Hi folks,
I've been after a good history of Rome in recent years (specific period wise not that granular) ever since I read a book for my university studies.
The book had a memorable chapter on Caesar in Gaul with the siege of Alesia (and subsequent counter-siege)
I've tried a few offerings but they're often a bit scant on detail and generic but figured this might herald a few better suggestions
So without further ado; fill my bookcase for me 😂
Cheers
T
Anything by Julius Caesar, Dio Cassius, Marcus Aurelius
Otherwise, anything by Mary Beard, Simon Elliot or Michael Todd.
H. H. Scullard was highly thought of when I was a student.
Tom Holland if you have a taste for the rather salacious side of things.
Adrian Goldsworthy always good on the military stuff.
I'm a big fan of the Late Republican period of Roman history. The Gracchi brothers, Milo, Clodius, Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Caesar.
My latest reading includes:
The Army of the Roman Republic: From the Regal Period to the Army of Julius Caesar - Sage, Michael
A decent summary of what we know about the armies of Rome from the kings to the fall of the Republic[/font][/size][/color]
The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic - ]Duncan, Mike
]Social/ Political history of the fall of the Republic
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic - Holland, Tom
Very readable book covering much the same period as the previous one. I like to get multiple views if I can!
Caesar's Great Success: Sustaining the Roman Army on Campaign - Merrow, Alexander; von Hassell, Agostino; Starace, Gregory
"Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics" - a deep dive down the rabbit hole if that sort of thing takes your fancy.
Caesar's Conquest Of Gaul - edited by Bob Carruthers
Not surprisingly, covers Caesar's campaigns in Gaul!
The Osprey series combines a quick skim of the relevant subject with some inspirational illustrations. An ideal intro to any aspect you know absolutely nothing about but often lacking nuance and fine detail to be found in thicker volumes.It is increasingly hard to find an aspect of Roman history they don't cover. I have their Roman Battle Tactics volume waiting to be read and am half way through their Jugurthine War volume..
For the Roman equivalent of Richard Sharpe and Pat Harper look at Simon Scarrow's Eagles of Empire Series. I prefer the earlier purely military ones to the later ones with political intrigue and palace politics mixed in. YMMV!
For daily life in the Early Empire Lindsey Davis's Falco and Flavia Albia crime novels are hard to beat for nitty gritty detail.
Ad Victoriam!
Beard has a socio-political agenda which may or may not be fine depending on your point of view. Not interested in military matters.
Scullard - dated (1935) but okay, coverage from AD69 to Constantine thin (with Max Cary).
Goldsworthy good on battles the rest is a bit everything everywhere all at once school and can be taxing to read. Make sure you aren't buying the novels (nothing wrong with them but they aren't histories).
Livy - okay but remember he's a secondary source himself, using generally lost primary sources to make a point - he has his own agenda and most of his books are lost. Obviously stops just after the Empire starts. (died AD17)
Kathryn Lomas The Rise of Rome fills in the bits from 1000BC to the Punic Wars that Livy doesn't give you. Some is undoubtedly her analysis of archaeology, other tribes in Italy and the interaction with Rome but she does not traduce any facts.
Anthony Everitt The Rise of Rome - foundation to 27BC. The Kingdom and the Republic as Livy and Lomas. 'Accessible' in this case is not a slur.
If you want an overview of the Roman Empire - dip into Gibbon if you can get a cheap copy or read it online - just remember that it is as much an Enlightenment attack on Christianity and then current British and European attitudes as it is a history of the Fall of Rome. But it will set the scene for reading any number of modern books doing the same thing with our politics masquerading as Roman history.
If you want to really focus on the army and particularly on the Roman legion - you might want to go mad and get Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry's 'The Complete Roman Legions' - a compilation of everything (we think) we know about each and every Roman Legion. Would go well as a companion to Goldsworthy's 'The Complete Roman Army'.