this book largely for the text. That said, several drawings are very illuminating).

'The Roman Army at War', also by Goldsworthy (esential, though it might be better to read Keppie first if your knowledge of the legions is limited. Basically it is 'The Face of Battle' but written about the Roman legions. There is no higher praise than that...)

[This message has been edited by Furius Venator (edited 03-03-2006 @ 08:37 AM).]

And for the political history of the late republic:

Obviously there are hundreds of books about this period. These are just the ones that I’ve found the most illuminating in one way or another.

Rubicon by Holland. Probably the best introduction to the period. Pacy, witty and informative. Narrative history at its best.

The Roman revolution by Syme. Harder work than Holland and not that suitable as an introduction. But utterly superb. It strips bare the faηade of the Roman constitution revealing the naked struggle for power between individuals, families and factions. This book tells you how power in Rome was really wielded. One of the best books (of any sort) that I have ever read. A must for anyone truly interested in the period.

The Conspiracy of Catiline by Hutchinson. One of the better books dealing with a relatively poorly understood, but important, incident.

Cicero: a Political Biography by Stockton. The most interesting of the numerous works on this rather tragic and slightly pathetic individual.

Pompey: a Political Biography by Seager.

Marcus Crassus, Millionaire by Adcock

Gaius Marius: a Political Biography by Evans

I’ve never found a decent biography of Sulla…

The ancient biographer, Plutarch is a fairly good read but it is important to avoid taking the more outrageous tittle tattle he relates as being the whole truth. Political invective flourished in a state with no laws of libel or slander. Accusing your opponents of dubious conduct (especially of a sexual nature) was a standard tactic. It’s entertaining but often exaggerated or just plain lies (sadly).

The comments pertaining to Plutarch go doubly for Suetonius.

Cicero’s speeches and correspondence are good reading too. The man may have been a pompous, spineless windbag with the political sense of a retarded donkey but he’s a superb eye witness to great events.

And Ace, it's Furius, not Furious.... a minor point (and I admit I chose the name for it's ambiguity) but the Furii were an ancient Roman family, the furious tend to congregate in the baths...

Amusingly the first recorder member of the family (consul in 484 BC) was Spurius Furius (or spurious furious as we'd tend to pronounce his name in English. Their most distinguished member was probably Marcus Furius Camillus, a successful general and one of the (many) saviours of Rome.

[This message has been edited by Furius Venator (edited 03-04-2006 @ 07:21 AM).]

Quote:

lol, but you're right about that.

Greeks and Persians:
Persian Fire, by Tom Holland
The Spartans, by Paul Cartledge
The Wars of the Ancient Greeks, by Victor Davis Hanson

Rome and the barbarians:
The Fall of the Roman Empire, by Peter Heather
The Enemies of Rome, by Philip Matyszak
The Battle that Stopped Rome, by Peter S Wells

Byzantium:
A Short History of Byzantium, by John Julius Norwich

sorry if a couple of these are repeated, don't have time to actually look through the thread at this moment.

[This message has been edited by ArchDruid (edited 03-03-2006 @ 05:39 PM).]

Some fiction:

Greek:
Gates of Fire by Pressfield. The Thermopylae campaign as seen through the eyes of a Helot. Excellent with plenty of the detail solidly grounded in historical fact. The events are somewhat dramatised, but then it's fiction...

Roman:
I Claudius and Claudius the God by Graves. These are very convincingly done. One might easily mistake them for genuine memoirs. Lots of solid fact and a few good theories (eg Agrippa Postumus as a maligned hero rather than the ogre that he is commonly thought to be).Count Belisarius I found hard going but late Roman buffs will likely enjoy it.

Augustus and Caesar by Massie. Equally good as Graves but rather more modern in language (Graves consciously apes a Roman style). I know several people who think Augustus is really the memoirs of the great man! He has written two others Tiberius and Nero which are nearly as good.

Victorian:
The Flashman series by Macdonald Fraser. Hugely enjoyable tales of a Victorian rogue. The history is impeccable (bar the actions of Flashman). These really are brilliant. Get them all. In fact anything by Macdonald Fraser is worth reading. He is THE absolute master of historical fiction. If you want to know what it was like on the Retreat form Kabul or how Britain crushed the Borneo pirates, or any of a host of other lesser and greater campaigns, Flashman was at nearly every major battle or campaign of Victorian times (including the US Civil War, where naturally he serves on both sides, and the Little Big Horn) and not a few lesser ones (the foray into Abyssinia in the 1880s for instance).

[This message has been edited by D Furius Venator (edited 03-05-2006 @ 10:13 AM).]

Man, I'm surprised only one person recommended Pressfield. Of course, though, it would be Furius. Bravo, exemplar of the Furii.

I'd also recommend:

"The Western Way of War" by Victor David Hanson (an incredibly vivid, insightful manifestation of what a hoplite battle actually entailed from the march out to the aftermath. Of course, such detail is conjecture, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better source).

"A War Like No Other" also by VDH (his recounting of the Peloponnesian War).

"Warfare in the Classical World" by John Gibson Warry and John Warry (Much like "Greece and Rome at War", this large book is useful mainly for its pictures and battle diagrams).

"Greek and Macedonian Art of War" by Frank E. Adcock (An oldy but goldy, this thin pocket book is a compilation of insightful lectures on everything from siege warfare to naval combat. Light but useful).

As for fiction, well, I'm biased. I confess the only author ever to hold my attention was Steven Pressfield. No one else comes close in my opinion. Aside from the obvious one, "Gates of Fire", I particularly loved the following:

"Tides of War" by Steven Pressfield (details the rise and fall of Alcibiades in the Peloponnesian War as told through the eyes of the mercenary who killed him. This one's a bit noirish for most people's tastes because there are no real heroes in the story. But that's why I loved it; everyone was real, tangible, and human. The highlight of the work is Pressfield's description of the disaster at Syracuse).

"The Virtues of War" by Steven Pressfield (first hand narration of Alexander the Great's exploits as transcribed by one of his captains. Pressfield does the impossible by painting Alexander as a truly noble--if flawed--hero. The writing is vivid, succinct, and intuitive. A must have for any Alexander-philes out there).

I'd recommend Pressfield's "Last of the Amazons" for its description of that fabled female warrior horse-culture, but the story is a bit weak in my mind. Still, if you're interested in the Amazons, it's an eye-opener).

New one:

Machiavelli's The Prince. Historically, it uses examples from Greece, Rome, the Bible, the Middle Ages, and especially contemporary Italy. Apart from history, it is also facinating political science, as well as the first book of its kind.

For those who are interested in further reading about the ERE/Byzantines, I'm posting a list here; it includes both general histories and more specialized investigations.

- John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy (3 volume set, rather) is pretty good.

- Maurice's Strategikon, translated by George Dennis, is invaluable for anyone interested in their military.

- A History of Byzantium by Timothy E. Gregory is more of a textbook style.

- First Crusader, by Geoffrey Regan, looks at holy war and Byzantium, with a focus on Heraclius.

- Averil Cameron has a whole slew of books, focusing on the earlier period (Late Antiquity), basically from Diocletian/Constantine to Heraclius and the rise of Islam.

- The Oxford History of Byzantium is pretty good as a survey.

- Byzantium, by Baynes and Moss, is an older introduction to the ERE.

- Warren Treadgold has a large body of work, that is still expanding. Among them is Byzantium and Its Army, 284-1081.

- John Haldon is another prolific scholar, with Warfare, State, and Society in the Byzantine World: 565-1204 and Byzantium at War: AD 600-1453.

There are a bunch of other books, too; these are just some of my own personal library.

i didnt see it down, so im going to say

CEASERS GALLIC WARS
and
CEASERS CIVIL WAR

very well written, theires many translations though

Also one of the many translation of Shun Tzu

EDIT

Also

Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World: is good

goes form AD 500 to AD 1500

Mather Bennet, Jim Bradbury, Kelly DeVries, Iain Dickie, amd Phyllis Jestice

[This message has been edited by misplacedgeneral (edited 03-09-2006 @ 08:00 PM).]

A bit disappointed not to see her here, but a bit relieved so that I can be the one to recommend her

Colleen McCullough (historical fiction but VERY accurate):

The First Man in Rome: Chronicles Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla's rise to power and the conflicts they best together. Chronicles 10 years, Marius's first six Consulships, the war with Jugurtha and Numidia/Mauretania, and the Germans.

The Grass Crown: Continues the story, with an aging and ailing Gaius Marius seeking his prophesied seventh Consulship, but now meeting more resistance, as well as his new rival Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Fortune's Favorites: Continues the story, this time introducing the young Gaius Julius Caesar, making his way up the military ladder. Marius is dead and Sulla is dictator

Caesar's Women: Continues the story, chronicling Caesar's women (obviously) and their affect on his life, his wives, daughters, etc. Takes place in the early 60s BC

Caesar: Continues the story, this time hitting upon the more legendary Caesar and his Gallic campaigns. Pompey defies him and Caesar is outlawed, and the civil war begins. Ends with Pompey arriving in Egypt only to be betrayed and killed.

The October Horse: Concludes the story, showing Caesar arriving in Egypt and his relationship with Cleopatra, as well as the issues in the Senate. Ends with Caesar's death at the hands of the conspirators, and all that stuff.

Be warned that each of these books is at least 1000 pages each, plus a VERY helpful hundred page glossary in the back. She doesn't do many battles, and doesn't go into the details of personal combat, but she expertly does politics and socialness excellently.

The events in "Caesar" and "The October Horse" are pretty much already legend, and have been chronicled in HBO's "Rome" as well. Titus Pullo and Lucius Verinus are in the books as well.

Her portrayals of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla are seamless, and utterly human. I LOVE the way she portrays Sulla as bordering on the Caligulan before he has to hide his past with three perfectly executed murders.

I also recommend, chronicling the same events, though slightly different, and more from the personal point of view of Caesar, and with battle scenes!:

Conn Iggulden (historical fiction)

Emperor: The Gates of Rome: Tells the story of Gaius Julius Caesar and his early friendship with Marcus Junius Brutus, from childhood, all the way to their sudden thrust into adulthood after Gaius's father is killed and they must seek out Caesar's uncle Marius to help them.

Emperor: The Death of Kings: Continues the story, treading into more known territory here, with Caesar and Brutus's rise in the political ladder, their relationship with Pompey, and the storm from the north, a slave rebellion lead by a Thracian named Spartacus

Emperor: The Field of Swords: Continues the story, with Caesar and Brutus fighting in Britain, while their political adversaries grow back in Rome.

Another entry to the series is due out in April this year, too. The reviews say that Iggulden does for Caesar what Robert Graves did for Claudius. And another one said if you liked "Gladiator" (the movie), you'll love these books.

I'm very sorry I'm not putting all of these recommendations in the topic post. It's not that I value the recommendations there more than any made or that I don't like you people. However, I've been busy and to be honest, if I did use that system, we'd have a list stretching pages. Though that's a poor excuse. It's mostly just my lack of time to update it. Please, continue posting this stuff. I've just expanded my desired reading-list to bankbreaking levels.

I've read "Rubicon" and I'm currently reading "In the Name of Rome". I've always loved reading about Roman warfare and its history

Read Caesers Gallic Wars and Civil Wars.

For Roman fiction I reccomend Eagle in the Snow. A very good read.

This could do with updating... also, read Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe.

^ Love that book.

Try Gillian Bradshaw's, especialy 'Island of Ghosts'. Pretty cool.