The History Book Club discussion
ANCIENT HISTORY
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INTRODUCTION
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http://www.history.com/content/ancien...
I hate to do this but I love the Ancient period, from Alexander the Great to the fall of the Roman Empire. If its OK I would like to mention just a few good books in case other people are looking for something to read and I'd be more than happy to discuss any good book.
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by Adrian Goldsworthy
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by Anthony Everitt These last two I haven't read yet but 'Augustus' was a great story.
by Major J A S Clunn
Frank McLynn Haven't read this title yet.
B.H. Liddell Hart (A classic)
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by Gaius Julius Caesar
by Diana Preston
by Peter GreenThese following titles I have not actually read yet:
by Torsten Cumberland Jacobsen[image error] by Philip Matyszak
by Desmond SewardThis next series of books are excellent accounts but beware that they were first published in the 1890's
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by Theodore Ayrault DodgeAnd my latest and most interesting acquisition:
by Philip ParkerI have many many more books in my library covering this period including the Celts. I hope a few people find the above titles of interest and it sparks some talk or an interest in reading about this period.
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Bentley wrote: "Goodness, gracious Aussie Rick..you even found the interest area under construction...good for you. Well what a great start."Hi Bentley, I couldn't help myself. I love this period of history, something about the Roman Legions and their march into the unknown world (to them at least). A period of great men & leaders, great battles and campaigns.
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http://www.academicinfo.net/histanc.html
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http://www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk...
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http://cliojournal.wikispaces.com/
CLIO'S ANCIENT HISTORY PAGE:
http://cliojournal.wikispaces.com/Anc...
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http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...#
Their synopsis:
This is the complete, 2.5 hour presentation and discussion of the ancient battles of Marathon, Salamis, Chaeronea, Gaugamela, and Cannae with a narrative history from 550 - 168 BC. The main topics are the Greco-Persian Wars, the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Second Punic War. The Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's March of the Ten Thousand, and Spartan and Theban Hegemonies are included. Battles at Thymbra, Opis, Thermopylae, Plataea, Mycale, Leuctra, Granicus River, Issus, Tyre, Ticinus River, Trebia River, Lake Trasimene, Zama, Cynoscephalae and Pydna are also discussed. Specific mention is made of Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Croesus, Cambyses, Darius I, Miltiades, Xerxes, Leonidas, Themistocles, Gelon, Aeschylus, Euripides, Pericles, Socrates, Alcibiades, Plato, Xenophon, Epaminondas, Philip II, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Parmenio, Darius III, Hannibal, Scipio Aemilianus, Hasdrubal, and Scipio Africanus. Specs: Over 100 color slides including --dozens of maps depicting ancient geography, invasion routes, etc. --diagrams demonstrating detailed tactical troop movements for five history-changing battles --images of arms and armour of the various military units involved --extant images of some of the great figures of the ancient world. 2 hours and 25 minutes of --narrative history of the period from 550 to 168 BC --discussion of the causes and consequences of the major events during this period --discussion of the major cultures and societies of the Ancient Mediterranean --step-by-step explanations of battle tactics. A higher resolution (640 x 480) version is available for download above. Maps are much easier to see with better resolution. If you would like to purchase a DVD with excellent resolution (good enough for crisp pictures on any big-screen TV) for cost plus shipping, email symposionlectures@gmail.com. Visit symposionlectures.googlepages.com for other lectures and visual aids.
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http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...#
Their synopsis:
This lecture traces the advances in the systematic study of human anatomy through history. Beginning with early civilizations and advancing chronologically through Egypt, Greece, Rome, Medieval Islam and Europe, it finally arrives at the Renaissance and beyond when scientific progress rapidly accelerated. The great figures of the discipline including Aristotle, Herophilus, Erasistratus, Galen, Avicenna, Ibn al-Nafis, Leonardo da Vinci, and Andreas Vesalius are discussed in detail. A short question and answer session concludes this 46 minute discussion.
I also like the ancients:
by Joanne Berry
by Peter Blair
by
by
by Kenneth D. S. Lapatin
by Alex Butterworth
by Tom Holland
by Paul Veyne
by
by
The Minoan World by
by John ChadwickThe world of the Phoenicians; by Sabatino Moscati
by Michael Grant
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https://genographic.nationalgeographi...
National Geographic Site - very worthwhile
The Genographic Project
Hi Hecate, what period and area of Asian civilisation are you interested in?
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This is one area of history that I have not read much on (Asian ancient history), except the Huns and Mongels. I have two books on the Great wall of China, one being:
by John Man
Its an interesting area, I've visited parts of South-east Asia and should read more of the history. My interest sort of takes off during WW2 but I should go back a bit further. Any good books you could recommend that offers a decent overview of this period?
Hi Susanna, thanks for that, I have one of this author's books on the Middle East so I will look around for a copy of this book on India, appreciate the information.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I hate to do this but I love the Ancient period, from Alexander the Great to the fall of the Roman Empire. If its OK I would like to mention just a few good books in case other people are looking f..."Hi Aussie Rick: Can you please suggest any good book which details out the history of christianity and Islam in a chronological manner.
Hi Lenin,Sorry in the late reply. I know of a few books that may help, let me dig around in my library and I'll get back to you with some titles & details.
Lenin wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I hate to do this but I love the Ancient period, from Alexander the Great to the fall of the Roman Empire. If its OK I would like to mention just a few good books in case othe..."Hi Lenin,
The one good book that I have read that 'sort' of covers this area is:
by William K. KlingamanReviews:
"Parallels between East and West abound in this robust, readable history of the first century. For example, both Augustus Caesar and Chinese emperor Wang Mang, usurper of the Han throne, saw themselves as saviors of battered, debauched civilizations. While the Chinese reannexed the newly independent state of Vietnam led by the two courageous Trung sisters (40-43 C.E.), insecure Claudius sent Roman warlord Vespasian to crush a rebellion in Britain. Klingaman ( 1929: The Year of the Great Crash ) focuses on some 20 central characters in an engrossing, cinematic narrative which regrettably excludes Africa and the Americas and selectively glances at India, Asia Minor and Western Europe. At center stage is itinerant preacher Jesus, waging a cataclysmic holy war to liberate Israel from its state of sin." - Publishers Weekly
"Since American culture often hedges between Christian and Oriental spiritual thought, sometimes opting to combine the two for a personalized belief system, there is clearly a need to put these two spiritual forces into historical perspective. Klingaman has done just that in his engrossing narrative of the first century A.D. He brings together Augustus Caesar, the ascension of Wang Mang, the poet Ovid, the notorious glutton Claudius, Jesus and his deviation from conventional Judaic tradition, and the spread of Mahayana Buddhism to make an intriguing comparison between Asian and Mediterranean political, military, and spiritual development. The author's attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the era will certainly appeal to lay people, but the lack of annotation will disappoint more serious scholars and students. As a sweeping historical overview of the birth of Christianity and Buddhism, this volume is both engaging and enlightening." - Library Journal
I don't think it goes into too much detail about the rise of Islam though so I will see what other books I have in my library that may help.
Hi A. Rick,Thanks very much for refering the book. let me know if you are interested in knowing indian history. i can suggest some books.
Lenin wrote: "Hi A. Rick,Thanks very much for refering the book. let me know if you are interested in knowing indian history. i can suggest some books."
Hi Lenin, I have not read much on Indian history other than some books that cover the British Empire period. I am sure many of the readers here would appreciate any good recommendations, maybe the thread below would be the best place for them:
ancient-south-asia-history
Just joined The History Book Club and stumbled across this folder. I'm doing a PhD on Ancient Greek history and literature, so this looks like the place for me! My focus is on the fifth century BC poet Pindar, in case anyone else shares an interest.
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Pindar (oddly enough no photo)
I have a hard time finding history books, especially about this period, that aren't really dry and academic, so if you're looking for an engaging read that challenges some of the traditionally held beliefs:
by Jim Lacey
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Marathon—one of history’s most pivotal battles. Its very name evokes images of almost superhuman courage, endurance, and fighting spirit. But until now, the story of what happened at Marathon has been told exclusively through the narrow viewpoint of specialists in antiquity. In this eye-opening new book, acclaimed journalist Jim Lacey, both a military historian and a combat veteran, takes a fresh look at Marathon and reveals why the battle happened, how it was fought, and whether, in fact, it saved Western civilization.
Lacey brilliantly reconstructs the world of the fifth century B.C. leading up to the astonishing military defeat of the Persian Empire by the vastly undermanned but determined Greek defenders. Using the seminal work of Herodotus as his starting point, Lacey reconstructs the tactical and strategic scenario of the battle, including how many combatants each side might have used and who actually led the Greeks. He also disputes the long-repeated myths of Athenian inexperience and effete Persian arrogance.
With the kind of vivid detail that characterizes the best modern war reportage, Lacey shows how the heavily armed Persian army was shocked, demoralized, and ultimately defeated by the relentless assault of the Athenian phalanx, which battered the Persian line in a series of brutal attacks. He reveals the fascinating aftermath of Marathon, how its fighters became the equivalent of our “Greatest Generation,” and challenges the view of many historians that Marathon ultimately proved the Greek “Western way of war” to be the superior strategy for fighting—and winning—battles to the present day.
Immediate, visceral, and full of new analyses that defy decades of conventional wisdom, The First Clash is a superb interpretation of a conflict that indeed made the world safe for Aristotle, Plato, and our own modern democracy. But it was also a battle whose legacy and lessons have often been misunderstood—perhaps, now more than ever, at our own peril.
by Jim Lacey
Wikibooks has a site on Ancient History. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ancient_...
This project is a complete survey of Ancient History, listed by country and divided into the categories of Old World, New World, and Miscellaneous. The free nature of this project opens it to modification and change.
Instead of a chronological approach to history, this text assumes a geographical perspective. However, as it is important to also understand broad patterns within ancient history, each chapter covers a variety of material, though its title may suggest a specific region rather than a time period.
Many topics are still under construction, but an interesting visit.
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The link:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/...
Hello everyone, I'm looking for opinions and also recommendations on books that covers the history timelines in general to serves as my reading guidelines in Ancient History.Im thinking to read it as a fundamentals before goes into books that covers specific time period.
Anyone read or any opinions on these books below;
, Thanks again, and looking forward for it.
Hi Mun. I noticed that Aussie Rick gave the first in the series 4 stars, and marked the other two as to-read. I haven't read these myself though.Be sure to include the author in your citations, like this:
by
Susan Wise Bauer
Hi Kathy, glad to know that and thanks for sharing. will definitely include the author next time. make it easy to refers to.:D
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 
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Yuval Noah HarariSynopsis:
From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”
One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?
Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.
Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?
Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate.
From Pagan Rome to Byzantium
by Paul Veyne (no photo)Synopsis:
First of the widely celebrated and sumptuously illustrated series, this book reveals in intimate detail what life was really like in the ancient world. Behind the vast panorama of the pagan Roman empire, the reader discovers the intimate daily lives of citizens and slaves--from concepts of manhood and sexuality to marriage and the family, the roles of women, chastity and contraception, techniques of childbirth, homosexuality, religion, the meaning of virtue, and the separation of private and public spaces.
The emergence of Christianity in the West and the triumph of Christian morality with its emphasis on abstinence, celibacy, and austerity is startlingly contrasted with the profane and undisciplined private life of the Byzantine Empire. Using illuminating motifs, the authors weave a rich, colorful fabric ornamented with the results of new research and the broad interpretations that only masters of the subject can provide.
The Lusitanian War: Viriathus the Iberian Against Rome
by Luís Silva (no photo)Synopsis:
Two centuries before Boudica, another Celtic leader challenged the might of Rome. Following the Second Punic War in 202 B.C. when the Carthaginians were finally ousted from Iberia, Rome thought that they were now in control of the region. Soon, however, they found themselves pitted against an unexpected foe: the native Iberio-Celts, the Lusitanians. With one occupier gone, the Lusitanians took the opportunity to oppose their replacement, the Romans, in an effort to establish their own nation. Led by the charismatic Viriathus [vee-RAA-toos], whose example instilled the same kind of fury and devotion as the future Celtic warrior queen Boudica, the Lusitanians began a bitter war with the Romans in 155 B.C. that would rage on and off for the next twenty-five years. Despite their military advantage, the Romans could not at first defeat the Lusitanians, so they offered a peace treaty. A large number of Lusitanians and their key leaders arrived at the designated meeting point, only to be massacred. Viriathus managed to escape the deadly trap and rallied his people to continue the fight. Knowing that they did not have the numbers of trained soldiers to oppose the Roman Army, Viriathus developed a guerrilla campaign of hit-and-run tactics and attrition. After years of stalemate, the Romans once again sued for peace. Following a short truce, however, the war resumed but the Romans still could not subdue the Lusitanians. Finally, they resorted to paying assassins to do what their army could not: kill Viriathus. With his death, the Lusitanian resistance collapsed and Rome secured Iberia as a province of the empire.
Based on classical sources and Portuguese and Spanish language archival material, The Lusitanian War: Viriathus the Iberian Against Rome is the first booklength study of this fascinating leader and the important campaign he waged. His style of warfare had a profound influence on future Roman Army tactics when fighting native troops.
The World of Late Antiquity 150-750
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Peter R.L. BrownSynopsis:
This remarkable study in social and cultural change explains how and why the Late Antique world, between c. 150 and c. 750, came to differ from "Classical civilization." These centuries, as the author demonstrates, were the era in which the most deeply rooted of ancient institutions disappeared for all time. By 476 the Roman empire had vanished from western Europe; by 655 the Persian empire had vanished from the Near East. Brown, Professor of History at Princeton University, examines these changes and men's reactions to them, but his account shows that the period was also one of outstanding new beginnings and defines the far-reaching impact both of Christianity on Europe and of Islam on the Near East. The result is a lucid answer to a crucial question in world history; how the exceptionally homogeneous Mediterranean world of c. 200 became divided into the three mutually estranged societies of the Middle Ages: Catholic Western Europe, Byzantium and Islam. We still live with the results of these contrasts.
The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
by
Bettany HughesSynopsis:
We think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did; in his unwavering commitment to truth and in the example of his own life, he set the standard for all subsequent Western philosophy. And yet, for twenty-five centuries, he has remained an enigma: a man who left no written legacy and about whom everything we know is hearsay, gleaned from the writings of Plato, Xenophon and Aristophanes. Now Bettany Hughes gives us an unprecedented, brilliantly vivid portrait of Socrates and of his homeland, Athens in its Golden Age.
His life spanned “seventy of the busiest, most wonderful and tragic years in Athenian history.” It was a city devastated by war, but, at the same time, transformed by the burgeoning process of democracy, and Hughes re-creates this fifth-century B.C. city, drawing on the latest sources—archaeological, topographical and textual—to illuminate the streets where Socrates walked, to place him there and to show us the world as he experienced it.
She takes us through the great, teeming Agora—the massive marketplace, the heart of ancient Athens—where Socrates engaged in philosophical dialogue and where he would be condemned to death. We visit the battlefields where he fought, the red-light district and gymnasia he frequented and the religious festivals he attended. We meet the men and the few women—including his wife, Xanthippe, and his “inspiration” and confidante, Aspasia—who were central to his life. We travel to where he was born and where he died. And we come to understand the profound influences of time and place in the evolution of his eternally provocative philosophy.
Deeply informed and vibrantly written, combining historical inquiry and storytelling élan, The Hemlock Cup gives us the most substantial, fascinating, humane depiction we have ever had of one of the most influential thinkers of all time.
The History Book Club
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history in the Old World until the Early Middle Ages in Europe and the Qin Dynasty in China.
The period or era following these events includes the Imperial era in China and the period of the Middle Kingdoms in India. The span of recorded history altogether is roughly 5,000 years, with Sumerian cuneiform emerging from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC being the oldest form of writing discovered so far.
This is the beginning of history, as opposed to prehistory, according to the definition used by most historians.
The term classical antiquity is often used to refer to ancient history since the beginning of recorded Greek history in about 776 BC (First Olympiad).
This coincides, roughly, with the traditional date of the founding of Rome in 753 BC, the beginning of the history of ancient Rome. Although the ending date of ancient history is disputed, Western scholars use the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, or the death of the emperor Justinian I, or the coming of Islam and the rise of Charlemagne as the end of ancient European history.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_...
Timeline
At a broad level, this is the timeline we will be discussing in this folder:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_...
Threads are set up for the following interest areas:
Please feel free to add books, images pertaining to Ancient History, and/or urls, etc that pertain to this subject area. No self promotion please.