The Campaign Builder's Guild

Frank McLynn's Napoleon: A Biography. The good chap is currently running amok in Italy... good times...

Quote from: Elven DoritosFrank McLynn's Napoleon: A Biography. The good chap is currently running amok in Italy... good times...

I've always wanted to run amoke in Italy myself...guess the little fella beat me to the punch by a few centuries

He had a bit of a complex about being called a "little fella"...

And really, running amok is highly overated. It's the reason we don't have Vikings anymore: They finally buckled down and got a real job.

QuoteThey finally buckled down and got a real job.

Yes, working for the IRS...

And Capital One.

I've got a pile of books on my desk I've been reading lately:

In the far corner I've got King Lear, Othello and Henry V (I'm trying to pick a script to direct next semester.)

Plutarch's Lives are currently the central focus.  They're fascinating stuff (and required reading for an upcoming final).  

In the opposite corner, I've got a bunch of books for a paper I'm writing on Philippos II of Macedon (Alex's dad.)

(Triumvirs, I have returned.)

I'm reading a really large book on world mythology, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins, the April/May double issue of "Azimov's Science Fiction," and a variety of books on Greco-Bactria and the Indo-Greek kingdom.

How much history is conclusively known on the Indo-Greeks and Bactria?  What are our sources for that region in that period?

I attended a lecture a while ago about the evolution of Hindu cosmological theories owing to prolonged contact with the mechanical Greek model.  Fascinating subject.

Quote from: Kalos MerHow much history is conclusively known on the Indo-Greeks and Bactria?  What are our sources for that region in that period?

Well, I was recently inspired to write a paper on the subject.  My grand delusion is that I can combine political science (my major) and ancient history (my hobby) into some kind of useful study.  This is probably false, but I was sufficiently moved to see what I could make of themes of imperialism, colonialism, and cultural/religious syncreticism that struck me as conceivably parallel in our world and the Hellenistic world.  I've only just begun this study (that is to say, two days ago) so I'm not in much of a position to say what is conclusively known.  Right now I'm reading modern scholarship, I will eventually see if I can find my way to the (translated) original texts once I establish exactly what the "original texts" on this subject are.  Right now I'm just giving myself a general frame of reference with the scholarship available at my college library.  The actual paper may have to wait for next year, as I will probably need interlibrary loan to actually do anything substantive.

So, in summary, I'm asking the same questions as you right now.

I just finished Cool Gardens by Serj Tankian.

Probably the only book of poetry you will ever get me to sit down and read, and I throughly enjoy it.  The only problem with it is that it is relatively hard to find.

I'm currently working my way through the Wheel of Time series. I started now almost a year ago and find myself currently in book 10, Crossroads of Twilight, or Viersprong van de Schemer as the terribly translated Dutch title goes. I'm still undecided whether I even like Wheel of Time, though.

In the non-fiction department, I've been reading excerpts from various books on Social Philosophy (which I'm currently taking as a sidecourse), such as Politeia, The Prince, Leviathan, On Liberty, The Social Contract, and works (that I can't recall the name of) by Kant, Hegel, Marx, Rawls and Habermas.

For my major, I got involved in such things as Mathematical Analysis, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Modelling, Macro- and Micro-Economics, Accounting, Probability Theory and Statistics.

@KM: oooh, Philippos II. What about him?

The Leviathan is a great book, though you've got some other quality choices there too.  Enjoy it!

My paper was an evaluation of the source material on his early campaigns against Thrace, Illyria, and so forth.  He's great, isn't he?

Quote from: TúrinI'm currently working my way through the Wheel of Time series. I started now almost a year ago and find myself currently in book 10, Crossroads of Twilight, or Viersprong van de Schemer as the terribly translated Dutch title goes. I'm still undecided whether I even like Wheel of Time, though.

I think Jordan has done a great job with the series, but in all honesty, I'm glad he's almost done.  I've read the series multiple times (ever since book 6, I've reread the series everytime a new book comes out, usually takes about 1 week per book), and still discover new things every time I read it.  I would have recommended that you not start until they finally set a date on the last book, because now, you'll finish 11 soon and then have to wait probably 2 more years before 12 is out.

@KM: Yeah, he cool. I don't suppose you're getting into conspiracy theories about his death?

@Ishy: yeah well, I'll just read the final books when they appear. I did the same with King's The Dark Tower and it worked fine. I usually remember just enough of the previous books that I don't feel a reread is warranted. Either way, for me, rereading WoT would be undoable in a practical sense, as I just don't have/take the time to read those books in a week.