Rating: Summary: A Lurid Introduction to the Roman Games Review: "The Gladiator" is a readable and sometimes melodramatic account of the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. The book is not a systematic, chronological history of the arena--rather, it offers an impression of what the contests would have been like at various points in the development of the Republic and the Empire.The games started as sword fights between slaves at funeral ceremonies--sometimes to the death, sometimes not. Over time, successful Romans undertook to display their wealth by producing increasingly elaborate spectacles. The cost and complexity of the enterprise eventually became so great that the state became involved in staging the proceedings. Baker describes (sometimes in upsetting detail) the different contests that a Roman could expect to see at the arena: battles between warriors armed with various types of weapons and armor, fights to the death between "hunters" and terrified animals, naval battles between fleets manned by doomed slaves, and brutal executions. Occasionally, an Emperor would step into the arena to display his fighting prowess (or to indulge his taste for sadism)--of course, his guard always made sure that his opponents were armed with wooden swords and doomed to die at the Emperor's hand. Baker's book culminates in a chapter called "A Day at the Games." The account is lurid and unsettling, and Baker brings home the terror and pain of the men, women and animals who died in the arena to the cheers of the crowd. The cruelty of the games simply staggers the imagination, to say nothing of the fact that this went on for hundreds of years. It makes you think that the term "Roman civilization" is a bit of an oxymoron.
Rating: Summary: A Lurid Introduction to the Roman Games Review: "The Gladiator" is a readable and sometimes melodramatic account of the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. The book is not a systematic, chronological history of the arena--rather, it offers an impression of what the contests would have been like at various points in the development of the Republic and the Empire. The games started as sword fights between slaves at funeral ceremonies--sometimes to the death, sometimes not. Over time, successful Romans undertook to display their wealth by producing increasingly elaborate spectacles. The cost and complexity of the enterprise eventually became so great that the state became involved in staging the proceedings. Baker describes (sometimes in upsetting detail) the different contests that a Roman could expect to see at the arena: battles between warriors armed with various types of weapons and armor, fights to the death between "hunters" and terrified animals, naval battles between fleets manned by doomed slaves, and brutal executions. Occasionally, an Emperor would step into the arena to display his fighting prowess (or to indulge his taste for sadism)--of course, his guard always made sure that his opponents were armed with wooden swords and doomed to die at the Emperor's hand. Baker's book culminates in a chapter called "A Day at the Games." The account is lurid and unsettling, and Baker brings home the terror and pain of the men, women and animals who died in the arena to the cheers of the crowd. The cruelty of the games simply staggers the imagination, to say nothing of the fact that this went on for hundreds of years. It makes you think that the term "Roman civilization" is a bit of an oxymoron.
Rating: Summary: A Lurid Introduction to the Roman Games Review: "The Gladiator" is a readable and sometimes melodramatic account of the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. The book is not a systematic, chronological history of the arena--rather, it offers an impression of what the contests would have been like at various points in the development of the Republic and the Empire. The games started as sword fights between slaves at funeral ceremonies--sometimes to the death, sometimes not. Over time, successful Romans undertook to display their wealth by producing increasingly elaborate spectacles. The cost and complexity of the enterprise eventually became so great that the state became involved in staging the proceedings. Baker describes (sometimes in upsetting detail) the different contests that a Roman could expect to see at the arena: battles between warriors armed with various types of weapons and armor, fights to the death between "hunters" and terrified animals, naval battles between fleets manned by doomed slaves, and brutal executions. Occasionally, an Emperor would step into the arena to display his fighting prowess (or to indulge his taste for sadism)--of course, his guard always made sure that his opponents were armed with wooden swords and doomed to die at the Emperor's hand. Baker's book culminates in a chapter called "A Day at the Games." The account is lurid and unsettling, and Baker brings home the terror and pain of the men, women and animals who died in the arena to the cheers of the crowd. The cruelty of the games simply staggers the imagination, to say nothing of the fact that this went on for hundreds of years. It makes you think that the term "Roman civilization" is a bit of an oxymoron.
Rating: Summary: Not for the Faint of Heart (or Stomach) Review: A very readable if sometimes stomach turning telling of the history of gladiators. The writing is fast paced and the book is as much a page turner as something that is going under the title of a history book has a right to be. Baker makes no glossy finish for his history of bloodsport. It's nasty, dirty and disgusting in every way possible. While he doesn't give the ancient Romans an excuse for their behavior, he does give an explaination. Each chapter tells a different part of gladiatoral combat from executions to the actual hand to hand fighting, culminating in a fictional telling of a day at the games. While the book is enjoyable and interesting, it is still hard to swallow. Baker doesn't sugar coat his history, which gives a very vivid picture of a very bloody portion of history.
Rating: Summary: The Gladiator as warrior slave. Review: A work of history that reads like fiction, THE GLADIATOR not only gives a dramatic and vivid picture of Roman life--it re-creates the stories of Spartacus, Commodus, Caligula and others that have become legendary through their connection to the gladiatorial arena. It is an illuminating book that shows these warrior slaves as both popular heroes and reviled prisoners of the state. They led short, brutal lives and in many cases were more popular with the crowds of Rome than the Emperors who held the power of life or death over them. Alan Baker has done an excellent job in presenting fact and legend side by side. He has created a book of credible depth told with an ease that makes the material accessible to all. Scarrow does not succumb to the modern Christian interpretation of history written by the victors--instead showing that cultural context must be understood. Some of the content is a bit sensationalized, but for anyone interested in Roman history, this book is highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Readable but erudite account of the Roman gladiators Review: For a readable book with no footnotes, Baker's THE GLADIATOR is surprisingly detailed. Pretty much everything you could want to know about the Roman gladiators - who they were, why they fought, how they were perceived by others, what kinds of weapons and fighting styles they used, what kinds of elaborate setups they fought in, where the whole practice came from and how it developed - is contained within this book, as well as a little more information than you probably wanted to know about Roman public executions. The finale of THE GLADIATOR is a horrifying fictional chapter describing what a typical day at the Roman games might have been like - definitely not for the faint-hearted, but it makes one very happy to be living in better times.
Rating: Summary: All anybody but an expert would need to know. Review: History books written for the layman can be exceptionally rich and full of easily digestible material and this book by Alan Baker matches that comment perfectly-a book packed with information that he presents in a superb, non-specialist manner. If any reader has paused in their traverse of Roman history from the Republic through the Empire they they must surely ask some very pertinent questions about this peculiar Roman culture of public death in the arena. I know of no other civilization or culture that needed this public bloodletting and Baker offers some cogent reasons why it should have happened. Beyond this theorizing, Baker gives us-through ample contemporary quotes from the period-an excellent picture of who gladiators were, why they were, how they fought, with whom they fought, the environment of the combat and finally what happened to both the victors and the defeated. In short, I would be surprised if anyone not an expert would have any unanswered questions lying around after reading this bookf. He speculates on questions about the reasons why the Mediterranean basin is denuded of so many animals that are now found only south of the Sahara and why the Roman's would divert so many resources just to provide entertainment for the masses. I recommend this wonderful readable book to any person looking for some answers to a world wide question about a supposedly superior civilization that used the worst blood-sports in human history. As he writes, don't judge them by our standards-I guess?
Rating: Summary: Not a Good History, but Might be a Good Read Review: I was really disappointed by this book. I confess to being something of a classics nerd, so I was hoping for a proper historical look at the gladiatorial games. And while it's true that Baker does look at most aspects of the phenomenon, he doesn't do so with a good historian's perspective.
Early in the book, he warns against applying modern sensibilities to ancient intitutions. This is a wise and reasonable approach. It is therefore a pity that he utterly abondons it, making countless judgements throughout the book. Some of these are explicit, but most are implicit in his choice of phrasing and other subtler aspects of his writing. While I agree that, to my modern morals, these games were barbaric, I find his judgements annoying and out of place in a historical work.
Another great flaw of this book is that the author takes every historical account as true. Seutonius, for example, is full of racey tales of the dark sides of the early emperors. (Plus Caesar who, despite Baker's assertions, is not considered an emporor. This isn't the only minor inaccuracy I noticed, incidentally.) However, it's doubtful that all of it, or even necessarily most of it is true. But Baker relies on Seutonius and others as literal fact upon which to base his "history". It's difficult to know how much of Baker to trust given his apparent inability to be skeptical.
Finally, the chapter on the Emperor-Gladiators is a wretched peice of work. The account of Caligula is just a transcribed Seutonius. (Why not just read the original in the first place, then?). And the overwelming majority of the chapter has nothing to do with these emperors' behavior in the arena, it's just a long liteny of how these men were depraved. This isn't the only case where Baker shows a poor ability to stay focused on his topic, but it's the most vexing.
Overall, I get the sense that Baker lacks a solid background in history. (Which may not be correct, but that's the impression this book conveys.) Instead, I get the impression of an author who is out to titillate the audience more than to provided a careful historical look at the gladiatorial games. On the one hand, this makes the book more interesting and approachable for a broad audience. On the other hand, it makes it a poor read for anyone seeking real understanding,
Rating: Summary: Sand and blood in ancient Rome Review: Since I was in my teens, movie pictures like "Spartacus", "Demetrius the gladiator" and "Quo Vadis?" inspired me with an inextinguishable thirst to know facts about Gladiators & Roman Circus. I was able to find more than one book about Spartacus and his revolt, but on gladiator's everyday life, origins, evolution among other issues, I was unsuccessful. Worst of all, the recent movie "Gladiator", renew my interest.
Finally I found this book at Amazon's Store (where else?).
It is at the same time an oasis for my thirst and a let down in some aspects.
First the bright side: Mr. Baker has done a very interesting research and show his findings in a very amenable way.
All the main issues are addressed: origin of gladiatorial institution, organization, evolution and extinction. Weaponry, different kinds of fights, ceremonies, circus emplacement, glossary of terms. A vivid reconstruction of "A day at the Circus" and some other interesting items about these ancient warriors.
The shadowy side: the edition and typography of the book is poor, it looks as it was given to press in a hurry (trying to catch with film success?). Some side stories are well known, other are not directly related with the main object of the book. Bibliography is scarce and no reproductions are shown.
Balancing pros & cons the book is fairly good read for anyone interested in this particular subject.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Rating: Summary: Sand and blood in ancient Rome Review: Since I was in my teens, movie pictures like "Spartacus", "Demetrius the gladiator" and "Quo Vadis?" inspired me with an inextinguishable thirst to know facts about Gladiators & Roman Circus. I was able to find more than one book about Spartacus and his revolt, but on gladiator's everyday life, origins, evolution among other issues, I was unsuccessful. Worst of all, the recent movie "Gladiator", renew my interest. Finally I found this book at Amazon's Store (where else?). It is at the same time an oasis for my thirst and a let down in some aspects. First the bright side: Mr. Baker has done a very interesting research and show his findings in a very amenable way. All the main issues are addressed: origin of gladiatorial institution, organization, evolution and extinction. Weaponry, different kinds of fights, ceremonies, circus emplacement, glossary of terms. A vivid reconstruction of "A day at the Circus" and some other interesting items about these ancient warriors. The shadowy side: the edition and typography of the book is poor, it looks as it was given to press in a hurry (trying to catch with film success?). Some side stories are well known, other are not directly related with the main object of the book. Bibliography is scarce and no reproductions are shown. Balancing pros & cons the book is fairly good read for anyone interested in this particular subject.
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