Who has read Coleen McCullough's "First Man in Rome" historical fiction series?

[Odin2005]

I got the 2nd to last book of the series, "The October Horse", from the thrift store I work at and it blew me away. The book encompasses the period from the death of Pompey The Great, through Caesar's assassination, up through the victory of Mark Antony and Octavian over Brutus and Cassius at Philippi. McCullough shows all these famous historical figures as so very human.

[WCGreen]

1. Go back to the beginning.

The Grass Crown is the name, I think...

They are really good books and it made me want to study that period more than we did in school...

[Odin2005]

5. I actually just picked up the first book yesterday and am reading it.

I love the time period because it has so many similarities with our own time

[WCGreen]

12. I was wrong, it was the first man in Rome...

My mom got me that book for Christmas, it was my last Christmas with her...

The next book came out so quick that I mixed them up in my mind...

The history channel just did an hour long show about Marius and his 7 times as counsel.

[proudlib8134]

20. +1

[murielm99]

2. I have heard good things about these, but never read

them.

Thanks for the recommendation! I may get them from the library.

[zazen]

3. watching my HBO Rome episodes right now . . .

I'll definitely look them up. Thanks!

[gateley]

4. Oooh, I'm so glad you mentioned this. I love historical fiction,

and I've never heard of this series. I'll check it out! :hi:

[Odin2005]

7. They are awesome, you won't want to put them down.

She really gets into all these people's heads very well, and any literary license she does has a recorded historical basis.

[gateley]

8. The historical novels I've read have taught me far more about

history than I ever learned in school. That's how they should teach it, novels (with the historical facts) or movies. I'd become catatonic trying to read the dry, boring, lifeless accounts we had in school.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Do yourself a favor-read this fabulous series and enjoy...its by the author of "The Thorn Birds"

but its far, far better writing than that. The author did years of research on each of the books and they're historically accurate but also engaging and well written. You don't get bored once you've gotten into their world.

[gateley]

6. Here's the list of the series from Wiki:

The First Man in Rome (1990)
The Grass Crown (1991)
Fortune's Favorites (1993)
Caesar's Women (1996)
Caesar (1997)
The October Horse (2002)
Antony and Cleopatra (2007)

[Rowdyboy]

9. I discoved this series 18 months ago and it literally has changed my life....

I'm retired and have time to read for pleasure but I prefer to learn something too. I was a history major in college but really had little awareness of exactly how Roman history went. I started "First Man in Rome" (which is the 1st book in the series) maybe 4 times before I got beyond the first 100 pages but when I did I was absolutely hooked. I devoured all seven books of the series and have since reread the first two books.

In addition I've read biographies of Augustus, Tiberius, "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves, "Julian" by Gore Vidal and "Roma" by Steven Sailor. I'm currently reading "Conspirator" by Robert Harris and a serious history of the Punic Wars. I'm addicted to ancient Rome.

Of all the books I've read, McCullough's move me the most. She is absolutely superb-a masterful artist who paints vivid pictures of oh so very believable characters. Sadly she is elderly, very ill and pretty much in constant pain so her writing has dropped off significantly.

Reading this series is easily the equivalent of a college course on Roman history. The political parallels to today are very evident. Cato, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius and (eventually Pompey) were among the wealthy patricians who opposed the populist Caesar. Cato literally invented filibustering in one of the books. What has impressed me most is that so much of her work is merely adding slightly to the historical record. This is quality historical fiction.

Its gotten so bad that my partner and I have our Halloween costumes already. I'm going as "Julius Cheeser" (toga with a Wisconsin Cheesehead) and my partner as "Senator Gluteus Maximus" (I'll let you imagine the details)

Thanks for your post. I've been wanting to talk about this flawless series of books for awhile now.

[Odin2005]

14. Cato reminds me of the Teabaggers.

Obstruct, obstruct, obstruct. Cato essentially caused the civil war by ranting about prosecuting Caesar for war crimes (as if all the rest of them never hurt a fly! Hypocrites!).

[Hardrada]

11. I have read the first three and then was distracted by some other

history projects but will locate the last two. I do own all but those. I need to finish this series which was indeed captivating.

[eShirl]

13. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the first one at the beginning, then before I knew it

I couldn't put it down

I got the whole series in used paperbacks, one by one from Amazon... this was back when they still had reasonable prices for shipping & handling used books

[raccoon]

15. I read the first one, then I think it was the second I got turned off with. nt

[Lex]

16. And if you like these, you'll like Steven Saylor's books about this time period too

Check him out. I loved ALL of his books: http://www.stevensaylor.com/CARomaSubRosa.html

[Odin2005]

17. Thanks

[SheilaT]

18. When The Thorn Birds first came out

I started it quite eagerly, and just could not get past the second chapter or so. It was totally derivative of every other second-rate historical fiction I'd ever read, and could not understand why everyone thought it was so great. I've never been willing to pick up anything of hers since then.

Obviously, quite a few people disagree with me.

[AngryOldDem]

19. I tried to, several times.

But couldn't get through it. I'd like to try again someday, though.

[Odin2005]

21. I'm about 200 pages into "The First Man In Rome" now.

Damn was Sulla a messed up MFer or what? LITERALLY, he was fucking his M-I-L. Then he murdered her and made it look like the result of a accident at a party so he could have her money and lands so he qualified for the Senate.

[Rowdyboy]

22. Actually it was his step mother and her female lover that Sulla supposedly murdered....

His MIL was Marcia, wife of Caesar Sr (grandpa of Julius) who died of old age.

But, yes, Sulla was truly twisted. He was also a brilliant general. These were very serious people who approached life pretty much the same way we do today.

[Odin2005]

23. DOH. you are right! I'm getting relationships mixed up!

[Rowdyboy]

24. Earlier you mentioned how Cato reminded you of the teabaggers and that was spot on....

He saw all things strictly as right or wrong with no compromise possible. He basically invented the filibuster just to thwart Julius Caesar. Cicero reminds me a lot of John McCain-a legend in his own mind, convinced he is the salvation of the republic but unwanted by the electorate. Any of the incompetent aristocratic consuls who blundered into war could easily represent the Bushes with their wealth and privilege.

The parallels are really interesting and the characters are very well developed.

[Odin2005]

25. I have noticed the similarities between the dying Roman Republic and our own times for a while.

It's, frankly, frightening. It's like history is one giant case of the movie Groundhog's Day, the same shit happens again and again and nobody learns from their mistakes.

The British historian Arnold J. Toynbee labeled empires like Rome, Han China, and the US "Universal Empires", hegemonic powers that dominate and give to a civilization that is rotting from the inside out it's last wind, it's Indian Summer. The Universal State imposes a unity that the rest of the civilization acquiesces to out of shear exhaustion.

[Odin2005]

26. I'm about half-way through book 2, "The Grass Crown".

I find it funny how King Mithridates of Pontus was intimidated by Sulla because of the later's fair complexion, red hair, and blue eyes.

Oh, and Servilia (the future mother of Brutus, she's still a kid at this point) is a monstrous little brat.

[Odin2005]

27. Well, I'm finally to the last book, "Antony and Cleopatra".

Now I know why Octavian's dynasty is called the Julio-CLAUDIAN dynasty. Octavian falls in love with Livia Drusilla, wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero (father of the future Emperor Tiberius, and IIRC, great-grandfather of the Emperor Nero), and gives Claudius Nero financial and political help if he gave Octavian his wife, ROFL.