What Are You Reading or Listening To?

Getting off my duff and making another quilt. Used this cheap book (bought at a discount book store) for inspiration.

 

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Books of the moment:

Rome: A History in Seven Sackings
by Matthew Kneale


Roman Coins and Their Values
by David R. Sear

Roman Coins and Their Values, updated my well used and much more compact 1988 edition, and came from Alibris.com with an unexpected surprise:

 

From the general prologue:

445 A good WIF was ther OF biside BATHE,
446 But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
447 Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt
448 She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
449 In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
450 That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
451 And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
452 That she was out of alle charitee.

 

Reading: Claudius Caesar: Image and Power in the Early Roman Empire, Josiah Osgood

Listening: Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20, Uchida

 

I know I am resurrecting an old thread, but I wanted to let to alert those fans of the series "Marius' Mules" that book XII: Sands of Egypt was released yesterday. I'm about a quarter of the way into it. So far, so good.

 

OMG! I'm such a fan of this series. I'll buy it right away on my Kindle. I was waiting for it.

I've also read SJA Turney's Praetorian series to date (just before the death of Commodus), and his Templars series (the last book was about the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders). Such a fantastic ancient and medieval historical fiction writer, and he puts out two or three books a year. The guy is a master at his craft.

Here's the book I'm currently reading, the first of his Ottoman Cycle series...



And since this thread also wants to know what I'm listening to...Tonight I have my Samsung tablet connected to my 1946 Philco AM tube radio, and I'm listening to "Swing" and "Big Band" music. Here's a song to give you an idea of what I'm referring to. This is old fashioned 1930's and early 1940's music, and way before my time, but boy does it still have its own charm.

 

I have read the three-volume series which is great. It is about the people and very entertaining, but maybe too much for beginners. I am now (re)reading this "Short History" condensed version to learn about emperors I have a coin of but do not know well. Byzantine overstrikes often reflect dynastic changes and I want to know the stories of who was replaced by whom and how. Sear's Byzantine Coins book gives you a few paragraphs of events for each emperor. If you want to know more, or much more, try Norwich. I highly recommend it.

P.S. It is not at all about coins. It is essentially biographies.

 

+1 for Norwich, @Valentinian! Great book(s).

I just finished the Four Emperors series of novels by L. J. Trafford. It's an account of the period from the end of Nero's reign to the very beginning of Vespasian's (Vespasian isn't actually in it, only Domitian), largely from the point of view of palace slaves and freedmen. They aren't that well known yet, but I recommend them. There's quite a bit of humour, and the speech is very modern, though she mostly avoids jarring anachronisms. (The tone reminded me of Lindsey Davis's Falco series.) Great characters, entertaining story, and historically faithful. Fun!

And she gets bonus points for coins on the covers!

 

Reading for fun

Procopius, A secret History



...and this fascinating book

 

I'm a sucker for the Ancient Rome whodunnit genre. I have read the Ruth Downie Medicus series. Now I'm starting on this one, set in Britain during the reign of Commodus.

 

Fascinating book.



Achaemenid War with the Greeks more from the Persian Perspective



LIFE



REAL LIFE

 

On the road

 

Phish's - Bathtub Gin

 

I read Norwich's history a few years back - a good read.

 

In the middle of three books:

 

HSCB Bible
The Official Warren Commission Report on the assassination of John F Kennedy.
100 Greatest Ancient Coins

Music?
NF

 

I've been enjoying the culture and social life of 18th century Britain for the last several years.

On that theme, I've been savoring this book:



This book focuses on the life of Samuel Johnson, a Tory, literary critic, and writer best known for his "A Dictionary on the English Language," published in 1755. Although not the first English dictionary, his was the most extensive until the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later.

This book examines Johnson's relationship with the always randy Scotsman James Boswell. Boswell dedicated much of his life to following Johnson and writing one of the great biographies of the English language, "Life of Samuel Johnson," published in 1792.

One of my favorite anecdotes from the English language by James Boswell:

The book centers on The Club, a London social and dining club whose members included Johnson and Boswell as well as many of the other leading luminaries of 18th century London: Edward Gibbon, Edmund Burke, David Garrick, Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Sheridan.

Below is a scene of Samuel Johnson lecturing to the ever attentive James Boswell, presumably at The Club:



Here's possibly some of the change used to pay for a meal at The Club:






Good times,


g.

 

()
I just got that book!

 

I am reading "Byzantine History in the 11th century" by Eileen Stephenson,it is her newest release. I have read her other books , they were very good but fiction, this book takes it a step closer than Norwich's work.

Here is her web site , She has some free reads there.

https://eileenstephenson.com

https://eileenstephenson.com/the-missing-story/