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47% of the populace in America and Canada are functionally illiterate and of the rest 50% after graduating college never read a book again. This review is on two books but equally on why I and anybody else should read.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.
Mark Twain
Roman Warfare. by Adrian Goldsworthy, The Same author who write the critically aclaimed and well worth reading ÒCAESARÓ. This is a small paperback of 107 pages lavishly illustrated in color with maps, battle plans etc. But it is about far more than warfare. It covers Rome from 753BC to the decline fall in the 6th century AD. It tells the story of Rome as a military power, how it fought, why it fought, the politicians & personalities behind - or often in those days in front, as commanders often lead from the front, - who ran, shaped, built and changed the Roman Empire. What they believed in or didnÕt. The question one might well ask why would I read such a book. I read history, histories & biographies to try and understand this world we live in. Not so different than all those that came before. We as people have not really changed in our fundamental make up for the last 10,000 years. It is a conceit to think we have. We are still motivated by fear, love, greed, envy, jealousy, ambition, lust etc. Time does have a tendency to create a more balanced and less partisan view of an individual - than when an author deals with current or very recent public figures. When I read of how others in the past, dealt with their problems, loves, betrayals, friends relatives etc. it give me some perspective into my own life. Albeit the characters I am reading about were preeminent in their time on the world stage, which I certainly am not. But history is written about kings, queens, generals, emperors and dictators, mostly. The average man is an after thought and we know little about him, but then he was generally little involved except as a victim. Also when it is a big picture story the beginning, middle and end are clear and not debatable. This tends to focus the writer and reader on what actually happened and why. When I read it helps me to understand the whys and wherefores of others who have come before me and hopefully understand myself more. And hence deal with others in a more balanced and kindly way. But I can certainly relate to some historical figure demandingÓ off with his headÓ, as we have all felt that at some time but are unable to act on such, which is probably just as well. The more I understand others the more I understand myself. With historic figures it is easier because there is no direct emotion involved, as I didnÕt know any of them. And the more I understand myself the more I may be able to change myself for the better. As we learn as we age you can only change yourself. To try an attempt to change anybody else is pretty much fruitless. So when I read such books always while smoking a pipe or cigar, I read without haste, to savor and learn and enjoy. The better the and the more interesting the book the slower I read and the more I think. I could probably rate books by the number of pipefuls but I donÕt. Each pause to puff & contemplate some point or event is a pause for self-reflection directly or indirectly. That is what reading does for me.
Cleopatra Ð by Stacy Schiff Ð I read it after all the excited reviews and was severely disappointed. The authorsÕ biases and dislikes are too evident and Cleopatra never comes alive. However much the Ms. Schiff admires her. A good example is that she admires Cleopatra and obviously dislikes Herod. Both freely murdered their way to success, so it is not like one is more moral than another. I sometimes think a benefit on ac-ancient politics with all the murdering and assassination is that you at least had a regular crop of new faces as distinct in our time when it is the same old people for a long time, with few exceptions and the exceptions are generally a disaster. The indisputable historical record is that Cleopatra in the end lost in her game with Rome and committed suicide while Herod won and ended up with a bigger kingdom. That is the beauty of historical writing the end cannot be fudged because you like or dislike a character nor covered over with psychobabble as assorted mental therapists do so often. The answers are either or with no grey in between except on a character Ôs motivation. I hope you get some of the same pleasure of self-knowledge from reading as I do.
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