What are you reading right now?

Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson. It's about Carlos Hathcock, a US marine sniper in the Vietnam war.

[TarJak]

Currently part way into Zeebrugge by Barrie Pitt. Covers the planning and implementation of the raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend to deny access to the German U-boats and destroyers based in Bruges in 1918.

[Sailor Steve]

Just finished Tacitus: The Annals and The Histories. Am now starting The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, by Gaius Seutonius Tranquillus, or just Seutonius.

@SS. You should be commended for going to the original source, personally I have found completing translations of the classics tremendously difficult although finishing Homer's Iliad, Odyssey and more recently Xenophon's Anabasis was well worth the effort.

If the era is of interest and you have not yet checked out Tom Holland's very readable general history Rubicon you could do worse than place it on your reading list.

Best Regards.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks! I'll check it out.

Moving away from naval topics for a change, am reading A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer. So far, so good.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Randomizer

If the era is of interest and you have not yet checked out Tom Holland's very readable general history Rubicon you could do worse than place it on your reading list.

If he's the same guy I'm thinking of, he also wrote Persian Fire about the Greco-Persian wars which I truly enjoyed. Provided ample background on all the cultures involved which gave a more thorough historical backdrop to the eventual showdown(s) between them than I'd encountered before in similar fare. I recommend it also for a good ancient history read.

[Sailor Steve]

Though I haven't read them in a couple of decades, I have in my collection Robert Graves's I, Claudius and Claudius The God. Much better than the miniseries made from them, and that's saying a lot.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Though I haven't read them in a couple of decades, I have in my collection Robert Graves's I, Claudius and Claudius The God. Much better than the miniseries made from them, and that's saying a lot.

Read them in high school after PBS ran the miniseries - and again a few times after that. They ARE better and that IS saying a lot, because the miniseries ROCKS.

For better or worse whenever I think of Augustus all I see in my head is Brian Blessed running around yelling "Bring me back my eagles!!" or some such.

And Sian Phillips as Livia... *shudder*

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

For better or worse whenever I think of Augustus all I see in my head is Brian Blessed running around yelling "Bring me back my eagles!!" or some such.

"Quintillius Varus, WHERE ARE MY EAGLES?!"

The last time I watched them, I watched Cleopatra first. Actually much better than it's remembered. It's a big jump from Roddy McDowell to Brian Blessed, when supposedly only seven years have passed.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

"Quintillius Varus, WHERE ARE MY EAGLES?!"

The other thing that sticks in my mind is him standing in front of a large group of very embarrassed, terrified "guilty parties" and asking, "Is there anyone in Rome who has not slept with my daughter?"

The last time I watched them, I watched Cleopatra first. Actually much better than it's remembered. It's a big jump from Roddy McDowell to Brian Blessed, when supposedly only seven years have passed.

Agreed, I think Cleopatra may have suffered greatly at time of release from a lot of bad press due to the expense and hype involved plus the Taylor/Burton affair which evolved during the production. But I watch it just about every time it's on. Roddy McDowall I think was expected to get an Oscar nom but IIRC there was some snafu with submitting his name or some other technicality.

I also don't think Taylor gets as much credit as she deserves as an actress - too much was always made of her looks and her tumultuous private life. But I adore her.

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

If he's the same guy I'm thinking of, he also wrote Persian Fire about the Greco-Persian wars which I truly enjoyed. Provided ample background on all the cultures involved which gave a more thorough historical backdrop to the eventual showdown(s) between them than I'd encountered before in similar fare. I recommend it also for a good ancient history read.

Persian Fire is a truly superb book and Tom Holland stands, in my opinion, as the best of the new scholars of ancient Greco-Roman Europe.

At the risk of being stoned or crucified (either are suitable for the period) I also quite enjoyed the HBO series Rome, particularly after the Boss bought it for me at Christmas as I had been raving about how much I enjoyed Rubicon.

If you get a chance there was a recent teleplay with Christopher Plumer as Caeser about Cleopatra that is well worth a look but I have no idea if it ever aired in the States.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimesc...1-259fa2d22ca6

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Randomizer

Persian Fire is a truly superb book and Tom Holland stands, in my opinion, as the best of the new scholars of anciant Greco-Roman Europe.

I'll keep a lookout for Rubicon, then - I really need to make a list of books to look for when I go to a used bookstore. Especially since I could cross them off once I have them, and not buy the same ones twice like I did the last trip.

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

... and not buy the same ones twice like I did the last trip.

Done that before, nothing to do but say D'oh, hope you kept the reciept and that the book seller isn't an hour or more of a drive away. Burning $20.00 worth of gas to return an $18.00 book is economics that could make government proud.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Randomizer

Done that before, nothing to do but say D'oh, hope you kept the reciept and that the book seller isn't an hour or more of a drive away. Burning $20.00 worth of gas to return an $18.00 book is economics that could make government proud.

Well I think I only paid about $8 total for the two duplicates, not really worth the drive back. They're on the "outgoing" shelf where I put the stuff I'm going to take there and sell on my next trip. I won't get all my money back but considering the savings in time/energy/gas from not making a special trip, I figure I'll break even.