Good luck with your Historathon. Talking of Ancient Rome I am currently reading Imperium by Robert Harris, a fiction but it is getting me interested in Cicero and his times.
The Lost History of Liberalism is very dry but deeply fascinating, I learned so much from it and it honestly changed my perception of America, whether for better or for worse
Hello Vin, I just found your channel a few days ago. I like this idea of Historithon, I have watched a few of your videos the last few days and I really enjoyed your content. I hope that you have a great night and a great New Year’s Day tomorrow. I live in Oklahoma, so it’s not yet midnight, but Happy New Year’s to you 🎉🎉🎉
3 years ! Gosh, I've barely contributed. I'm embarrassed. But I'm always reading military history, so you know, I'm kinda involved around the edges. Philosophy! This space intentionally left blank. The Darkening Age looks the pick.
I’ve chosen Pax by Tom Holland. This is an era of history I am completely new to. And I enjoy his podcast the rest is history so. I also decided to do it on audiobook as he narrates it. I am just focusing on the one book as it intimidates me as I have no prior knowledge of this peroid of history. The first 2 quarters of this reading challenge will be outside my history comfort zone so being kid to myself.
I hope you end up enjoying the topic. There’s a lot to chew on with that era. Seeking out visuals and maps to supplement the reading can also go a long way in learning about. Best of luck!
Great selections. I have various Mary Beard books that i plan to focus on - one for each month. I do have the Emperor of Rome book, so let me know if you choose that one and I can read along. 😊
The Stephen Fry books are great fun and very readable. I also have the Mary Beard and the Tom Holland books which I have not read yet - think I will start with Mary Beard’s book in January.
Great pile of possibilities Vin. I am looking forward to Sally’s and I also have some of the Stephen Fry books. Happy New Year and happy new Historathon 😊
Some really really good books in here. The History of Philosophy by Will Durant was my first dive into intellectual history. It's been a couple years since I've read it but I remember it being pretty influential. Mythos by Stephen Fry is fantastic! I highly recommend you listen along to the audiobook. Fry narrates it and does so masterfully. I really hope you get to Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard. I have it on my shelf as well and looking forward to your thoughts on it! Happy reading!
For Q1, I’ve got reading on the Roman republic. For Q2, Kenneth Harl’s Empires of the Steppes is high on the list. For Q3, Marc David Baer’s The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars, And Caliphs. For Q4, several books on Weimar Germany. I hate to say it, but I can’t recommend The Darkening Age. She just doesn’t have a good on her subject beyond polemic. Peter Heather is fascinating. Very good stuff. And the Stephen Fry books are smart solid fun. The audiobooks are as good as you’d expect.
Freeman is good, Alaric the Goth was fun if not perfect from what I remember. Looking forward to the 2 buddy reads in February! Also I read Empires and Barbarians by Heather and that was a brick lol. Ill be interested to hear your thoughts on that one. Great vid Vin!
Looks great! The Darkening Age sounds really intriguing. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I’m reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts, Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius, The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser focusing on part 1 on Boudica with a side quest to read part 1 of Manda Scott’s historical fiction Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle. So looking forward to this year! Thanks for running Historathon again this year.
Doing my dissertation on the history of philosophy put me off the history of ideas for life I think. I want to explore more of the ancient historians, I had so much fun with Herodotus I'm scared no one will live up to him. I have Fry's Mythos sat unread too. I want to read more Holland, I enjoyed his little book on Athelstan and I have his Rubicon.
I enjoy reading the history of philosophy far more than I enjoy reading the actual philosophy works. Herodotus will spoil you for entertainment. The ancient historians that I’ve read that come after take matters far more seriously; that’s good from a factual perspective though not always as fun. However, Xenophon’s Anabasis is pretty exciting. I recommend the Landmark editions if you can get them for all the footnotes and maps.
Thanks for sharing! I've just added Alaric to my TBR. I've just picked up Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin and would like to give it a go. Additionally, I'm hoping that "Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World" by Emma Southon is a fun read. I've never picked up the Stephen Fry books but they look gorgeous and might be an easy, breezy way to refresh my ancient myth knowledge. What have you heard about Jane Draycott's "Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome"? Its coming out in July this year but I'm not familiar with Draycott's work.
Sweet! If I have a geographic focus this quarter, it's India, but I doubt I'll ever grow tired of Rome. 😁 I haven't read any of these titles, but it's hard to go wrong with subject matter like 381, Alaric, or The Darkening Age. Actually, I thought you'd read that last one already, but I guess I'm thinking of someone else. I'm also hoping to get more serious about intellectual history; math and science primarily, but some philosophy too. Hope you have a great 2025, reading and otherwise!
Yeah, every year I’ve intended to read that same Freeman book - then something prevents me. This year I want to spend Q1 in China, so _AD 381_ gets postponed once again. _The Darkening Age_ looks interesting; this is the first I’ve heard of it. Sallust is about the only Ancient Historian I’ve read. Good choice on the Oxford volume: Penguin (which I read) is a little less complete I believe. Lately I’ve fallen to watching Stephen Fry on TH-cam, but never read anything. He seems a likable sort.
I’ve always enjoyed Fry’s wit and sensibility. I’m glad to hear you liked Sallust. I generally like the Oxford World Classics over Penguin for their presentation and introductory essays.
"Pile of Possibilities"! I love that! I am renaming my stacks of papers with that term! Thanks!
Glad to be of service.
Good luck with your Historathon. Talking of Ancient Rome I am currently reading Imperium by Robert Harris, a fiction but it is getting me interested in Cicero and his times.
Thanks, Jim! That sounds like a good read.
@@revenantreads Yes it is, it is very political....
The Lost History of Liberalism is very dry but deeply fascinating, I learned so much from it and it honestly changed my perception of America, whether for better or for worse
I’m intrigued!
Hello Vin, I just found your channel a few days ago. I like this idea of Historithon,
I have watched a few of your videos the last few days and I really enjoyed your content.
I hope that you have a great night and a great New Year’s Day tomorrow. I live in Oklahoma, so it’s not yet midnight, but Happy New Year’s to you 🎉🎉🎉
Thanks, welcome! I hope you enjoy Historathon. And a Happy New Year to you too!
3 years ! Gosh, I've barely contributed. I'm embarrassed. But I'm always reading military history, so you know, I'm kinda involved around the edges. Philosophy! This space intentionally left blank. The Darkening Age looks the pick.
Times flies!
I’ve chosen Pax by Tom Holland. This is an era of history I am completely new to. And I enjoy his podcast the rest is history so. I also decided to do it on audiobook as he narrates it. I am just focusing on the one book as it intimidates me as I have no prior knowledge of this peroid of history.
The first 2 quarters of this reading challenge will be outside my history comfort zone so being kid to myself.
I hope you end up enjoying the topic. There’s a lot to chew on with that era. Seeking out visuals and maps to supplement the reading can also go a long way in learning about. Best of luck!
I have the Sallust ready for February! Looking forward to it.
Excellent!
Great selections. I have various Mary Beard books that i plan to focus on - one for each month. I do have the Emperor of Rome book, so let me know if you choose that one and I can read along. 😊
Will do!
The Stephen Fry books are great fun and very readable. I also have the Mary Beard and the Tom Holland books which I have not read yet - think I will start with Mary Beard’s book in January.
I enjoyed everything I’ve read by her. Good choice.
I’m really hoping to squeeze in at least one of the Fry books🤞🏻
Great pile of possibilities Vin. I am looking forward to Sally’s and I also have some of the Stephen Fry books. Happy New Year and happy new Historathon 😊
Same to you!
AD 381 was a really good book, I think you'll enjoy it
Glad to hear!
Some really really good books in here.
The History of Philosophy by Will Durant was my first dive into intellectual history. It's been a couple years since I've read it but I remember it being pretty influential.
Mythos by Stephen Fry is fantastic! I highly recommend you listen along to the audiobook. Fry narrates it and does so masterfully.
I really hope you get to Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard. I have it on my shelf as well and looking forward to your thoughts on it!
Happy reading!
@@professor_x85 Thanks! I may need to get that audiobook. And hopefully I’ll get to Emperor of Rome!
For Q1, I’ve got reading on the Roman republic. For Q2, Kenneth Harl’s Empires of the Steppes is high on the list. For Q3, Marc David Baer’s The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars, And Caliphs. For Q4, several books on Weimar Germany.
I hate to say it, but I can’t recommend The Darkening Age. She just doesn’t have a good on her subject beyond polemic.
Peter Heather is fascinating. Very good stuff. And the Stephen Fry books are smart solid fun. The audiobooks are as good as you’d expect.
Those sound like great topics. Thanks for the insight into those authors. Hopefully I’ll at least learn a few new things from The Darkening Age.
Freeman is good, Alaric the Goth was fun if not perfect from what I remember. Looking forward to the 2 buddy reads in February! Also I read Empires and Barbarians by Heather and that was a brick lol. Ill be interested to hear your thoughts on that one. Great vid Vin!
@@TriumphalReads Thanks, Justin. I’m glad they meet your overall approval 😊
Looks great! The Darkening Age sounds really intriguing. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I’m reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts, Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius, The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser focusing on part 1 on Boudica with a side quest to read part 1 of Manda Scott’s historical fiction Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle. So looking forward to this year! Thanks for running Historathon again this year.
Thanks! I read Suetonius some years ago and had fun with him. Alice Roberts is a writer I hope to get to someday.
Doing my dissertation on the history of philosophy put me off the history of ideas for life I think. I want to explore more of the ancient historians, I had so much fun with Herodotus I'm scared no one will live up to him. I have Fry's Mythos sat unread too. I want to read more Holland, I enjoyed his little book on Athelstan and I have his Rubicon.
I enjoy reading the history of philosophy far more than I enjoy reading the actual philosophy works.
Herodotus will spoil you for entertainment. The ancient historians that I’ve read that come after take matters far more seriously; that’s good from a factual perspective though not always as fun. However, Xenophon’s Anabasis is pretty exciting. I recommend the Landmark editions if you can get them for all the footnotes and maps.
Thanks for sharing! I've just added Alaric to my TBR. I've just picked up Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin and would like to give it a go. Additionally, I'm hoping that "Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World" by Emma Southon is a fun read. I've never picked up the Stephen Fry books but they look gorgeous and might be an easy, breezy way to refresh my ancient myth knowledge. What have you heard about Jane Draycott's "Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome"? Its coming out in July this year but I'm not familiar with Draycott's work.
I haven’t heard anything about Draycott’s book. I read Southon’s book on murder in Ancient Rome and really enjoyed it.
Sweet! If I have a geographic focus this quarter, it's India, but I doubt I'll ever grow tired of Rome. 😁 I haven't read any of these titles, but it's hard to go wrong with subject matter like 381, Alaric, or The Darkening Age. Actually, I thought you'd read that last one already, but I guess I'm thinking of someone else. I'm also hoping to get more serious about intellectual history; math and science primarily, but some philosophy too. Hope you have a great 2025, reading and otherwise!
I know embarrassingly little about Indian history 😅 I hope you have a great 2025 as well!
Yeah, every year I’ve intended to read that same Freeman book - then something prevents me. This year I want to spend Q1 in China, so _AD 381_ gets postponed once again. _The Darkening Age_ looks interesting; this is the first I’ve heard of it.
Sallust is about the only Ancient Historian I’ve read. Good choice on the Oxford volume: Penguin (which I read) is a little less complete I believe.
Lately I’ve fallen to watching Stephen Fry on TH-cam, but never read anything. He seems a likable sort.
I’ve always enjoyed Fry’s wit and sensibility.
I’m glad to hear you liked Sallust. I generally like the Oxford World Classics over Penguin for their presentation and introductory essays.