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Books on Gladiators
#24
Sorry, just come across this post and thought I'd add my tuppence worth.
The first book I ever read on 'proper' gladiatorial Roman history was 'For Those About To Die.......' by Daniel P. Mannix. My copy is an incredible tatty copy of a Panther paperback edition dating back to the '60's and I won't part with it for anything.
I don't know a thing about the author and I can't vouch for the accuracy of his sources but at the time (late '60's) it really hit me between the eyes with the strength of many of the horrific arena images jumping up from the pages. In retrospect, I suspect it may have been beefed up for a market that was wanting a little more than Hollywood had to offer in 'Ben Hur' ! Also, there is a suspicion that some of the more pastoral (non-violent!) background of the games and the social aspects of the story which would have given a better balance to the book were left out to retain the attention span of the purchasers !
Not having instant access to the book (packed away for a house move) I can't remember whether the P/B was a reprint (and possibly much edited) from an earlier (and more comprehensive) work.
That having said the book still retains all the shocking power that I remember feeling on my first reading - almost as if I had been an unsuspecting member of the crowd visiting the games for the first time. The narrative describes many of the arena set-pieces along with the documented names of some of the participants. There is no pulling of punches here!!!
It may be that this book is not for the serious scholar - but for me it was an unforgettable introduction to the 'real' Roman world outside of the sanitised 'school editions' !

Given that it is such an old book its availability would now be limited to the shelves of second-hand book stores or E-bay!

Regards,

Romanonick/Nick Deacon.
Romanonick/Nick Deacon
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Messages In This Thread
Books on Gladiators - by jbd_29349 - 05-01-2007, 02:56 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Tib. Gabinius - 05-01-2007, 10:48 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 05-03-2007, 12:02 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Jeroen Pelgrom - 05-03-2007, 03:54 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 07-02-2007, 08:11 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 07-03-2007, 09:48 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 07-03-2007, 09:59 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 07-03-2007, 04:14 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 07-04-2007, 07:08 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gashford - 08-30-2007, 12:20 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 08-30-2007, 01:05 PM
The Osprey Book - by Conal - 08-30-2007, 04:03 PM
Books - by Paullus Scipio - 08-31-2007, 04:43 AM
Re: Books - by Conal - 08-31-2007, 08:25 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Hugh Fuller - 09-12-2007, 09:08 PM
Re: Books - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 11-27-2007, 07:45 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Paullus Scipio - 11-27-2007, 09:05 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 11-28-2007, 03:55 PM
Books on gladiators - by Paullus Scipio - 11-28-2007, 10:08 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 11-29-2007, 07:31 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Ironhand - 12-12-2007, 02:10 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Jvrjenivs - 01-28-2008, 05:41 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 01-28-2008, 06:50 PM
Books On Gladiators - by romanonick - 02-20-2008, 11:53 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Paullus Scipio - 02-21-2008, 01:03 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by john m roberts - 02-21-2008, 02:40 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 04-14-2008, 02:16 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-15-2008, 09:58 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 04-15-2008, 11:14 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-15-2008, 01:31 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Jvrjenivs - 04-15-2008, 03:27 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-15-2008, 10:10 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Jvrjenivs - 04-16-2008, 06:20 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by martijn.wijnhoven - 04-16-2008, 06:29 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by martijn.wijnhoven - 04-16-2008, 06:30 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-16-2008, 09:58 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Martin Moser - 04-16-2008, 10:39 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-16-2008, 12:15 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Martin Moser - 04-16-2008, 12:59 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by martijn.wijnhoven - 04-16-2008, 01:26 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Titus Cincinnatus - 04-16-2008, 09:50 PM
gladiator book - by michiann - 08-08-2008, 03:33 AM
Re: gladiator book - by Conal - 08-08-2008, 07:53 AM
thankyou - by michiann - 08-09-2008, 05:15 PM
Re: thankyou - by Conal - 08-11-2008, 11:57 AM
Junklemann book - by michiann - 08-29-2008, 07:33 AM
Re: Junklemann book - by Jvrjenivs - 08-29-2008, 07:58 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 08-29-2008, 08:11 AM
statuette photo - by michiann - 09-02-2008, 10:54 AM
to olaf - by michiann - 09-02-2008, 10:57 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 09-02-2008, 11:48 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Jvrjenivs - 09-02-2008, 12:33 PM
gladiator relief in Junklemann - by michiann - 09-02-2008, 04:07 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by greekwarrior34 - 09-02-2008, 05:45 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 09-02-2008, 09:04 PM
Junklemann\'s book - by michiann - 09-16-2008, 04:03 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 09-16-2008, 06:50 AM
Junklemann (2000) book - by michiann - 09-16-2008, 05:58 PM
Re: Junklemann (2000) book - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 09-16-2008, 07:50 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 03-19-2009, 09:58 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Martin Kealey - 03-19-2009, 11:40 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 03-19-2009, 11:47 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 03-20-2009, 12:20 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Martin Kealey - 03-20-2009, 01:37 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Dan from Britannia - 03-21-2009, 09:57 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Martin Kealey - 03-22-2009, 01:17 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 03-22-2009, 02:52 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 04-07-2009, 06:15 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 04-08-2009, 01:50 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Dan from Britannia - 04-08-2009, 10:47 AM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 04-08-2009, 03:43 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Dan from Britannia - 04-08-2009, 04:00 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 04-11-2009, 02:04 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 04-13-2009, 07:12 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 04-13-2009, 08:31 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 04-28-2009, 02:32 PM
Re: Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 04-29-2009, 08:03 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Priscus - 10-24-2013, 09:18 AM
Books on Gladiators - by Olaf - 10-25-2013, 07:24 AM
Books on Gladiators - by Priscus - 10-25-2013, 08:31 AM
Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 11-04-2013, 07:23 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Conal - 02-01-2014, 09:17 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 02-02-2014, 07:22 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Conal - 01-04-2015, 06:20 PM
Books on Gladiators - by Medusa Gladiatrix - 01-06-2015, 07:36 PM
RE: Books on Gladiators - by Gorgon - 03-22-2017, 12:02 AM

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