false 420363 39 male San Antonio, TX 09/2007 08/2008 1 7 6 true 5769058 read 1 true 870605 currently-reading 0 true 870604 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/41260-ancient-texts http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1214005913p2/5796.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:09:02 -0700
One could imagine Thucydides considering the various and possibly contradictory reports he had, for example, about the Melian dialogue (he was not there after all and he reports that the dialogue was secret), and then choosing the one (or inventing a new one) that respected the facts (in a "secondary" way--as you say above) but which served to get to the heart of the matter (in this case, a description of the cold migh-makes-right perspective behind the Athenian war doctrine).

While modern historians might scoff at this method, it seems to me that they, not classical historians, are the ones that should have to justify the tedious repetition of the "facts." Classical history, as literature, would seem to come under the inspiration of the Muses (was it Clio?). Modern history would seem to be, in an important sense, a rejection of the idea of divine inspiration and an attempt to replace it with a rather droll empiricism. I will simply note that Ken Burns (among others) understands history as a story that deals with human nature, motivation, and virtue (both personal and corporate). While he likely sticks to the facts (that are, of course, more accessible than ancient history), it is clear that he inserts a philosophical view into his analysis (for example, that the Civil War is the price that American paid for the sin of slavery). In other words, Burns doesn't fall prey to the 18th and 19th century understanding of history as related somehow to empirical science.

Just my thoughts, but it seems to me that only alternative history earns the title historical fiction. Your books seem more in the tradition of classical history.]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/41134-last-of-the-amazons http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1214005913p2/5796.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:03:01 -0700
Thank you for your response to my previous post regarding the creative process. Several comments in other posts have raised additional questions for me.

As you have mentioned, we have very little about the Spartans. Nonetheless, I believe that your Gates of Fire presents the Spartans as they historically must have been in order to achieve military dominance on the Peloponnesus and maintain control of the helots in support of their unusual life style. In accomplishing this sympathetic view of the Spartans, it seems to me that your Gates of Fire follows in the historical tradition of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon, which looked at history as a literary attempt to give a reasonable account of what happened and why and not merely to repeat the "facts" in as droll a manner as possible. (Does anyone wonder why so many students dislike history?)

In reading Last of the Amazons, I found myself "buying in" to your description of their culture, motivation, and mindset. Insofar as they are mentioned in Greek literature, I think that they are far more likely to have existed than to have not (just as Schliemann was convinced that Troy was real, despite scholarly opinion in his day to the contrary). Thus, I found myself wondering, on the one hand, if the Amazons could have been very different from your description of them. On the other hand, I noticed that your Amazons seem to share cultural traits with the Scythians, Massagetai, and even the Mongolians and the warlike tribes of the American Great Plains. (All of whom, one supposes, might possibly be historically related if one goes back far enough.)

My first question, therefore, is to what extent do you believe that human nature is a settled thing such that it can only manifest itself, culturally, in particular ways (given circumstances, geography, religion, et cetera)? Secondly, in writing this book, did you consciously borrow traits from other (known) cultures in order to develop a convincing picture of Amazon culture or did you begin with your imagination of Amazon culture and find afterwards, that they were similar to other cultures? Finally, I am curious about the response to this book among your female readers (I imagine it has been positive, but I could also imagine that some might have found your warrior-women a bit more brutal than some might prefer to contemplate).

Any comments that you would care to make would be appreciated.

Very best regards,

Richard Arndt

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/40618-history-v-novel http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1214005913p2/5796.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:25:32 -0700
I believe that I have read all of your books with the exception of the latest (which I look forward to reading soon). Let me just say how thrilling the experience has been for me. Thank you for sharing your gift.

My question has to do with the creative process itself. If the Greeks were right to describe the experience of creativity as cooperation with the Muses, and I believe they were, it would seem to me that there must be one Muse for history and another for historical fiction (I suppose that there must also be another for movies...which would make it possible to admire and enjoy both the The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as Peter Jackson's movie, for example). Would you care to comment on your sources of inspiration as well as on how you go about the creative process? I am wondering, also, if you ever feel at times as if the story is writing itself through you instead of that you are writing the story? (I do not, of course, mean to underemphasize your role in the process.)

Any comments that you would care to make would be appreciated.

Very best regards,

Richard Arndt]]> The Death of Kings (Emperor, #2) by Conn Iggulden]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7559953 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176996109s/671724.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:12:52 -0700 The Gates of Rome (Emperor, #1) by Conn Iggulden]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7558937 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173807751s/330947.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:12:35 -0700
Although he adjusts some historical facts to suit his story (and what writer of historical fiction does not?) at least this reader did not feel that it wa...more...]]> The Afghan Campaign: A Novel (Hardcover) by Steven Pressfield]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7558243 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158206202s/1315.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:51:55 -0700
Instead of large scale pitched battles where Alexander's genius, will to conquer, superior technology, and superior t...more...]]> Last of the Amazons (Paperback) by Steven Pressfield]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7557285 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158206204s/1318.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:37:25 -0700
Presented through the eyes of ...more...]]> The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great (Paperback) by Steven Pressfield]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7556854 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158206203s/1316.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:15:56 -0700
Previously, Pressfield invented an unknown person to serve as his narrator. He thus avoids the danger of failing to strike a convincing tone or find the right voice f...more...]]> Tides of War (Paperback) by Steven Pressfield]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7556320 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158206203s/1317.jpg 420363 Richard http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192069215p2/420363.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/420363-richard Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:03:59 -0700
Told through the eyes of his assassin and assassin's lawyer, Pressfield captures, in my view, what Alkibiades must ...more...]]>