June 1st was the 75th birthday of my favorite author, ...Australian born Colleen McCullough......

[Rowdyboy]

She is primarily known for "The Thorn Birds"-a multi-generational tragedy of forbidden love made into a wildly popular mini-series in the 1980's. While the book is okay, it was a bit too melodramatic for me and really not one I loved. My admiration stems from her 7 part series "The Masters of Rome" which begins with the grandfather of Julius Caesar and ends with Caesar's successor, Augustus Caesar (roughly 75 years). Written over a 20 year period, she did an incredible amount of research to ensure the books historical accuracy and the extent to which she goes is amazing. I read the books over a period of two years and, when I finished, immediately began again. I'm midway through my second reading of the fifth book and just as entranced as I was the first time. Caesar is about to kick Gallic ass at the siege of Alesia, then cross the Rubicon and, well, as they say, the rest is history....

Cheers to an author who makes a time period come alive, who does the grunt work and gets the details right. I feel like I've taken a masters level course in Roman history and enjoyed every freaking minute of it. And isn't that what its all about if you're a serious writer of historical fiction? She's ailing now, apparently in great pain and not much interested in "fan mail" but if she was, I'd be her biggest fan. Here's to you, Colleen. Thank you for stretching my mind and vastly increasing my knowledge of early western history. Thanks for everything....

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I've only read "First Man in Rome" I didn't know there were more..

Looks like my summer reading list just got a bit longer!

Good Wishes and Peaceful days to Ms McCullough!

[Rowdyboy]

2. I probably started and stopped "First Man in Rome" five times before I actually finished it....the

books get progressively more addictive as you come to know the characters. Please do yourself a favor and find book two "The Grass Crown". Rereading the series has shown me just what a master she is!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. I did the same, then went back and read the whole thing thru again

I've already been trolling Amazon for copies of the others

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Thanks for the recommendation.

I absolutely love books that I can enjoy reading while also learning more about certain periods of time.

[Rowdyboy]

5. These books are right up your alley.....I found myself constantly checking her glossary at the end

of the first few books to understand better. Its a story of the deterioration and fall of a republic with striking parallels to the society we face today. We share more in common with the Romans of this period than we do with medieval Europeans.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Sounds much better than

"Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire", which I (sadly) was never able to get through.

Imagine, I am one of those people who just hated history in school. As I have figured out over the years, this was because school history is so boring and one-sided. In college, I finally had some history courses that were interesting---we studied the good and horrid qualities of historic figures in one. In the other, we learned about periods of time that included what was happening at the same times as well as how things that were happening on country/global stages affected ordinary people at that time. I realized the problem with history was that you never heard about people like you and me, who are living with the decisions made in the upper levels of government.

That was when I learned to love historical novels. I really don't care about the high muckity-mucks.

[Rowdyboy]

7. These books do focus on people in the "1%" of the period-Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Cicero and Cato

with women like Caesar's mother Aurelia and his mistress, Servilla. However, many major characters are just ordinary Romans, some servants, some slaves and many businesspeople of the day. There's plenty of military strategy thrown in since Marius, Sulla and Caesar were the three greatest generals in Roman history but there is also scads of political intrigue, infighting, and even a bit of romance and humor. And then Cleopatra enters the picture somewher along book six.....

[fadedrose]

8. You forgot to mention....

her million dollar smile....that alone makes me one of her fans tho I never read any of her books....

[Rowdyboy]

9. She looks like such a kind soul....I understand that she is quite ill and in constant pain nowdays..

She suffers from "trigeminal neuralgia, or prosopalgia, an illness that causes an intense, stabbing pain in her face."

She had surgery for it in 2009 and I beleive is still writing. She has also written "The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett", a sequal to Jane Austens "Pride and Prejudice" which I haven't read. I believe she has 22 or 23 novels to date. Quite a lady...

[sagesnow]

10. Thanks for the recommendation

I will definitely read these. I am a huge historical nonfiction fan.

[WCGreen]

11. Read all the Rome Books and it got me even more interested in Rome..

I think she painted a sympathetic portrait of JC, one that you could understand. Cato, not so much....

[TuxedoKat]

12. This sounds like a great series

I love historical fiction and non-fiction. Will definitely add to my list. Thanks!

[Rowdyboy]

13. Take it from a huge fan-you'll love it....I'm into my second reading of book 6 now and today

read about the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Caesar. Its totally riveting. And after 6 books you feel you've come to know and care about the fates of the principals. Its trully exceptional.

[Crepuscular]

14. Love her!

One of my favorite authors.

I especially liked "Morgans Run" and have been waiting for years for the sequel that was said to be coming but sadly it appears that it's never going to happen. A fascinating look at that period in history.

[Rowdyboy]

15. I ran across Morgans Run about two weeks ago and devoured it....Agree that I'd love to read

the rest of the story but like you I doubt she'll get around to it.

If you're interested, here's what happened to Richard and Catherine after the end of the book. Some good, some bad but they had many years together and he had an entire new family.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/davieskg/morgan

In October 1805 Richard sailed with Catherine and children# for Sydney (The Female Muster 1806 8 lists Catherine as having 9 children - 4 males and 5 females). Shortly afterwards they sailed for Hobart, Van Diemens Land, and moved to a 130 acre farm at Kangaroo Point, Clarence Plains. (This was well before the colony at Norfolk Island was abandoned in February 1814.)

In 1809 the family was already well established with 18 acres of the grant sown in wheat, 9 cattle, 97 sheep, 2 goats and a pig. The couple and 7 children# were receiving public rations. In 1819 Morgan was recorded holding 200 acres reflecting a solid and growing level of prosperity.3 In Clarence there is a restored barn which is thought may have been built by, or for, Richard.

In 1815, Richard was constable at Kangaroo Point, a post he was dismissed from the following year. Richard was supplying meat to the government and had his own slaughtering house for which he was licenced, but in 1818 he, jointly with Rowland Loane, was charged with slaughtering cattle without a license.

Catherine died aged about 57 and was buried on 27 July 1828. Richard died at Kangaroo Point, Clarence, in September 1837 aged 78. Their children included Catherine (1792-1877), William (1794-1850), Richard (1796-1877), Mary (1799-1821), Sophia (1801-1844), Margaret (1801-), George (1804-1815) and James (1804-1836).3,10

[Odin2005]

16. I read the whole series last year.

Amazing books!

[Rowdyboy]

17. They led me to read more on the subject....Steven Saylor has a series in the same time period

whose main character is "Gordianus the Finder" (basically a detective of the period) and Lindsey Davis has a series set 100 years or so later centering on Marcus Didius Falco, also a detective of sorts. Both maintain the spirit of Ms McCullough's books.

Colleen McCullough has another piece I really love called "Morgan's Run"about the prison ships that colonized Australia and Norfolk Island. Her husbands real-life multiple great grandpa is the main character. You might enjoy it.