Slitherine

Lets provide some Roman background atmosphere! My favorite Roman era books (in no particular order) are:

Harry Sidebottom's 3rd century series (two different but related sets of books)
Ian James Ross series on early 4th Century (Constantine)
Robert Harris trilogy on the Late Republic (exceptional!)
Wallace Breem's Eagle in the Snow
Colleen McCullough's long but generally interesting series about the Late Republic

As I am looking for something new, a few suggestions? Anyone like Simon Scarrow or Anthony Riches?

Thanks!

Alan Massie did some Roman novels . . . Augustus, Tiberius, Caesar, Anthony and Caligula among them.

Agent of Byzantium by Harry Turtledove is an interesting alternative history of the Roman Empire.

My favourite by a huge margin is Eagle in the Snow.

Conn Iggulden has done some Roman novels quite recently too. He also does novels about the Mongols. Good writer.

Eagle in the Snow +1

I rather like the Alan Massie's novels

... and if you like "detective" type novels I'd highly recommend Steven Saylors 'Roma sub Rosa' series which give a great feel for late Republican politics and the characters involved, or for something lighter then there is the Falco series set in the time of Vespasian

regards
Ben Wilkins

A Finnish writer Mika Waltari - so called "The Roman Trilogy" that is:
1. The Secret of the Kingdom
2. The Roman
3. ? I think it was not translated to English but I have read all those books in Polish and they are great.

From the other side of the hill, I would recommend "Pride of Carthage" by David Anthony Durham.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_of_Carthage
http://www.davidanthonydurham.com/novels/pride.html

Madlok wrote:A Finnish writer Mika Waltari - so called "The Roman Trilogy" that is:
1. The Secret of the Kingdom
2. The Roman
3. ? I think it was not translated to English but I have read all those books in Polish and they are great.

The Etruscan perhaps?

Great author, also has few set in the early 1500's (The Adventurer)

To take the time frame back a bit, Steven Pressfield's novels on Greece and Alexander's campaigns are worth a read. Christian Cameron has now written about 6 books taking place in the time of the Diadochi. Some have good battle descriptions of some of the major battles of the period.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Mac

I understand "Commentaries on the Gallic War" by Julius Caesar was popular in its day...



John

Not to mention Polybius.

Mike Marchant's Recoil is an excellent alternative history book set in the roman period.

Robert Graves "I, Claudius" and the second one were probably the first books I read in this setting. Not sure if it's nostalgia, but I reread them several years ago and I still think they are among the best.

I agree about Mika Waltari - great writer, although I like his Roman trilogy the least (The Egyptian, The Adventurer and also The Dark Angel were great, but they are not set in ancient Rome).

Imperial Governor by George Shipway was pretty good, covers the period of the Iceni revolt.

Good shout re Imperial Governor by George Shipway
And got reprinted fairly recently

Benedict151 wrote:Good shout re Imperial Governor by George Shipway
And got reprinted fairly recently

but not perhaps as entertaining as his William Rufus period novels.

The Paladin (1972), the story of Walter Tirel, killer of William Rufus. ISBN 0-432-14753-5
The Wolf Time (1973), sequel to above ISBN 0-432-14754-3

And his Stephen and Matilda period novel.

Knight in Anarchy (1969), in the time of Stephen & Matilda. ISBN 0-432-14751-9; American title The Knight

All good as you say Richard (I recently re read all 3)

Also worth considering are Peter Green's 'Sword of Pleasure' (about Sulla) and 'Achilles his Armour' (about Alcibiades so outside our current period)
He is also an Ancient historian - and unlike some very readable

Also Alfred Duggan:

Novels:

The Little Emperors (1951). A succession of coups in late Roman Britain.
Winter Quarters (1956). Two Gauls in the time of Julius Caesar join the Roman army and are captured at the Battle of Carrhae
Three's Company (1958). The career of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, triumvir with Octavian and Marcus Antonius after the death of Julius Caesar.
Family Favourites (1960). An ordinary Roman soldier witnesses the reign of Emperor Elagabalus.
Elephants and Castles, U.S. title, Besieger of Cities (1963). The life of Demetrius I of Macedon, one of the Successors after the death of Alexander the Great; after being declared a god as a young man, everything else is an anticlimax.

Non-fiction:

He Died Old: Mithridates Eupator, King of Pontus (1958).

I'm not sure if he's been mentioned (I didn't see him) but Ben Kane is a rather good Roman fiction writer.

'The Forgotten Legion Chronicles' trilogy is a great read.