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Carregando... The Gladiator: The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves (2000)de Alan Baker
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Registre-se no LibraryThing tpara descobrir se gostará deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. A terribly disappointing read. I accepted the author's assertion in the introduction that this was meant to be an accessible rather than an academic history (to explain the lack of footnotes). However, the author's inclusion of basic historical background on every major historical figure mentioned strikes me as padding, especially when not pertinent to the matter at hand. This material swamps the passages regarding gladiators. One confusing piece early on in the book suggests that the author does not distinguish between a military tribune and the plebeian tribunes. (A quick look at a list of his books shows no other works of ancient history) The final showpiece chapter on a Day at the Games is probably well intentioned, but strikes me as overblown historical fiction, with an emphasis on gore and "insights" on motivations and feelings. Ignoring these shortcomings, there is a lot of material not suggested by either the title or introduction - such as the execution of captives at the games - which might have been welcome if the book had been any good; but it's not. sem resenhas | adicionar uma resenha
Alan Baker weaves an extraordinary, vivid picture of Roman life as his compelling and evocative history tells the story of Rome's most notable gladiators. They were condemned and feared by emperors, slaughtered and adored by the masses and worshipped by their female fans, yet their lives were invariably violently short. Whether their enemy was a starved tiger or a battle-hardened criminal, their numbered days were dark and bloody. Yet men gave up their wealth and freedom to become gladiators and noble-women gave up their positions to be with them. The Gladiator illuminates the extraordinary lives of Spartacus, Commodus, Eppia and others - bringing the same energy and passion to the page that Ridley Scott's cinematic triumph bough to the screen. Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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Google Books — Carregando... GênerosClassificação decimal de Dewey (CDD)796.80937The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Combat sportsClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos E.U.A. (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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However, despite the enganging and simple language Baker uses, he commits a mistake that I have come to found more and more often in History books of late. He interrupts his narration by inserting his personal comments and opinions and passes judgement without presenting any concrete evidence to support them, other than a ''recent historians believe such-and-such...'''. I am sorry, but you are writing neither a book of speculative fiction, nor a thesis to support your standing. You are writing to inform. You're supposed to write a History book not the script of ''Gladiator'' or ''Rome''. Since I have read quite a lot of books about the Roman times, this one falls terribly short in comparison. This is a major fault.
It may be an average starting point for the readers who wish to familiarize themselves with the subject, but for the Roman-era aficionado it is terribly lacking. ( )