i need book recommendations on a certain topic!

[HermioneWeasley]

well, on a few topics actually:
-ancient rome
-ancient greece and macedonia
-pompey, cicero, julius ceasar, ptolemy, alexander the great

are there any good novels on those topics?

 

[abecedarian]

Two older novels I like for ancient Rome are The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas, and The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain. Both are set in Roman occupied Judea, during the time of Jesus' death and ressurection.
Ben Hur would be a good one as well. Rosemary Sutcliffe has a great series about Roman occupied Britain, for older kids. The first one of that series is Eagle of the Ninth.

 

[Stewart]

Why novels?

 

[The waveguide]

I enjoyed a lot "I. Claudius" by Robert Graves. About Rome.

 

[HermioneWeasley]

thansk! any other suggestions?

and novels because well..novels are more interesting to read. i could of course read textbooks about ancient rome and biographies and stuff, and i will, but i don't really need recommendations for textbooks. and novels are a very interesting way of looking at the past.

 

[Stewart]

What about Tom Holland's Rubicon? It's a history book about Rome written as a novel.

I would disagree that novels are more interesting than non-fiction if you want to learn about a certain period.

 

[abecedarian]

A good writer of nonfiction can teach the reader much more about a topic than they'd learn from a textbook or novel. Historical novels are great, and I love them, but I their purpose is to tell a story with a historical backdrop. To learn more about the era, a well written work of nonfiction is in order. Textbooks are writtern to sell to schoolboard textbook committees, but other books have to be written for individuals to want to purchase. If they're dry like textbooks, the appeal is limited and the publisher loses money. I believe historical novels can and should be used as educational tools, but as springboards for further study, not as the only source if information about a culture of time period.

 

[HermioneWeasley]

ok, i know textbooks aren' tevil, and i do read nonfiction, but i also like reading historical novles, they're one of my fave genres, so i just asked for suggestions.

 

[Billy]

Colleen McCullough's book series that begins with The First Man in Rome are quite good for Roman society in the final years of the republic era. They have quite a bit on Pompey, Cisero and Caesar in them.

 

[Breaca]

One author that springs to mind is Mary Renault. It's been a while since I've read any of her novels but I do recall them as being interesting and based on life in ancient Greece - also one of my favourite subjects (incl ancient Rome and Egypt).

 

[pontalba]

I enjoyed a lot "I. Claudius" by Robert Graves. About Rome.

And its sequel, Claudius the God by Graves also. Maybe you meant that as well, but I had to add it!

 

[LoeMa]

Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Last Days Of Pompeii