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+--- Thread: Books on Gladiators (/showthread.php?tid=9239)
Re: Books on Gladiators - Martin Kealey - 03-19-2009
Gorgon:
The Fik Meijer book is alright for a reasonably good general view of the gladiators. Susanna Shadrake's book is better for its greater detail, much of it culled from Junkelmann's work. Also worth adding to your library is Luciana Jacobelli's "Gladiators at Pompeii". Of special interest in Jacobelli's book are the numerous examples of the watercolour records made of the frescos (sic) that once adorned the podium wall of the Pompeii amphitheater (all sadly destroyed by frosts over a hundred years ago).
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 03-19-2009
Thank you Martin!
Do you have anything to say about "Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome" by Roger Dunkle and "The Roman Games: A Sourcebook" by A. Futrell ?
So based on your response can I deduce that Susanna Shadrake's book is perhaps the best well rounded one-book source on the subject?
Thank you again for your advice.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 03-20-2009
Couldn't hold myself on my pants so I went ahead and ordered Susanna Shadrake's book.
Thanks a lot again for the imput, Martin!
Re: Books on Gladiators - Martin Kealey - 03-20-2009
Pedro
I haven't read the books by Dunkle or Futrell, so I can't give you any input. I'll have to check them out myself. Enjoy your purchase when it arrives.
Martin
Re: Books on Gladiators - Dan from Britannia - 03-21-2009
Quote:Couldn't hold myself on my pants so I went ahead and ordered Susanna Shadrake's book.
Now... That's what I call a review!!!!! :lol:
(I'll let Susanna know)
Re: Books on Gladiators - Martin Kealey - 03-22-2009
Pedro:
Looks like I won't be reading the Futrell book. It's $90.00 from Amazon, and at this point I can't justify the expense. Be sure to consider "Gladiators at Pompeii".
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 03-22-2009
Martin, that's the price for the harcover edition. The paperback is 39.95 USD. You can also get it for about 30 USD from Amazon UK (plus shipping).
You can check out some excerpts from "The Roman Games" here: http://books.google.com (just make a search for the book)
Thanks for the tip on "Gladiators at Pompeii". I'll consider it for a future purchase. (waiting now for Sumner's "Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier: From Marius to Commodus" and I've already spent a fortune this month on books...)
Re: Books on Gladiators - Medusa Gladiatrix - 04-07-2009
I purchased A. Futrell's book "The Roman Games: A Sourcebook" after it was recommended by Jasper here on the forum. It is really worth reading when getting deeper into the topic of gladiators because it contains many quotations from original sources and putting them into context. For a beginner I would recommend definitely the book by Susanna Shadrake because it is not as much in-depth as the Junkelmann book (the latter still not being published in English so far).
Jacobelli's "Gladiators at Pompeii" is concentrating of course on... gladiators in Pompeii :lol: But when visiting Pompeii in Oct. 2007 I was walking around with this book as well although many frescoes etc. already disappeared.
Never heard about "Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome" by Roger Dunkle, so I would appreciate any reviews on this book.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 04-08-2009
I finnished reading Shadrake's book one or two weeks ago (thanks for the sugestion!). Some of the info is very good (mainly on equipment) but some of the other stuff was somewhat vague and not very clear. A glossary would have been welcome too. Overall I liked it but I feel I need a more comprehensive book.
I'm probably going to get Dunkle's book in the comming months. It seems to be more "complete" regarding other aspects of roman games and spectacles, like Naumachia (~9 pages, maybe covering water shows too) and Venationes (~50 pages). I certainly would like to read a review too.
It would be good to get Junkelmann's book in english. Someone here said it was going to get a translation, but I guess that went the way of the dodo.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Dan from Britannia - 04-08-2009
Quote:Some of the info is very goodCheers
Quote:but some of the other stuff was somewhat vague and not very clearFeedback always welcome
PM me examples, there may be a 2nd edition & she'd need to know what people are liking and not liking (IF she gets the chance to edit).Quote:Overall I liked it but I feel I need a more comprehensive bookThank you, I know that she was frustrated by the format, she was told to lose 20,000 words (the subtraction of huge amounts of text, and trying to retain the context -took a very long time indeed
) The book was really aimed at showing the nuts & bolts of the games and focused on their reconstruction for model makers, film costume designers and of course re-enactors... if Junkelmann's books were in English then there may not have been the demand. (Susanna was approached by the publisher to do this).
I think the unique point was that (after the chapters on the origins) she wanted the emphasis to be on the provinces.
Feedback always welcome though.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 04-08-2009
Dan, I sent you a PM.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Dan from Britannia - 04-08-2009
Much appreciated :wink:
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 04-11-2009
I just ordered Dunkle's "Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome". If anyone want's a brief overview of contents or some particular info regarding the book I can do that when it arrives. It will be a while before I read through it, though.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Medusa Gladiatrix - 04-13-2009
I ordered it, too. Couldn't wait for your comments so I risked it :mrgreen: Will compare my opinion then with Gorgon's.
Re: Books on Gladiators - Gorgon - 04-13-2009