# SPQR: Mary Beard



## Brian G Turner (May 11, 2016)

Just noticed this on special offer at Amazon.co.uk at the moment - £3.79 for the Kindle version, and only £3.99 for the paperback:
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome: Amazon.co.uk: Professor Mary Beard: 9781846683817: Books

Seriously tempted to use up some Amazon credits on this.


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## galanx (May 13, 2016)

Wow, dirt cheap- unfortunately I live in a country where free shipping doesn't apply- might be worth it anyway.


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## Stephen Palmer (May 13, 2016)

Excellent author, and presenter.


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## svalbard (May 13, 2016)

Just about worth a look at that price.


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## Brian G Turner (Jun 14, 2016)

SPQR is a social history of the first 1000 years of the Roman people (753BC to 212AD). It avoids the over-done political history, but it never really goes into much detail of everyday life, either. 

The focus was always on how Roman society developed and evolved, asking questions about what it meant to be a Roman, and how that answer changed over the period.

There were some interesting insights, and Beard's manner is informal and engaging. She casts her net wide, and covers a great amount of geography to make her points.

Overall, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, she used some wonderful examples of people of different classes, to underline the variation within Roman society. But the questions she asked remained so abstract that I never really got a proper sense of the Roman world coming alive, except in brief flashes by the examples she provided.

Finishing SPQR, I felt I'd enjoyed a good chat with an affable Roman scholar, on subjects of society not normally covered. I did learn things - my understanding of the "collapse" of the Roman Empire feels clearer. But I never felt my blood-fired, or sense of drama, that comes when history closely follows the aspirations, victories, and failures, of its individuals.


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## anno (Jun 14, 2016)

Isn't that he nature of ancient archaeology,we have some theories,some facts and an idea that relates to our own modern society?
I think that good history writing should provoke and stimulate discussion,and this is very good writing that doesn't visit the usual tropes.
Much like Francis Prior who used his knowledge of land use and farming to theorise the Bronze Age...


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## MWagner (Jun 17, 2016)

Brian Turner said:


> Finishing SPQR, I felt I'd enjoyed a good chat with an affable Roman scholar, on subjects of society not normally covered. I did learn things - my understanding of the "collapse" of the Roman Empire feels clearer. But I never felt my blood-fired, or sense of drama, that comes when history closely follows the aspirations, victories, and failures, of its individuals.



If you want a more dramatic take on Roman history, you may want to look into Adrian Goldsworthy's books. He leans towards military history, but his prose is engaging and he has a fine sense of drama. My favourites are the Punic Wars and In the Name of Rome. 

This is assuming you've already read Tom Holland's Rubicon. If you haven't, you should feel bad about yourself and seek it out immediately


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## Brian G Turner (Jun 17, 2016)

I tried Goldsworthy's _Augustus_, but it wasn't to my tastes:
Review: Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor, by Adrian Goldsworthy

What grabs me these days is the everyday living history. I've become bored by political history, unless we see something of the human story behind the characters.


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## galanx (Jun 18, 2016)

Maybe it's the character.  I found his "Julius Caesar" very good, though the Gallic War parts were pretty heavy slogging through military manoeuvers. The first half was excellent in setting the scene and examining the general political and social background- though yes, more of the upper crust, naturally- but Julie's human story definitely comes through.


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## Stephen Palmer (Jun 20, 2016)

Brian Turner said:


> I tried Goldsworthy's _Augustus_, but it wasn't to my tastes:
> Review: Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor, by Adrian Goldsworthy
> 
> What grabs me these days is the everyday living history. I've become bored by political history, unless we see something of the human story behind the characters.



_The Time Traveller's Guide To Medieval England_ is very good. (I may have mentioned that before.)


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## Brian G Turner (Jun 20, 2016)

Already got and read that, and the Elizabethan one - much more my thing. 

EDIT: Will move this thread to the History section...


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## Bugg (Jun 20, 2016)

MWagner said:


> If you want a more dramatic take on Roman history, you may want to look into Adrian Goldsworthy's books. He leans towards military history, but his prose is engaging and he has a fine sense of drama. My favourites are the Punic Wars and In the Name of Rome.
> 
> This is assuming you've already read Tom Holland's Rubicon. If you haven't, you should feel bad about yourself and seek it out immediately



I thought *Rubicon *was fantastic, one of the most exciting non-fiction books I've read.  I bought his *Persian Fire* off the back of it but haven't read it as yet - I'm looking forward to it, though!

*SPQR *is still £3.99 so I think I'll get it, thanks for the heads up


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