Ancient Days

updated 6/01/2004

I have pleased by the positive responses from friends and visitors who have visited Ancient Days this past year. In fact, I have been working my way through many excellent recommendations and share with you here some of the best books in the field.

Ancient Egypt has not only been a popular historical area, but it is a popular subject for historical fiction and mysteries, and there are quite a number of good authors in this area. I have created a whole separate area, and will probably do the same for Ancient Rome in the near future. Click here or use the tab at the upper left.

If you are interested in Ancient and Medieval Ceylon/Sri Lanka, I suggest you visit my friends at www.asiancollectibles.net for some of the finest books, coins, and history of this unique island nation. 

Biography General History Historic Fiction Links of Interest

Biography

Alexander of Macedon, 356-323 B.C., A Historical Biography
by Peter Green

A highly readable biography that creates a coherent and exciting narrative of one short life that forever changed the world as we know it. There are numerous biographies on Alexander, but this one is particularly rich in presenting multiple sides to disputed 'facts.'

Churchill: A Biography by Roy Jenkins
Farrar Straus & Giroux (November 2001)

An excellent biography by a magnificent writer. 

Every decade or so a new biography emerges on Winston Churchill, usually not of quality, or containing new substance. I am a big fan of William Manchester's multivolume 'Last Lion' study, and was happily surprised to find new and interesting content presented here in a very readable manner. Roy Jenkins has incorporated some revisionist views, and wonderful prose in what may be the most accessible single volume biography of Britain's most often quoted politician. It is a magnificent piece of work and is highly recommended.

Scipio Africanus
by B. H. Liddell Hart

As a commander, Scipio Africanus (236-183 B.C.) never lost a battle, yet it is his adversary, Hannibal, who has lived on in public memory. This biography is filled with history, military theory and commentaries that are as revealing today as they were in the first edition published in 1926. Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1895-1970) was one of the foremost military theorists of the 20th century. His biography Lawrence of Arabia inspired the movie of the same name.

A powerful yet readable biography who ushered in the Flavian rule of Rome. A portrait that takes an unflinching look while putting the time and culture into excellent perspective. A highly recommended book.

General History

Japan: A Modern History 
by James L. McClain

A comprehensive history of Japan since the 17th century.

If you are looking for an excellent resource on the history of Japan in the past 4 centuries, I recommend this book highly. It does an excellent job in tracing the tortuous path that wove from Japan's feudal fiefdom society to the current modern parliamentary democracy. In addition to the governmental and military matters that are generally covered, there is notable space dedicated to the arts and the contributions of women, peasants and others not normally found in history books. The maps and illustrations are adequate, and do help to support the text. Highly Recommended.

The Gladiator   
by Alan Baker

A work of history that reads like fiction, THE GLADIATOR not only gives a dramatic and vivid picture of Roman life--it re-creates the stories of Spartacus, Commodus, Caligula and others that have become legendary through their connection to the gladiatorial arena. It is an illuminating book that shows these warrior slaves as both popular heroes and reviled prisoners of the state. They led short, brutal lives and in many cases were more popular with the crowds of Rome than the Emperors who held the power of life or death over them.

Alan Baker has done an excellent job in presenting fact and legend side by side. He has created a book of scholarly depth told with an ease that makes the material accessible to all. For anyone interested in Roman history, this book is highly recommended.

The Greek World After Alexander, 232 - 30 B.C.
by Graham Shipley

After the death of Alexander the Great, there was a vast empire that needed leadership. For lack of a single powerful leader, the empire was divided amongst Alexander's generals into Successor kingdoms that are here examined. The analysis of Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Kingdom are particularly lucid.

Ancient Mysteries
by Peter James and Nick Thorpe

From the authors of the successful Ancient Inventions, comes this wonderful collection of topics ranges from the Riddle of the Sphinx to the Grave of King Arthur... Lost Civilizations to Architectural wonders.  It charts a middle course between the uncritical enthusiasts and the professional skeptics, by giving many sides of the issue without forcing an opinion upon you. A fascinating read for anyone interested in science and history.

The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia
by René Grousset, translated by Naomi Walford

While the early history of the steppe nomad is shrouded in obscurity, The Empire of the Steppes brings to the general reader and the specialist the majestic sweep, grandeur, and the overriding intellectual grasp of Grousset's original. Hailed as a masterpiece when first published in French in 1939, and in English in 1970, this great work of synthesis brings forth the great people of the steppes, dominated by three mighty figures--Attila, Genghiz Khan, and Tamerlain--as they marched through ten centuries of history.

Historic Fiction

Roman mysteries are plentiful and there are some that are outstanding, and even more that are merely mediocre. Lindsey Davis does a wonderful job portraying the first century Roman empire in her mysteries told through the commentaries of Marcus Didius Falco, private informer. The series began with Silver Pigs and has now become an industry onto itself. Here are a few essentials in the series...

Silver Pigs saw the debut of Marcus Didius Falco and is the best place to start. It was the Winner of the Best First Novel award from the Authors' Club.

In the paperback Two for the Lions, the  clever & ambitious Falco is on special assignment for the Emperor Vespasian. This time he's tracking down tax fraud among the bestiarii, the slaughterers, and the lanistae, the suppliers of the gladiators and animals who provide the executions, spectacles, and entertainment for the Roman masses.

In One Virgin Too Many, Davis' hardboiled Roman Marcus Didius Falco returns for his eleventh novel. Falco, has just gotten a reward: Vespasian has appointed him Procurator of the Sacred Geese, a sinecure that allows him entrance into the world of Roman cults.

In Ode to a Banker (Time Warner HC, July 2001), the street-smart Marcus Didius Falco returns with a mystery that surrounds his more 'sensitive' side as a poet. Davis's vision of the scroll sellers and literary community of this era (74 A.D.) is rather hilarious, and the sarcasm and wit that has become a trademark of her hero Falco is generously spread about. Amazing that these novels can remain so entertaining and still true to the historic basis of fact.

Steven Saylor has brought an earlier age of Rome to life in his Roma Sub Rosa novels of Gordianus the Finder. He rivals Robert Graves (I, Claudius) in his knack for making the classical world relevant and utterly fascinating. His characters are vivid and his writing sublime, filled with scholarship which often makes subtle historical arguments rather than confronting the reader with overt revisions of the historical record.

Roman Blood
From the papers of Marcus Tullius Cicero comes this first novel, a fictionalization of the immortal Roman orator's first important case--his defense of well-heeled farmer Sextus Roscius on the charge of killing his hated father. The narrator is Steven Saylor’s remarkably wrought character: Gordianus the Finder, hired by Cicero to dig up evidence.

Conspiracy, politics and Roman history come alive in this novel when Gordianus begins to uncover secrets that many would rather keep hidden, in time for Cicero to set off the expected courtroom fireworks.

Arms of Nemesis : A Novel of Ancient Rome
Second in the acclaimed mystery series set in Ancient Rome, starring Gordianus the Finder. The estate overseer of Rome's wealthiest citizen has been murdered. Unless the killer is caught, 99 slaves will die. To Gordianus falls the task of finding the perpetrator.    

Catilina's Riddle
This third installment in Saylor's carefully researched historical mystery series centers on the age-old theme of politics. It is 63 B.C., and Gordianus, has fled noisy, crowded Rome to seek peace in the Etruscan countryside. To his chagrin, Gordianus finds he can't escape the intrigues and influences of the city as easily as he had hoped. He becomes embroiled in a bitter political rivalry between his patron, Cicero, and a clever up-and-comer, Catilina.

The Venus Throw
On a chill January evening in 56 B.C., two strange visitors to Rome--an Egyptian ambassador and a eunuch priest--seek out Gordianus the Finder whose specialty is solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, has come to ask for something Gordianus cannot give--help in staying alive. Before the night is out, he is murdered.       

A Murder on the Appian Way
Fifth in Steven Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" series featuring Gordianus the Finder.

The powerful politician Publius Clodius is murdered on an open road and as riots break out, the fate of the Republic is in doubt. The plotting is deft and the action -- both physical and intellectual -- is nonstop.       

The House of the Vestals : The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder
Saylor serves up a collection of short stories designed to fill in some of the gaps that have piqued the curiosity of devoted fans of his popular Roma Sub Rosa series. Set between the years 80 and 72 B.C., these nine tales document some of the early adventures of Gordianus the Finder. During the course of these cases, Gordianus establishes firm and tender relationships with Eco, his adopted son; Bethesda, his Jewish-Egyptian concubine; Belbo, his loyal manservant and bodyguard; and Lucius Claudius, his generous patron. While each brief mystery presented is a gem in and of itself, readers will delight in the informational overview provided by the collection as a whole. As usual, Saylor does a superb job of seamlessly incorporating the tumultuous history of the Roman Republic into the narrative flow. A welcome addition to the ever fascinating chronicles of Gordianus the Finder.            

Rubicon
Steven Saylor's seventh installment in his Roma Sub Rosa series begins with Rome on the verge of another civil war. The forces of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony have crossed the Rubicon River and are marching toward the capital. To top it all off, one of Pompey's favorite cousins has been garroted to death.

Before Pompey flees the city, he asks Rome's greatest detective, Gordianus the Finder, to solve the murder. But Pompey has reason to distrust Gordianus, who may have an allegiance with Caesar. To force his loyalty, Pompey seizes the detective's son-in-law, and makes him join his household army. By doing so, he ensures that Gordianus' involvement in the coming conflict will be a very personal one.  

Last Seen in Massilia
In this mystery set in Marseilles in 49 B.C., master detective Gordianus the Finder is on a personal quest to learn the truth about his missing son, Meto. Plunged into the midst of the bloody Roman civil war, the well-connected Gordianus and his son-in-law Davus survive adventure after adventure as they penetrate the Gaulic city Massilia, which is walled against Roman invasion.

Mist of Prophecies (May 2002)

In the hotbed of intrigue that is Rome in 48 BC, Caesar is away chasing Pompey in their struggle for Empire, the populous is divided in their allegiances and life goes on. The wives, daughters, lovers and family members of the power brokers of Rome are all caught up in this most recent tale of Gordianus the Finder. It is a departure from the last two books in the Roma Sub Rosa series that concentrated on political maneuverings and military operations, now returning to a more "human" centered tale involving the women of Rome; giving a face to historical figures that went without more than casual mention in the histories written by men, for men, about men.

This is probably Steven Saylor's most non-linear novel to date. It weaves back and forth through the events surrounding the murder of his latest case, who also happens to be his mistress. The story telling has been taken to a new level in this novel, and Steven Saylor deserves the highest accolades for his work here. Am I being too enthusiastic? I think not. A truly wonderful tale that is highly recommended.

John Maddox Roberts has written a series of novels featuring his protagonist Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, an irreverent young man working his way through the civil service of the last days of the Roman Republic. Much of the material is the same as covered in the works of Steven Saylor, but from a different perspective, and still highly entertaining. These novels were out of print for a number of years, causing excessive prices for the original paperbacks, but with the recent publication of the sixth book, the entire series is once again available.

SPQR I: The King's Gambit 
SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy, a rather well told tale of intrigue and desire based upon the historical conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina against the Republic.
SPQR III The Sacrilege 
SPQR IV: The Temple of the Muses One of the best, taking place in Alexandria, Egypt.
SPQR V: Saturnalia 
SPQR VI: Nobody Loves A Centurion (September 2001)

Hannibal's Children (Ace, May 2002) delivers a violent yet seductive reinvention of the past in this imaginative alternate history. What if Hannibal had won the Third Punic War, and the Roman Republic was nothing more than an exile community? A real mind stretching novel...

Under the Eagle 
by Simon Scarrow

In 42 AD Claudius is Emperor, the Germans have been mostly subdued and Rome has the isle of Britain set as the next territory to be acquired. It has been nearly a century since Julius Caesar made his unsuccessful foray to subdue the Britons, and Claudius needs this success to assure his rule. Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian, as Augusta and legate of the Second Legion, is to play a major role in the conquering of this new province.

Simon Scarrow does a wonderful job bringing history to life through the exploits of new recruit and optio Quintus Licinius Cato--and his centurion, Lucius Cornelius Macro. These two fictional characters weave a credible story by their interaction with fictionalized versions of Vitellius, Vespasian and his wife Flavia, and Narcissus--freedman, secretary and confidant of the Emperor Claudius.

I look forward to reading further novels by this author as they make their way into American publication, and highly recommend this work of fiction for anyone with interest in this part of history. 

Candace Robb made a name for herself with the excellent Owen Archer mysteries (The Apothecary Rose, The Lady Chapel, The Nun's Tale, and more) which succeed not only because of their flowing narration, but also because of their authentic historical context. She has now begun a new series of tales, these set in thirteenth-century Scotland during the bloody civil struggle between William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Edward Longshanks of England. A Trust Betrayed, the first mystery of Margaret Kerr of Perth, is a challenging tale that has received much critical acclaim. Personally, I felt that the narrative was not smooth and the storytelling not as compelling as in some of her previous works. The massive amount of historical context seems "crammed" together too densely, and the initial mystery goes mostly unsolved. I look forward to seeing if the future books in this series return to Candace Robb's more free-flowing story telling, or whether they become mere instruments for the history contained within.

A Mystery of Errors by Simon Hawke

It is a mystery to me why promoters want to push that this book is more in the spirit of "Shakespeare in Love," when the only item it has in common is that Will Shakespeare is a character in it. If you want to compare it to movies, it is much more in the spirit of Jake Scott's 1999 directorial debut: "Plunkett & Macleane." Why? It is a cheeky, edgy rendition done with a contemporary consciousness.

The historical rendition of this "Mystery of Errors" is well done, the plot is solid and the characters convincing. As a Renaissance mystery, it has a nice flow, but beware that the mystery only begins to appear more than halfway through the book. The action picks up, and the solution at the end seems a bit rushed, but it is a nice debut to the mystery genre for prolific writer Simon Hawke. I only wish that the 'Afterword' had served as an introduction instead. Recommended.

The Slaying of the Shrew  by Simon Hawke

Second in the series, this novel picks up right where A MYSTERY OF ERRORS left off. Symington "Tuck" Smythe is unsure of his role in the company of players that he and Will Shakespeare have joined, and he is doubly vexed by the state of his romance that occupies nearly all his waking thoughts. When the players are contracted to provide theatrical entertainment as part of a large wedding pageant, Tuck "volunteers" Will into becoming the writer of their production, a role that may "make or break" him as a major talent. The only problem is that a series of murders turns the event of the year from a marriage celebration into a funeral.

I found this tale far more satisfying that the first in the series, particularly as the language used by characters is, for the most part, far more convincing. The Elizabethan-period politics, familial chicanery and villainy all make for a delightful mix of historical fact and fiction. Light-hearted, humorous and convincing in plot-I can highly recommend this for your shelf of historical mysteries.

The Merchant of Vengeance by Simon Hawke

Fourth Volume in the popular Shakespeare and Smythe mystery series.

Simon Hawke’s voice again brings his popular characterizations to life of fledgling playwright William Shakespeare and side-kick, would-be-thespian Symington Smythe. In a suitably complex plot, the story comes alive in the Elizabethan issues of marriage outside of ones class, anti-Semitism, and daily life in London’s underworld. The level of detail shows that Hawke is fully comfortable in portraying this blend of historical fact and fiction. A good read, filled with a few unexpected twists and turns, and a number of tongue in cheek allusions to Shakespeare’s plays that keep you grinning. A pleasant quick read for a spring or summer afternoon.