Love your enthusiasm :) Finishing the fifth book in this series and all the books so far were AWESOME! Right up there with some of my other favorite series like Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series and Dan Simmon's Hyperion Cantos series....
I’ve read them all. I’ve always been a bit surprised that her Masters of Rome series wasn’t as wildly popular as a James Michener historiography. What McCollough was really good at, besides the prodigious amount of research she did, was character development. She had an ability to flush these people’s character and personality out which makes them and the story more compelling. An example of that was her characterization of Quintus Servilius Caepio. Hollywood at its best could not create a villain as preposterous as Caepio. This man truly believed his dignity was more important than the lives of two Roman Armies. By developing his character she made an strong demonstration of the rot of corruption at the heart of the Senate. She just a brilliant writer.
@@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS I’ve read a lot of historical novels, as well as studied a lot of history by both popular writers and academics. Many of the writers proclaimed as great writers of historical fiction I find either pedantic (Robert Graves) or so historically inaccurate as to really only be historical in the novels setting (Robert Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage or James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans would be good examples). So when I read lists of who the great historical novelist are I’m quite surprised that the best historical novels I’ve read the authors are not even mentioned. Many of the Authors are not even mentioned. Mark Twain is never on any of these list despite writing one of the greatest historical novels ever in Huckleberry Finn. My top five historical novelist, in no particular order are; James Michener, Colleen McCollough, Gary Jennings (whose masterpiece “Aztec” is the best historical novel I’ve ever read), James Clavell (Yes, there is a British novelist who’s major focus isn’t finding a cure for insomnia) and Allen Eckert. The last author you may not have heard of but his winning of America series about the settlement of the North West Territories (e.g. The Great Lakes Region) are extraordinarily. Eckert even beats McCollough for the quality of his research (though he his critized for making a few but significant historical errors his research is incredible complete with abundant foot notes and references to his historical sources). What makes Eckert different is his books are less novel more history but told in a narrative format that makes for fascinating reading. I highly recommend Allen Eckert’s Winning of America series if you have an interest in America’s frontier history. His first novel in the series is “The Frontiersman” and is biographical in nature and split between the lives of Simon Kenton a famed frontiersmen and a contemporary and friend of Daniel Boone (Kenton actually saved Boones life and whooped the man who claimed no man could whoop him, Andrew Jackson) and the legendary Shawnee warrior, politician, statesman Tecumseh. For example his narrative of the execution of Colonial Crawford will chill your blood and make your hair stand on end. Eckert is a great read if you’re not familiar with him.
I couldn't agree more. Mike Duncan, a brilliant "History of Rome" podcast host said that the generation before the Republic failed has never been written before in detail and I was annoyed as hell because hello?! This awesome series exists. I can't believe it's not more popular either.
@@hotdiggityayo I have. Just the first one, which was very good. Planning on continuing in the spring. Even convinced someone to read them with me. He loved book 1 as well.
@@tamarabrouwer342 I've read the first 3 n I'd rate them 1 3 2 of the first 3. Very well done book 2 kiiinda drags in areas but still well worth it. Do an audiobook if you don't have time! I just broke 1000 books read with probably 700 being audiobooks.
These books are not available unabridged in audio format on Audible in North America. If anyone has influence with the book deities, please suggest to them that it would be a worthy offering to us listeners.
A pedantic point but the sketches of the characters are from statues made during their lifetime, not from portraits (we know Romans had portraits painted but sadly none survive to today) I came here to see if the books are worth reading after reading the history. The characterization you describe seems really strange, given how I picture them from the history, but there's enough gaps in history that the author could probably justify it. We have loads of letters cicero sent his friends, where he complains about animal cruelty, so him being the dude who secretly wants to get a guy to behead 5000 guys seems like opposite land to me xD
That doesn’t necessarily contradict his character. It’s important to remember that Cicero was a schemer, but still human. You can both be an advocate against animal cruelty while simultaneously being an advocate for Roman imperialism (Cicero uses Laelius in Book 3 of De Re Publica as a mouthpiece for his paternalistic view on empire).
check out my other Masters of Rome reviews th-cam.com/video/AIh2enMvMiE/w-d-xo.html
I read this series 25 years ago, its absolutely fantastic.
Im amazed that its not consistently mentioned.
Love your enthusiasm :) Finishing the fifth book in this series and all the books so far were AWESOME! Right up there with some of my other favorite series like Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series and Dan Simmon's Hyperion Cantos series....
I can't wait to start this series! Rome was my favorite series on TV and the only one I ever bought on BluRay lol
I’ve read them all. I’ve always been a bit surprised that her Masters of Rome series wasn’t as wildly popular as a James Michener historiography.
What McCollough was really good at, besides the prodigious amount of research she did, was character development. She had an ability to flush these people’s character and personality out which makes them and the story more compelling.
An example of that was her characterization of Quintus Servilius Caepio. Hollywood at its best could not create a villain as preposterous as Caepio. This man truly believed his dignity was more important than the lives of two Roman Armies. By developing his character she made an strong demonstration of the rot of corruption at the heart of the Senate.
She just a brilliant writer.
Awesome comment. And yes these are better than Michener. And I love Michener.
@@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS I’ve read a lot of historical novels, as well as studied a lot of history by both popular writers and academics. Many of the writers proclaimed as great writers of historical fiction I find either pedantic (Robert Graves) or so historically inaccurate as to really only be historical in the novels setting (Robert Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage or James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans would be good examples).
So when I read lists of who the great historical novelist are I’m quite surprised that the best historical novels I’ve read the authors are not even mentioned. Many of the Authors are not even mentioned. Mark Twain is never on any of these list despite writing one of the greatest historical novels ever in Huckleberry Finn.
My top five historical novelist, in no particular order are;
James Michener, Colleen McCollough, Gary Jennings (whose masterpiece “Aztec” is the best historical novel I’ve ever read), James Clavell (Yes, there is a British novelist who’s major focus isn’t finding a cure for insomnia) and Allen Eckert.
The last author you may not have heard of but his winning of America series about the settlement of the North West Territories (e.g. The Great Lakes Region) are extraordinarily. Eckert even beats McCollough for the quality of his research (though he his critized for making a few but significant historical errors his research is incredible complete with abundant foot notes and references to his historical sources). What makes Eckert different is his books are less novel more history but told in a narrative format that makes for fascinating reading. I highly recommend Allen Eckert’s Winning of America series if you have an interest in America’s frontier history. His first novel in the series is “The Frontiersman” and is biographical in nature and split between the lives of Simon Kenton a famed frontiersmen and a contemporary and friend of Daniel Boone (Kenton actually saved Boones life and whooped the man who claimed no man could whoop him, Andrew Jackson) and the legendary Shawnee warrior, politician, statesman Tecumseh.
For example his narrative of the execution of Colonial Crawford will chill your blood and make your hair stand on end. Eckert is a great read if you’re not familiar with him.
I couldn't agree more. Mike Duncan, a brilliant "History of Rome" podcast host said that the generation before the Republic failed has never been written before in detail and I was annoyed as hell because hello?! This awesome series exists. I can't believe it's not more popular either.
Yes! I plan on starting this series in April. Sounds like everything I want from it. 🙌🏼
Did you ever? I highly recommend it. It's up there with I Claudius as one of the best books (series) of fiction ever written on Rome.
@@hotdiggityayo I have. Just the first one, which was very good. Planning on continuing in the spring. Even convinced someone to read them with me. He loved book 1 as well.
@@tamarabrouwer342 I've read the first 3 n I'd rate them 1 3 2 of the first 3. Very well done book 2 kiiinda drags in areas but still well worth it. Do an audiobook if you don't have time! I just broke 1000 books read with probably 700 being audiobooks.
These books are not available unabridged in audio format on Audible in North America. If anyone has influence with the book deities, please suggest to them that it would be a worthy offering to us listeners.
They're not available on audible at ALL in europe for some reason. Odd.
I'm looking forward to the reviews of The October Horse and Antony and Cleopatra.
Those will be down the road some
A pedantic point but the sketches of the characters are from statues made during their lifetime, not from portraits (we know Romans had portraits painted but sadly none survive to today)
I came here to see if the books are worth reading after reading the history. The characterization you describe seems really strange, given how I picture them from the history, but there's enough gaps in history that the author could probably justify it. We have loads of letters cicero sent his friends, where he complains about animal cruelty, so him being the dude who secretly wants to get a guy to behead 5000 guys seems like opposite land to me xD
That doesn’t necessarily contradict his character. It’s important to remember that Cicero was a schemer, but still human. You can both be an advocate against animal cruelty while simultaneously being an advocate for Roman imperialism (Cicero uses Laelius in Book 3 of De Re Publica as a mouthpiece for his paternalistic view on empire).
Reminder: Top 10 mystery novels video.