In 2017 I read a
reasonable number of books, mostly history with a dollop of fantasy
in there too. This is a quick rundown of some of my favourites, with
links to full reviews.
I’m rather fond of
Livy and have been rationing his works (just one to go now) for some
time. Rome and Italy tells of the city’s recovery after sack by the
Gauls and its rise to supremacy in Italy, fighting powerful rivals
like the Samnites and Tarentines. I was pretty unfamiliar with this
period of history but several individuals really stuck in my mind;
Titus Manlius Torquatus, Marcus Valerius Corvus, Lucius Papirius
Cursor, and Quintus Fabius Maximus (the ancestor of the Cunctator) to
name a few. As always with Livy, well worth reading.
Written almost two
thousand years ago, this tale about terrorism, bloodshed, fanaticism,
factions and tragedy in Jerusalem and beyond is, at times,
heart-rending. Whilst Josephus can be full of himself, he also tells
the story very well, from the surprisingly heroic early years of
Herod (damned good king, if you ignore the punitive taxation and
child murder) to the bitter infighting amongst the Jews which did
more harm to themselves than the Romans. Not a cheery tale, but one
well told.
This book is the
antithesis of an Alexander biography in that it leaves one feeling
better than a king of England (Alexander, of course, making others
pale in his shadow). John’s laundry list of major flaws, ranging
from starving prisoners to death, betraying his father and brother,
and generally being both despicable and incompetent, is depicted in
unorthodox manner by having two separate timelines (one before and
one right after a certain event early in his reign). Despite that
unusual approach, it’s an engaging read (although Englishmen be
warned, it does contain quite a lot of losing to the French).
This is very much
outside my usual area of reading, being an old book written right
after World War One. Although written for children, it’s the most
adult (in a mature sense) children’s book you’ll ever read,
complete with numerous pictures and photographs (an airship’s giant
shadow alongside a racing steam train stands out). It’s a fantastic
read, although probably not easy to get hold of.
Although historical,
this is my first book about Ancient Egypt. It’s written as a
literal journey through the Egypt of 1250 BC, which works very well
indeed as that path follows the Nile (crucial, of course, to Egypt’s
economy and culture). The journey also allows a natural progression
through history as burial sites are passed along the way. Very
informative and easy to read.
My most recent read,
written about nine centuries ago by the daughter of Emperor Alexius
Komnenus about her father. The author’s own character leaps out
from the pages and her style has a great deal of charm (although you
will need the notes as keeping things in order was not her top
priority). Her father’s reign also coincided with dramatic events
in history, most notably Robert Guiscard’s invasion of the Balkans
and the First Crusade.
Despite waiting for the
third Stormlight Archives book for a while, I haven’t had time to
read it. Indeed, only got a couple of fantasy stories (both e-books)
to add to the history above.
The first book in the
series, also entitled The Emperor’s Edge, is an engaging steampunk
fantasy packed with interesting characters, strong dialogue, and a
fairly tight cast which helps enable good development of the key
players. Steampunk isn’t my usual fare, but always felt immersed
reading this, and plan to get the sequel sometime soon.
The last fantasy I read
was Angel’s Truth, the first entry in the Angelwar Trilogy. It
begins the story of a conspiracy to destroy the religious foundation
of a second world, in order to weaken the civilised parts and enable
demon-worshipping barbarians to overwhelm them. Tol Kraven, a
slightly murdery youthful monk in training, is dispatched by his
abbot to try and warn the Church. There’s a nice element of
uncertainty regarding his allies and foes in the first half of the
book, and a good lick of pace to the story. (I’m currently reading
the sequel).
Thaddeus
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