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Fiction

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Rowdyboy

(22,057 posts)
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 11:33 PM Jun 2012

June 1st was the 75th birthday of my favorite author, ...Australian born Colleen McCullough...... [View all]

She is primarily known for "The Thorn Birds"-a multi-generational tragedy of forbidden love made into a wildly popular mini-series in the 1980's. While the book is okay, it was a bit too melodramatic for me and really not one I loved. My admiration stems from her 7 part series "The Masters of Rome" which begins with the grandfather of Julius Caesar and ends with Caesar's successor, Augustus Caesar (roughly 75 years). Written over a 20 year period, she did an incredible amount of research to ensure the books historical accuracy and the extent to which she goes is amazing. I read the books over a period of two years and, when I finished, immediately began again. I'm midway through my second reading of the fifth book and just as entranced as I was the first time. Caesar is about to kick Gallic ass at the siege of Alesia, then cross the Rubicon and, well, as they say, the rest is history....

Cheers to an author who makes a time period come alive, who does the grunt work and gets the details right. I feel like I've taken a masters level course in Roman history and enjoyed every freaking minute of it. And isn't that what its all about if you're a serious writer of historical fiction? She's ailing now, apparently in great pain and not much interested in "fan mail" but if she was, I'd be her biggest fan. Here's to you, Colleen. Thank you for stretching my mind and vastly increasing my knowledge of early western history. Thanks for everything....



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I've only read "First Man in Rome" I didn't know there were more.. Viva_La_Revolution Jun 2012 #1
I probably started and stopped "First Man in Rome" five times before I actually finished it....the Rowdyboy Jun 2012 #2
I did the same, then went back and read the whole thing thru again Viva_La_Revolution Jun 2012 #3
Thanks for the recommendation. Curmudgeoness Jun 2012 #4
These books are right up your alley.....I found myself constantly checking her glossary at the end Rowdyboy Jun 2012 #5
Sounds much better than Curmudgeoness Jun 2012 #6
These books do focus on people in the "1%" of the period-Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Cicero and Cato Rowdyboy Jun 2012 #7
You forgot to mention.... fadedrose Jun 2012 #8
She looks like such a kind soul....I understand that she is quite ill and in constant pain nowdays.. Rowdyboy Jun 2012 #9
Thanks for the recommendation sagesnow Jun 2012 #10
Read all the Rome Books and it got me even more interested in Rome.. WCGreen Jun 2012 #11
This sounds like a great series TuxedoKat Jul 2012 #12
Take it from a huge fan-you'll love it....I'm into my second reading of book 6 now and today Rowdyboy Jul 2012 #13
Love her! Crepuscular Oct 2012 #14
I ran across Morgans Run about two weeks ago and devoured it....Agree that I'd love to read Rowdyboy Oct 2012 #15
I read the whole series last year. Odin2005 Nov 2012 #16
They led me to read more on the subject....Steven Saylor has a series in the same time period Rowdyboy Nov 2012 #17
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