Current Non-Genre Reading III

[Windshadow]

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."

[Cosmos, Part 11: The Persistence of Memory (1980)]”
― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

 

[Decrepit&Senile]

At 0958 this morning, 09 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Great King, book four in Christian Cameron's Long War series; well researched historical fiction set during the time of the Ionian revolt and Persia's attempted conquest of Greece. This installment begins with the Greeks trying to piece together allied resistance to said invasion, and concludes with the naval engagement fought in conjunction with the more famous land battle at Thermopylae. Significant space in between is filled with an ambassadorial mission to the Persian court, headed by the series' protagonist. Another fine series entry!

Tempting though it is, I need to tackle at least a few titles in my paper/digital TBR 'pile' before continuing Long War.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Just succumb to temptation, DS. That's what I do!

 

[Decrepit&Senile]

At 0923 this morning, 06/10/2022, I concluded an initial read of The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh, by E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934). The man looks to have been a rather prolific author of scholarly writings on ancient civilizations. His Wikipedia entry contains a lengthy list of "selected works". This book is not among them.

My copy is a Project Gutenberg free e-book download. I noticed no original copyright/publish date. Of those dates scattered throughout the writing, the most recent that comes to mind is 1920. I suspect that some, maybe lots, of the research presented has surely been superseded.

As to the book itself, it of course centers on the 'deluge' that in later incarnations would come to be known as the story of Noah and his Ark. Here we get two different versions of the tale, along with The Epic of Gilgamesh, here spelled Gilgamish. It also chronicles the discovery and excavation of pertinent sites, discovery of the tablets, and, at book end, plates (photos) of some tablets. (These are much easier to see in the online edition than on my wee Paperwhite.)

Believe it or not, this was my first exposure, in print form, to the material presented here. (I 'am' familiar with the Noah version.) It was an enjoyable read. It sparks my interest enough to contemplate seeking out more up-to-date documentation.

Just succumb to temptation, DS. That's what I do!

Fear not. I bought Salamis yesterday. A still plan to read a few other things first, but we shall see.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Currently reading the Hilary Mantel, Mirror and the Light, on Thomas Cromwell. Servant and facilitator for Henry VIII. Third in a series. The BBC production of the first volume with Marc Rylance got me hooked. Engrossing.

I've heard good things about the Wolf Hall trilogy. What's your take on it, pogo?

 

[Raf]

At 0923 this morning, 06/10/2022, I concluded an initial read of The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh, by E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934). The man looks to have been a rather prolific author of scholarly writings on ancient civilizations. His Wikipedia entry contains a lengthy list of "selected works". This book is not among them.

My copy is a Project Gutenberg free e-book download. I noticed no original copyright/publish date. Of those dates scattered throughout the writing, the most recent that comes to mind is 1920. I suspect that some, maybe lots, of the research presented has surely been superseded.

As to the book itself, it of course centers on the 'deluge' that in later incarnations would come to be known as the story of Noah and his Ark. Here we get two different versions of the tale, along with The Epic of Gilgamesh, here spelled Gilgamish. It also chronicles the discovery and excavation of pertinent sites, discovery of the tablets, and, at book end, plates (photos) of some tablets. (These are much easier to see in the online edition than on my wee Paperwhite.)

Believe it or not, this was my first exposure, in print form, to the material presented here. (I 'am' familiar with the Noah version.) It was an enjoyable read. It sparks my interest enough to contemplate seeking out more up-to-date documentation.


Fear not. I bought Salamis yesterday. A still plan to read a few other things first, but we shall see.

I read an interesting theory (somewhere) that the flood, deluge is/was a much earlier event. And the authors of the Bible used it to forward their narrative. It went on to say the flood event could have been caused by a collapse of the land bridge at the Straits of Gibraltar that allowed the Atlantic to flood the area we now know as the Mediterranean. It's an interesting hypothesis.

And that, for me at least, seems a more believable cause of an ancient flood event than 40 days of rain.

 

[Raf]

Finished the 2nd book of the Tyrant series. "Tyrant: Storm of Arrows".

After taking the city of Olbia back from the Macedonian invaders. Kineas, chased by his shamanistic dreams of his own death rides across the Sea of Grass to join his wife Srayanka at the muster of all Scythian tribes to fight Iskander (Alexander the Great). The Sakje horse tribes have named Kineas as a "Baqua". A warrior shaman lead by his dreams.

Kineas has molded the Sakje warriors into an effective Greek style cavalry force. The trip across the sea of grass takes over a year for Kineas to bring his army to his wife. Upon arrival, he discovers his wife has been taken captive by Alexander. After a successful rescue, the army heads to the muster point to fight Alexander.

As with all of Cameron's novels, the esprit de corps of the characters and their allies plays an enormously important part in the story. A surprise ending too. Didn't expect that. Its' going to make the subsequent novels extremely interesting. If the author can pull it off.

Amazon.com: Tyrant: Storm of Arrows: 9781409103660: Cameron, Christian: Books

Amazon.com: Tyrant: Storm of Arrows: 9781409103660: Cameron, Christian: Books

www.amazon.com

 

[Raf]

I'm going to hold off on reviewing the rest of the series until I finish it. And maybe even past that until AC can find all the books. I don't want to spoil ending and outcomes for anyone who might be interested in reading this most excellent tale.

Not one to be missed. Or reviewed too soon.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Thoughtful of you, Raf, but please don't hold back on my account. As long as comments are restricted to the basics I have no problem with reading any review. Yours and DS's reviews of The Long War series did nothing to spoil my reading of it; in fact, they encouraged me to read it. Your reactions are what matter and what is important in forums such as this one. Cheers!!

 

[Raf]

I'll review the last one and the current one when I finish then, AC. This series is different from the other series I've read of his.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Started Dictator by Robert Harris, which is the last part of his trilogy about Cicero, the Roman orator at the time of the triumvirate. I read the first one maybe 15 years ago then lost touch with it as the second book took a while to come out. Anyway, I picked up this one recently and jumped right in. It's really well written and my head is back in Ancient Rome right now.

 

[Decrepit&Senile]

At 1824 this evening, 15 Jun 2022, I completed an initial read of Christian Cameron's Salamis, book five of his The Long War series. With others having recently reported on this book, I'll not provide descriptive detail. As with the series as a whole, I think quite highly of Salamis. I look forward to the sixth and final entry, Rage of Ares, which I bought (for my Paperwhite) earlier this evening. I don't know that it's what I'll begin once my Kindle fully charges, but no definite alternative comes to mind at the moment.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Dictator

This was a really good read and a fine conclusion to the Cicero trilogy. Related by Cicero’s secretary and former slave, Marcus Tullius Tiro, it covers the last years of his life and the major events surrounding the triumvirate and its key players – the same period covered in the excellent HBO/BBC series Rome. It’s so good, in fact, that I’m tempted to reread Imperium and then read Lustrum, the second part that I missed, though I’ll leave it for the moment and return to it later. Another of Harris’s Roman novels I intend to read is Pompeii. Recommended.

 

[Raf]

I loved the first book of this series. Have read the 2nd & 3rd novels of Christian Cameron’s Tyrant series. “Tyrant: Storm of Arrows” last week and finished “Funeral Games” last night.

This series is a bit different in that it is spanning 2 generations. Kineas and his wife are dead and their children Satyrus and Melitta are making their way through the world with assassins trying to kill them due to their inheritance of rule in the Bosporus. The Funeral games reference is to the ongoing wars to carve up Alexander's kingdom after his death.

The is no hesitation in the series with the author killing off favorite characters. And I'm not really buying 2nd generation tale either. I miss the original characters now, lol.

Written from 2008 thru 2014. While the Long War series was written from 2010 through 2016. It almost seems like the Tyrant series is a test bed for the ideas that made the Long War series so good.

Reading "King of the Bosporus" next. I'll finish the series, but it isn't up to par with 'The Long War". The first book was. These last 2 lack the energy of the first.

 

[pogopossum]

I've heard good things about the Wolf Hall trilogy. What's your take on it, pogo?

A late response. My reading was interrupted several times by other books and by being out of town on family business.
It is difficult to tell how much research Hilary Mantel did on Cromwell and the kingdom of Henry VIII. By every consideration the books were an extraordinary case of storytelling. Mantel is the only British author to win the Booker Prize twice, for the first two volumes of the trilogy.
From the start, where he is a valued employee of Cardinal Wolsey, through to where he is the most responsible person in England in its transformation from a Catholic, significantly religiously structured society, to a monarchial centralized state it is Cromwell who dominates almost every page. Extremely dense. Henry, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and their two successors are important to the story as is Henry's successor Mary, but it is the transformation of England that is fascinating and central along with Cromwell's character.
I originally picked up Vol. 1, Wolf Hall, because I have always been a history nerd, but particularly because as a kid I had the joy of seeing Paul Scofield on stage as Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons. I was intrigued because a Wolf review pointed out that "Saint" More was also a torturing bigot who personally participated in numerous interrogations. Quite a difference in portrayals. Cromwell is presented as a supremely political adept, but also at heart a man of conscience.
I am struggling to get through the extremely dense Mirror and the Light, covering Cromwell's last four years , but I know that I'll finish it, interspersed between lighter reading.

 

[Agent Cormac]

Thanks, pogo. Sounds as if it's too focussed for my liking, but because I've recently found a copy of Wolf Hall in a box of books I bought at auction I'll maybe give it a go sometime.

 

[Decrepit&Senile]

At 1536 is afternoon, 22 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of Rage of Ares, sixth and final book in Christian Cameron's The Long War series. As before, others have beaten me to the punch, so I'll not bother to describe the book in detail. I can say that Cameron's battle depictions remain second to none. I rate the entire series quite highly, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys well written and researched historical fiction and/or has a fascination with Ancient Greece that extends beyond the Trojan War.

 

[Raf]

At 1536 is afternoon, 22 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of Rage of Ares, sixth and final book in Christian Cameron's The Long War series. As before, others have beaten me to the punch, so I'll not bother to describe the book in detail. I can say that Cameron's battle depictions remain second to none. I rate the entire series quite highly, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys well written and researched historical fiction and/or has a fascination with Ancient Greece that extends beyond the Trojan War.

'The Long War" series is still my favorite of Christian Cameron's series. I didn't finish the Chivalry series and am still plugging through the Tyrant series. And it is just okay.

Neither of them have grabbed me like the Long War.

 

[Agent Cormac]

I rate the entire series quite highly, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys well written and researched historical fiction and/or has a fascination with Ancient Greece that extends beyond the Trojan War.

Very true, Decrepit&Senile.

I didn't finish the Chivalry series and am still plugging through the Tyrant series. And it is just okay.

I'm still a way off gathering all of the Tyrant series so I'll put in on hold for now. There's plenty of excellent stuff out there and little point in prioritising the mediocre. Thanks for the guidance, Raf.

 

[Raf]

Very true, Decrepit&Senile.



I'm still a way off gathering all of the Tyrant series so I'll put in on hold for now. There's plenty of excellent stuff out there and little point in prioritising the mediocre. Thanks for the guidance, Raf.

The first Tyrant book was outstanding, AC. Gave me great hope for the subsequent books. But it hasn't really gelled as a story for me.

They are not bad. But in my opinion it is not nearly as cohesive and riveting as The Long War. Reading the 2nd to the last "Destroyer of Cities" now...one more to go after that. Should finish the series in a week or so.

Then feeling the urge for scifi again.