Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo

 

Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo -442 pages

This book fills in a great deal of history on the origin and development of the book from clay tablets, papyrus, wax tablets, parchment and finally the codex that became the modern book. Along the way, the author explores many ancient Greek and Roman authors throughout the ancient Mediterranean from the Library of Alexandria to the end of the Roman Empire. It is also a great read for anyone who believes in the freedom to read and the importance of the written word. 

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

 A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon - 352 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

True crime with a historical twist.  An insightful, opinionated, and darkly humorous account of various murders that took place in ancient Rome, examining how murder was viewed in Roman culture.  

Emma Southon is an entertaining writer, weaving contemporary pop cultural references and comparisons to modern-day law and politics into each narrative.  She writes in a conversational style that kept me engaged, and is likely to appeal to casual readers.  Although the amount of swearing might turn some people off, I was not bothered by it.  There were times I got confused from the sheer number of similar-sounding Roman names, but Southon overall does a good job of summarizing events and clarifying who is important.  For example, she explains that there were two Brutuses involved in Julius Caesar's assassination (Marcus Junius Brutus and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus), but "nobody cares about" Decimus.  She also focuses quite a bit on Roman women, both famous and forgotten, and has interesting things to say about why many (male) writers of the time tend to blame women for suspicious deaths.  

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a fascinating read, and despite my occasional confusion, I would highly recommend it to true crime fanatics and ancient history buffs who are not bothered by gratuitous swearing.  

Persians: The Age of Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

 

Persians: The Age of Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

-448 pages

The author is an academic from the U.K., but has written a general history of the Persian Achaemenid empire and its legacy. As with any conquering empire, there are battles, massacres, as well as murderous infighting among the royal family. The book's highlights are its focus on the empire's founder, Cyrus, and the artistic and legal achievements left by a dynasty that was still flourishing when Alexander the Great shockingly toppled it.

Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette

Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette
(Out From Egypt #3)
354 pages / 10 hrs, 47 mins

"Motherless and raised alongside her brothers, Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting. When her father and brothers are killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving. Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, has spent his share of time on the battlefield and is shocked to find an unconscious woman among the casualties. Compelled to bring her to a healer back at the Hebrew camp, he's unprepared for the consequences of what he intended as an act of compassion. In order to survive, Alanah must unite with her enemy. But will a terrible revelation drive her toward an even greater danger?"  --from the publisher

This is one of those books I would recommend to everyone. The story is intricately woven and well researched. Although it's third in the series, it works as a standalone. I gave it five out of five stars.

The Berenstain Bears: Long, Long Ago by Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears: Long, Long Ago by Mike Berenstain-24 pages

The Berenstain Bears go back in time to different periods of history including Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and more recent history (such as the American Revolution). Sister and Brother Bear are in the back yard digging up "treasures" when Mama and Papa Bear mention that a professor has been digging up history. The Bear family goes to see the work this professor is doing and end up taking his "Anytime-Anyyear Machine back in time to the periods mentioned above.

Herod the Great by Norman Gelb

Herod the Great by Norman Gelb -209 pages

Herod (73 to 4 B.C.) was a client-king of Judea during a turbulent period of civil wars between several dominant Roman figures. He was shrewd enough to retain his position with a succession of Rome's rulers, and during his long reign Herod developed Judea into an economically diverse state. Unfortunately, he was never popular with his people who saw him as a usurper of the former ruling family. He likely arranged the murder of his brother-in-law (the last member of the royal family) and eventually became so paranoid he executed his wife and oldest sons for conspiracy. The book is somewhat repetitive, but presents an infamous king fairly.

Sappho's Leap by Erica Jong
271 pp.

Featuring new translations of Sappho's poetry, this novel explores the fantastical myths of Ancient Greece as the young poet Sappho goes on her own personal odyssey to reunite with her daughter. Featuring a cast that includes various gods, goddesses, and mythological beings, Sappho's story is full of romance and tragedy. 

The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox

The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox --363 pages

How did two obsessed individuals translate an unknown script representing an unknown language? This fascinating book examines the unraveling of Linear B, an ancient script dating back over three thousand years to the Greek island of Crete.  The labyrinth in the title refers to the labyrinth of the mythological Minotaur near the city of Knossos.  The author examines the script’s discoverer, archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, and its decipherer, Michael Ventris.  But she also expounds on the unknown classicist Alice Kober, who laid the groundwork for Linear B’s solution, and who may have solved the riddle if not for her early death.  This book will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in ancient history, or the breaking of mysterious codes.

The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan

The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan -511 pages

Kagan is the author of a four-volume scholarly book on the Peloponnesian War, and this is a single volume edition aimed at a general audience. The author does an excellent job of covering the events of this long conflict that ended with the sea power, Athens, losing to the Spartans, even though many of the battles were fought at sea. The network of alliances between the Greek city-states before the war broke out leaves the reader pondering the similarities with Europe as World War I broke out a hundred years ago.

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier - 608 pages

The Lost Sisterhood is a novel where historical facts are mixed with mythology to create a spellbinding story.  Featuring two storylines that collide at the end, the modern one follows Oxford scholar, fencer, and philologist Diana Morgan who embarks on an archaeological dig where a lost language has been discovered.  However once on site, trouble begins and she has a personality clash with the man in charge, Nick Barrain.  With Nick following and her archaeologist friend, Rebecca, joining they follow the trail of places where objects with the language have been found throughout Europe and Asia Minor.  Along the way, they become entangled in a battle between two groups:  one who wants the discover made public and one that wants it taken to the grave.

On the ancient storyline, readers follow Myrina.  After her village was destroyed while she was on a hunt  Myrina and her sister, Lilli, travel to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, eventually becoming initiates.  Soon tragedy strikes and takes them on a journey to Crete, Mycenae, and Troy and meeting with other historical/mythological figures, most predominately Paris of Troy.  During the course of this journey, the women are depicted in ways that place them directly within multiple Greek myths.

Overall, the story was excellently written.  Fortier, who holds a PhD in ancient history, clearly spent time researching her subject matter and found ways to link dozens of old myths into a believable ancient storyline that also provides the mystery and adventure that drives the modern one.