(William Glover, a regular contributor to Ancient Rome Refocused asked a question on FACEBOOK that got quite a few responses. By the way, William, please get better…)
William Glover — If you knew that you were that you were going to be “layed up” for more that a few weeks what book on the classical world would you pick. Right now I’m “in hospital” and had “The Oxford History of the Roman World” pick on me for have that and “The Men who fought for Rome” in my comp. bag.
Steve Nodine – I’m just finishing “Caesar: Life of a Colossus” by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy. Very good book. Hope you get better soon.
Paul LaFontain — Herodotus…..
Joey Hill — I’m starting the Rise and Fall by Gibbon again. Love that one
Rob Cain — Ghost of Vesuvius by Charles Pellegirno for me.
Paul LaFountain — I’ll take a look Rob. FYI all….there are numerous applications like KOBO that give access to public domain literature for free. As an example: The 12 Caesars, and The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt (an audio download, not KOBO but a different service).
Bill Cohn – Try Rubicon by Tom Holland. Also, the sub-rosa series by Steven Saylor for wonderful mysteries/historical ficiton. Recently started the series by John Maddox Roberts and am very impressed. Finally, I recently paid only 99 cents to get Gibbon’s Decline and Fall on my Kindle.
Antonio Rodriquez – Steven Saylor would be my choice also.
Rob Cain — William, please get better.
Joey Hill — I have an Audible credit to get an audio book, but I have no idea which one I want.
William Glover — I’ll put those on my wish list [book suggestions], if they ever let me out of here, but it’s a hazard being a dig bum.
Paul LaFountain — Be well, William.
Steve Casey — Get well, soon. I also vote for Caesar: Life of a Colossus. I bet it doesn’t end well for the protagonist.
Paul LaFountain — Ha!
William Glover — Yes, Goldsworthy does a good job.
Bill Cohn — I have read the entire Gordanius Sub-rosa series by Steven Saylor and eagerly wait for the next one. In the meantime, I discovered John Maddox Roberts SPQR series, read the first three, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Roberts is definitely in the same ballpark at Saylor.
(What book would you pick? Leave your comments on the FACEBOOK PAGE or comment on this post.)
Rob Cain has traveled extensively through Europe, Italy, and Egypt. He was formerly on active duty with the United States Army. He is a fan of history, and enjoys reading books on the history of Rome. He currently has a podcast presentation on itunes and hipcast. The blog is for the free and open discussion of Ancient Rome based on Mr. Cain's observations noted in his podcast. Most episodes start out with an original dramatic narration written by Mr. Cain. In the podcasts he will include his own unique commentary, and interviews with subject matter experts. Comments are welcome and will be highlighted on the show. 
Episode 10, “Nothing New Under the Sun. Get Over it”, features the book, “The Ancient Guide to Modern Life” written by author, comedian, and TV commentator Natalie Haynes.” Whether political, cultural, or social, there are endless parallels between the ancient and modern worlds. Whether it's the murder of Caesar or the political assassination of Thatcher; the narrative arc of the hit HBO series, The Wire, or that of Oedipus; the popular enthusiasm for the Emperor Titus or President Obama – over and over again we can be seen to be living very much like people did 2,000 or more years ago. It's time for us to re-examine the past. Our lives are infinitely richer if we take the time to look at what the Greeks and Romans have given us in politics and law, religion and philosophy and education, and to learn how people really lived in Athens, Rome, Sparta and Alexandria. 
This is a book with a serious point to make but the author isn't just a classicist but a comedian and broadcaster who has made television and radio documentaries about humor, education and Dorothy Parker. This is a book for us all, not for an elite.
I had thought that Duncan was the only worthy podcast on ancient Rome out there, until I recently discovered Rob Cain’s Ancient Rome Refocused. While I’ve only listened to the first episode thus far, it appears in some ways to be a mash-up of Duncan’s with another favorite of mine: Bruce Carlson’s My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. By this I mean that Cain, in the first episode at least, talks about the Western fascination with ancient Rome and draws some comparisons between their history and that of modern times. I must say that the 9/11 recordings from NYC emergency personnel were chilling to hear again, especially so close to the 10th anniversary of that day, but linking this to what the destruction of Pompeii must have been like to the ancient Roman psyche was brilliant. This also means to me that Charles Pellegrino’s book Ghosts of Vesuvius, undoubtedly one of the main inspirations behind Cain’s first podcast, merits careful attention in its own right. All in all, a very commendable start to what I’m sure will be a podcast that I’ll enjoy just as much as I do Duncan’s.