What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I read this book in paperback form around 1996-1997, though it came out well before then. I don’t remember what it was called, who wrote it, or even what the book cover looked like. The novel starts out with an inventor or scientist-type in the 20th Century having a discussion with a colleague. Next thing I remember, the inventor has somehow time-travelled to ancient Rome. He does well for himself there by inventing fairly modern tools using only items available in ancient Rome. Another tidbit is that he spends one night with his housekeeper, then decides the next morning that he is no longer interested in her because she has crabs, or something. By the end of the novel he still has not travelled back to the 20th Century. I don’t know if this was the beginning of a series or a stand-alone book. Can anybody help with this one?

Maybe something by Judith Tarr? I know she has at least one time-travel back to Ancient Rome, though that one is about a woman.

I'm pretty sure it's not Judith Tarr. This novel was not an epic saga, or anything. I don't recall any romance, just a lot of practical information that would be useful for the character as an inventor. For some reason I think the author was male.

Perhaps Lest Darkness Fall? He's a history profesor, not an inventor, but the rest sort of fits.

Andria wrote: "Perhaps Lest Darkness Fall? He's a history profesor, not an inventor, but the rest sort of fits."

Yeah, that sounds good; Martin Padway "invents" all sorts of things http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lest_Dar...

Yes, it's "Lest Darkness Fall"! Thanks, everyone!

Congrats Alysia. Sprauge was a GREAT author wasn't he? I actually met him several times in his last few years. We had a slight friendship during that time. In fact, I made him a purple pteradactyl since he said none of his fans had ever given him one. It wasn't a kite like in the book of the same title The Purple Pterodactyls: The Adventures of W. Wilson Newbury, Ensorcelled Financier