sack of London book shops

[Goffredo]

Hi guys. Just back back from London for a week vacation.<br>
Went to museums and book shops. Boy is London expensive!!! But what a great city. After many hours in front of the many history, military history and physics books and much indecision I came away with the following roman books:<br>
<br>
1) CEASAR by Christian Meier, published by Fontana Press/Harper Collins Publishers, 1982<br>
I started reading it and it is structured in a very interesting way: more than a biography it describes the features of roman life and culture necessary to follow Julius’ growth. By the way I read years ago the McCollough series of novels on Marius, Sulla, Ceasar and a host of secondary characters. I really think I am enjoying Meiers’ book so much because I still remember the vivid rendering of McCollough.<br>
<br>
2) ROMAN EMPIRE, FROM SEVERUS TO CONSTANTINE, by Pat Southern, published by Routledge, 2001<br>
I decided to buy this one because I have always been interested in this period and because Southern writes something I always believed, namely that the emperors of that period were very vigorous and talented.<br>
<br>
3) ROMAN INFANTRY EQUIPMENT, THE LATER EMPIRE, by I. P. Stephenson, published by Tempus, 2001<br>
If I ever find the time to re-enact I decided time ago to be a late roman. Hence I got this one. I am eagerly waiting to get Dan’s book.<br>
<br>
Novels:<br>
4) UNDER THE EAGLE by our friend Scarrow. Read half of it already and am enjoying it immensely. BRAVO Simon. Cato’s first battle in the german village is great stuff!<br>
<br>
5) SCIPIO by Ross Leckie. Haven’t read anything by this fellow. Has anyone read it.<br>
<br>
Had a limited budget so had to stop here. But what I like about book stores is that you can thumb through the books. I already have a list of next buys ready.<br>
<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 8/16/02 10:25:43 am<br></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
Both Southern and Stephenson deal with a rather neglected period of Roman history that I find interesting, but I disagree on some points regarding the third century army's structure and organisation. Though military inscriptions are becoming much rarer from the second part of the third century on, some are available though that give an indication of the legionary organisation at the time (as was discussed before).<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 8/16/02 11:57:30 am<br></i>

[richsc]

Ah, the great bookstores of the world. I think Sander and Jasper have access to what sounds like great ones in the Netherlands. My brother is buildling a family reunion around the book stores in Scotland.<br>
How do these compare with the huge US chains like Borders? I guess I can't get an image in my US-centric mind of what bookstores like these would look like, and what advantages they offer? <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX.
http://www.geocities.com/richsc53/studies/ </p><i></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
On this side of the pond one tends to have a Euro-centric mind. I have no idea about book stores in the USA, so it is difficult to compare. Books are in the Netherlands more expensive than abroad, so when I get to London or Cologne I tend to buy quite a lot. Ordering online can be cheaper, but I just love to browse through books before buying them. In Leiden there are a couple of good bookstores where a good portion of my salary ends up (Atleest, which besides a huge amount on ancient Egypt also has a good range of military history books, and Burgerdijk en Niermans, which have a good range on ancient Greece and Rome). However all Dutch bookshops pale in comparison with that Walhalla of bookshops that is Charing Cross Road and adjacent streets.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

Yeah, I've seen how you 'browse' Sander. Flicking through it takes longer. Online shopping brought me most of my Roman stuff, and a lot from the States too. That we both (seem to) have a lot of books has something to do with reserving an enormous budget for them and reading more than one language. <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
That was not the usual run of things, the deal was to spend only a limited time in the bookshops and then move on to the British Museum. I could have roamed there for hours on end.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

I think I asked once about recommended bookstores, but this is a good start. I think everyone (our side as well as yours) would like to know where to head to when they get the opportunity. If you can think of any others (everyone chime in here) it will be a good reference.<br>
<br>
For example, any recommended bookstores in Scotland? <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX.
http://www.geocities.com/richsc53/studies/ </p><i></i>

[mcbishop]

I can only really speak for Edinburgh, but things don't look too good over here at the moment. Of the big chains, Waterstones is dominant in Auld Reekie (they had two stores last time I looked) and the previously excellent James Thins has now been subsumed within the Blackwell empire and roundly trashed - about half the stock they used to have and most of it very predictable.The bookshop in the National Museum in Chambers Street is probably a better bet, although I haven't been in there since they moved it around (again - it ought to be on rollers). There are quite a lot of antiquarian book dealers, if you hunt around, but I guess that's not what you're really after.<br>
<br>
If you want to die a bookie death, go to Oxbow in Oxford!<br>
<br>
Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[Richomeres]

They sold James Thins??? Edinburgh will be a poorer place without this bookstore. <br>
<br>
Helge <p></p><i></i>

[mcbishop]

Well it's still there under the old name, but it now has acres of carpet and comfy seats and noticeably fewer books. It makes you think 'lifestyle supplement' rather than 'bookshop'...<br>
<br>
Eheu!<br>
<br>
Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

took the advice and went to oxbow for the first time....................<br>
<br>
was very well behaved, kept within budget and saved more than the train fare cost-- so must have been a good day <p><img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.martin/AUXILIA/icon.gif" width="46" height="65" align="right">
</p><i></i>