A Writer's Guide to Ancient Rome

"'A really fun idea for a book - and full of great stuff.' Greg Jenner, Public Historian 'Fleiner (Univ. of Winchester, UK) is a scholar of classical and medieval history, and she draws on that expertise to produce an engaging and accessible look at the Roman period between 200 BCE and 200 CE. Her intended audience is authors, game designers, and reenactors interested in re-creating Roman history. Although the concept behind the book is lighthearted, Fleiner provides an accurate look at Roman life. She begins with a brief consideration of Roman identity and then takes up food and clothing, public spaces, law and order, economics, entertainment, and religion. In these chapters, one finds discussion of such gems as “clean-shaven or scruffy” as well as of traditional subjects like patronage, political roles, and deities. The hefty last chapter, ""Resources and Suggestions for Further Reading,"" demonstrates the depth of Fleiner's research. Covering this amount of content in a single volume leaves gaps, and some sections are too brief. However, the book serves as a marvelous introduction to the era for those who are looking to ""worldbuild"" or learn some basics about Roman history without too much academic brouhaha. --R. Tait-Ripperdan, Florida Gulf Coast University Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association. -- ."