April HistoryCat: Ancient 8th C BC to 6th AD

This Month we'll be reading about Ancient History.

Two of my favorite books will fit this challenge: The Cat of Bubastes and For the Temple both by G. A. Henty. I'm pretty sure some of his other books would also fit the challenge.

Here's the wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2021_HistoryCAT

Post other books that will fit this challenge and I'll list them here:

My online reading group is reading Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson in April. I am also considering Arena by Simon Scarrow and T. J Andrews

This is one I need to keep looking on. I won't take time tonight, but hopefully tomorrow (along with figuring out the RandomCAT).

I have pulled The Beacon at Alexandria by Gillian Bradshaw down from the shelf. It is set in the 4th century AD.

I've had The Cat of Bubastes on my shelf for 20 years. Now is the time!

I've got something roman on the shelf, or I could go early with The Epic of Gilgamesh.

I'm planning to read A Thousand Ships.

>6 Helenliz: Love Gilgamesh!

>1 SilverWolf28: Love G.A. Henty! And Alfred J. Church.

I loved the series on Alexander the Great by Valerio Massimo Manfredi.
I also have The Persian Boy by Mary Renalt and I am the Great Horse by Katherine Roberts on my shelves.

>9 JayneCM: I much prefer Renault's Alexander to Manfredi's. Have you read the first one in her Alexander trilogy, Fire From Heaven?

I'm planning on reading SPQR over April and May, as it fits both this CAT and the May Non-fiction challenge in the 75s group. It's a bit of a chunkster, so hopefully reading it over 2 months will make it less daunting!

Are the Jean Auel books too far back in history for this? (Ancient history vs Prehistory?) Thoughts? Thanks!

I was originally looking for nonfiction on my tbr, but wasn't coming up with anything (via using a tagmash, anyway).

>12 LibraryCin: Most people seem to be ignoring the recommended dates so I would say go for it since there is no Prehistory thread.

>12 LibraryCin: I think her books would work fine.

>12 LibraryCin: I read a couple of the Jean Auel books, Clan of the Cave Bear and Valley of Horses. While I enjoyed the stories, I have to admit that the detailed descriptions of the characters' sexual activities kept me from continuing the series, as I found it boring.

>15 fuzzi: I have read the first one, and I liked it. Was planning to read the second.

I have heard what you've commented on by other people, as well, though. I'll probably continue the series while I'm still enjoying it, but I suspect it will get to a point where I give it up for the reasons you've stated.

>13 Robertgreaves: >14 SilverWolf28: Thank you!

I'll probably try to read one or more of the historical fiction mysteries set during this time period. Possibilities include Sacred Games by Gary Corby or one of Lindsey Davis's Marco Didius Falco series... Another possibility is a reread of one of my Mary Renault books - it might be time to reread The King Must Die.

I think I will read The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

COMPLETED Libraries in Ancient World by Lionel Casson

My review:
Libraries from the beginnings of writing in Mesopotamia down to the time of Isidore of Seville (late 6th/early 7th centuries AD).

Interesting information and yet somehow it feels a bit flimsy.

I finished The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. It had its good aspects, but overall it was very disappointing. I probably won't read anything else by the author.

>20 MissBrangwen: I read his Alexander trilogy and felt very meh. Not a patch on Mary Renault

>21 Robertgreaves: I have just written my review and it made me realize even more how few aspects there are that I liked. So if I want to read about Alexander one day, it will definitely be the Mary Renault version.

There's a long hold list for the book I chose, so I may not get to it until May. I will report back when I get my hands on it, though.

I listened to Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes and loved every minute of it.

I read People of Fire by the archeologist team Kathleen and Michael Gear. I had previously read People of the Wolf, which I enjoyed; albeit a bit too mystical for me. I found that this 2nd book in the series, was totally modeled after the first book, only the names were changed. This book centered around "The Wolf Bundle" which held spirit guiding qualities. I won't read anymore in this series because it's just too formulaic and too mystical. In the intro, it states that this book took place in the transition period after the last ice age, which places it at about 6000 BCE, which just fits into this CAT. I did not check for the accuracy of these dates because firstly, I'm not interested and secondly, I know there is much debate about the dates of the Ice Ages, and again, not interested!

I have finished Rom : Aufstieg einer antiken Weltmacht which is a potted history of the Roman Republic served up in small digestible morsels. Useful as a starter into a more serious book.

>25 Tess_W: I recall reading and enjoying the first three in that series, but I think I stopped as it was starting to be formulaic.

I'm about halfway through Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and it's quite interesting. I know enough about the historian's controversy around the book to be getting curious about the specifics of it now, though.

I did end up reading Sacred Games by Gary Corby - a mystery set in 460 B.C., at the Olympic games this time.

I also listened to my audiobook edition of the 3 Oedipus plays by Sophocles (translation by Ian Johnston):
Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone
I had read (and listened to) these plays before but this translation was new to me.

I just finished The Fate of Rome by Kyle Harper, which looks at how climate change and pandemic disease played a large role in the crises from the 3rd century CE onward.

I did finish Zealot. Read a couple of old discussions about it too -- very helpful.

Purists may not like this, as it is a bit of a stretch, but I read Atlantis: A Journey in Search of Beauty by Carlo Piano and his architect father Renzo Piano. The pair sail around the world visiting the father’s famous projects, revisiting the successes and failures of each. Like Atlantis, the mythical lost city, the perfect building is elusive, but still worth reaching for.

A lovely, philosophical look at a legacy.

I read The Conquered, a historical novel about Rome's Gallic wars, told mostly from the viewpoint of a Gallic chief's son. After the Romans conquer his tribe, Meromic is sold into slavery. A hellish year in Rome is relieved when he comes into the possession of a Roman officer, Titus, and he becomes close friends with his fellow slave, Lerrys. Titus, Lerrys, and Meromic return to Gaul where Meromic is repeatedly confronted with conflicting loyalties to Titus, Lerrys, and his fellow Gauls.

Quite good reading, even though it was on the depressing side.

I have completed my read of The Beacon at Alexandria by Gillian Bradshaw. Set in the declining years of the Roman Empire, about 370 AD, this is a story of a young noblewoman, who, when faced with a marriage to a cruel man, disguises herself as a eunuch and runs away to Alexandria to study medicine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I'm reading Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis, from the Marcus Didius Falco series.

I've finished reading Circe by Madeline Miller.

>37 sallylou61: I also read Circe.

I read Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber. I'd hoped to finish last night, but I was just too tired to stay up and read 30 more minutes. I finished it this morning. It dealt with spinning and weaving in ancient times.

>39 thornton37814: Ooh, fascinating.

>40 NinieB: As I was nearing the end of the month without a selection, I remembered I had this one in my the pile near my desk. I grabbed it.

This is longer ago than April's time period, but I don't think we have anything longer ago. I believe I mentioned it above and decided I would be ok to read it for this.

The Valley of Horses / Jean M. Auel
3.25 stars

A continuation of “The Clan of the Cave Bear”, I won’t say too much about how it happened, but in this book, Ayla is on her own, trying to survive, and looking for what the Clan call “the Others” – that is, people of her kind. She finds a nice spot to settle and manages to tame a horse, and raise a lion cub! Meanwhile (and I missed the circumstances around it), two brothers, Jondalar and Thonalan are travelling. Thonalan becomes injured, so they find a group of people to stay with while he improves.

I listened to the audio, so I did miss some things. Overall, I liked the story (I preferred Ayla’s chapters), but (and I will use terminology I found in other reviews), I didn’t think the “caveman porn” was necessary (though there was less of it than I expected, based on reviews). I could have done without the majority of it, though. I do hear it gets worse as the series goes on, but I think (for now), the story is interesting enough for me to continue to the next book. I also thought, for a prehistoric man, Jondalar was maybe a bit too contemporary in his attitudes toward women. Not everything was contemporary, but certainly more than I expected, although I guess we don’t really know what prehistoric culture was like. I did enjoy learning about the making of fire, tools, and the survival strategies and I loved Ayla’s animal companions. ¼ star was taken off for the caveman porn aspect.