1. HajPodge

    HajPodge New Member

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    New interest in tactical ancient history genre

    Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by HajPodge, Dec 8, 2013.

    I've found myself of late reading articles on Wikipedia that have to do with ancient historical figures and their grand battles. Ancient history has always been something of interest to me, but only on a small scale. What I'm asking is if anyone knows of any good books that tell the stories of different civilizations and their historical figures? I'm not looking for any specific civilization, I'm keen to all different sorts, but preferably pre-gunpowder era. I'd like to take a break from reading only fiction and to learn more of histories ancient leaders and battles. I feel that a wealth of knowledge in the subject would benefit my writing and give further inspiration to imagination. Thank you in advance for all your recommendations!
     
  2. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I know of one book that you might find interesting. It's called A History of the Ancient World by Chester Starr. It begins with the earliest human civilization and ends with the decline of the Roman Empire.
     
  3. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Ancient Greece: A History in Eleven Cities by Paul Cartledge is a book I am hearing good things about, for the seminal work in English of ancient studies there is also Edward Gibben's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which is by many trusted accounts one of the best written books in the English language. I suppose it would have to be, as it comes in 6 heavy volumes.

    The thing I personally would say is that you should turn to the actual ancients themselves, like Herodotus. They can be extremely interesting, and if you can get a good translation can be a great entryway into this new world. The book The Jewish War by Josephus is one of the most amazingly detailed and rich accounts of ancient war that I know of.
     
  4. MmePlanetKIller

    MmePlanetKIller Member

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    How about Ancient Warfare A Very Short Introduction by Harry Sidebottom? There's a 'Further Reading' chapter at the end too.
     
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  5. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Great suggestion!
     
  6. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I second Gibbon's Roman Empire book. I haven't read it myself, but everyone and their grandma seems to really like it. If you can find a good edition and have enough money saved up, it's worth spending the $80-100 for the hardcover version.
     
  7. HajPodge

    HajPodge New Member

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    Thank you everyone! So far so good, and I'm looking forward to reading them as soon as finals are over! Keep them coming.
     
  8. MmePlanetKIller

    MmePlanetKIller Member

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    You might also like Great Commanders of the Ancient World and Great Commanders of the Medieval World, both published by Quercus and edited by Adam Roberts. It's mostly European generals, but there's also notable Far Eastern and Arabic figures.

    If I recall correctly, they also have a 'Further Reading' section at the end of each chapter.

    There's also Medieval Warfare, ed. Marice Keen published by OUP. It covers the period roughly from the collapse of the Roman Empire (the erroneously named 'Dark Ages') to about the end of the Hundred Years War and the beginning of the Age of Exploration. It's out of print, however, so you'd have to look into acquiring a second-hand copy.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2013
  9. Tyler Danann

    Tyler Danann Active Member

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    I own Great Commanders and it is an excellent book. Very interesting summary of the generals and their battles.
     

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