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I've just started re-reading Patrick O' Brien's Aubrey and Maturin series for something like the 7th time. Unquestionably one of the best historical book series ever written.

Finished with LOTR a week ago. To follow up something that heavy, I'm re-reading Leo Frankowski's Cross-Time Engineer series. Fun light reading.

Just finishing up a book called The Etruscans by Michael Grant that was updated in 1997. Some ideas:

1. There is no grand unifying "history" of the Etruscans because they were a bunch of individual city-states that were never unified.

2. They were not from the Near East like Herodotus claims. They did not speak Indo-European, but that was common for folks west of the Tiber.

3. They were influenced a lot by Phoenician and Ionian culture, and rejected Athenian Humanism in their art.

4. The Greeks were Frenemies long before the Romans were on the scene.

5. Most of the Etruscan city-states had economies based on metal mining and metal working.

6. We have very limited writing from the Etruscans, and almost all details about them come from their enemies or archeology.

7. Ancient peoples were also interested in ancient history and antiquarianism. There was a trend where ancient Historians would create mythical origins or people, cities, and places based on words that sounded the same from other places.

In some cases, this was just for fun, but their may have been political motivations as well. To claim an ancient "ownership" or association to a place for trading rights, legal bias, or justification for attacking. Therefore, you really can't believe the origin stories that ancient writers put on paper.

8. Ertruria is only the size of West Virginia. I.e. it was not very big, but even a 10 mile separation in the ancient world led to colossal changes in culture, race, and language. I often forget how much geography plays a part in ancient history.

Anyway, I imagine much of this stuff still holds true in 2023. However, they are finding new Etruscan stuff all the time. Sadly, I was pretty excited to get such a recent book at my local library! They are trying to step up their game!

What language family did the Etruscans speak? And how early is their civilization attested? Have they been there since the Neolithic?


Anyway, my son is still reading comic books. I’m taking a break. I’m reading a book on the history of the Chumash broken up with old pulp adventure stories like Solomon Kane, due to inspiration from the new Shadows of Brimstone kickstarter.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
What language family did the Etruscans speak? And how early is their civilization attested? Have they been there since the Neolithic?

It's a pre-indo European language that was similar to a language spoken in the Alpine region. It was eventually subsumed by Latin and used the Greek written language as a basis. Livy states that it was still spoken in 30 BC but seems to have completely gone a barely a hundred years later. We don't really know much about it although there were a few similar documents in multiple languages like the rosetta stone. We know a few hundred words but not a lot. They were an iron age culture of city states.

Of note, they were not the only non-Indo-European language in the area. They make passing reference to the Ligurians also having a non-Indo-European language. However, there is no real link between Etruscan an other Non-indo-European languages such as Basque.

The implication is that there were villages in the area as early as the 11th Century BC and that mining the area provided Copper, tin, and other materials for a very successful Copper and then Bronze Age community. The implication is that their culture grew up where it was, due to the influence of various Med traders that came looking for their metals and set-up marketplaces along the coast. Phoenician and Ionian Greeks played a big role in their cultural development, at least artistically.

Almost everything we know is from archeology, and the idea of an "Etruscan" culture is a bit of a misnomer. Each city-state was unique but shared some language, racial, and religious practices; but they did not think of themselves as Etruscan the way the Greeks and Romans often treat them in their writings. They were Tarquinni, Vei, Voliscanni, etc.

I've been making my way through the original run of Robert E Howard's Conan. I'm doing it in release order too so bouncing around between King Conan and young naive Conan. The central theme so far is Conan hates wizards and if he was a D&D character he'd be neutral evil with the amount of awful gak he's done lol. Also being written in the 30s it gets pretty racist at times but hey, it is a product of the time so I take it for what it is.

 Easy E wrote:
Of note, they were not the only non-Indo-European language in the area. They make passing reference to the Ligurians also having a non-Indo-European language. However, there is no real link between Etruscan an other Non-indo-European languages such as Basque.

The implication is that there were villages in the area as early as the 11th Century BC and that mining the area provided Copper, tin, and other materials for a very successful Copper and then Bronze Age community. The implication is that their culture grew up where it was, due to the influence of various Med traders that came looking for their metals and set-up marketplaces along the coast. Phoenician and Ionian Greeks played a big role in their cultural development, at least artistically.

Almost everything we know is from archeology, and the idea of an "Etruscan" culture is a bit of a misnomer. Each city-state was unique but shared some language, racial, and religious practices; but they did not think of themselves as Etruscan the way the Greeks and Romans often treat them in their writings. They were Tarquinni, Vei, Voliscanni, etc.

So more like “Western” culture? We have a lot of links and similarities, but nobody is going to claim British, German and Americans are the same.

Another month, another 2000AD Ultimate Collection delivery.

This time is the Slaine finale, with Black Siddha, and a Dredd tale where he faces off against the Four Horsemen of the Apocaylpse.

Slaine - Dragontamer left me a bit cold if I’m honest. The plot feels repeated from older volumes, and the ending is just unsatisfactory. Where Slaine loses but actually wins apparently. Almost feels like it somehow missed an issue.

Black Siddha is bit more interesting. Young Indian man finds he’s the reincarnation of the titular Black Siddha, and has some Karmic balancing to do. Specifically pick up the mantle and only use his powers for good.

As someone only passingly familiar with Hinduism, it’s fun to see it being presented in this way. And it’s always a treat to read some 2000AD I’ve not previously been aware of.

The Dredd one I’ll get on to later.

 Olthannon wrote:
It's a pre-indo European language that was similar to a language spoken in the Alpine region. It was eventually subsumed by Latin and used the Greek written language as a basis. Livy states that it was still spoken in 30 BC but seems to have completely gone a barely a hundred years later. We don't really know much about it although there were a few similar documents in multiple languages like the rosetta stone. We know a few hundred words but not a lot. They were an iron age culture of city states.

The Roman emperor Claudius was reputed to have made a dictionary of Etruscan, now sadly lost.

We probably have only 1 percent or less of what was written down in the time of Augustus.

I'm now on volume 2 of Max Saunders' mammoth biography of Ford Madox Ford. An obscure topic to be sure, but he was once a well-known author and man of letters. His Parade's End series was made into an HBO miniseries not long ago and The Good Soldier is still in print.

Devoured the Dredd volume.

This was an odd experience for me, as it covered a time when I was subscribed to 2000AD. And yet, collected volumes are my preferred medium.

Pretty interesting read, but may work best with a solid working knowledge of all that came before.

And…..that’s it for another 4ish weeks.

Next two volumes are Zenith Vol 2, which I look forward to, and one which may be a mixed bag, featuring as it does two tales I know nowt about (13 and Carver Hale) but also includes some Future Shocks.

For those not familiar with Future Shocks? They’re arguably Just Filler. Super short 3 or 4 page tales slotted into a prog when needs require. But…..they’re also very much 2000ad’s ace in the hole.

See….Future Shocks are pretty much anything goes. And can include unsolicited offerings the editor felt might work. It’s when The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is at its highest potential.

We the Thrill Seeker never really know what we’re in for…and that makes the Good Thrills all the better! Scrotnig!

Started a book by Stephen L. Harris called (imaginatively enough) Harlem's Hellfighters: The African American 369th Infantry in World War I.

Early going but it has been a bit of a slog with a lot of names and inside-baseball New York state and city politics of the time.

Downloaded the audiobook version of Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization last night.

Heard about it in Dan Carlin's latest podcast where he interviewed the author. Pretty wild read. These step cultures always intrigued me and this book get pretty in depth with some of the cultures.

 nels1031 wrote:
Downloaded the audiobook version of Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization last night.

Heard about it in Dan Carlin's latest podcast where he interviewed the author. Pretty wild read. These step cultures always intrigued me and this book get pretty in depth with some of the cultures.

How far back does it go? I started (and then misplaced) The Horse, The Wheel and Language, about the PIE roots of language and culture, and would love a book that went more into the other steppe civilizations or just added more.

I recently finished Into the Drowning Deep, recommended to me after finishing The Zombie Autopsies. Both were quick, pulpy reads.

Humble are doing a bundle for the Malazan series of books https://www.humblebundle.com/books/steven-eriksons-malazan-book-fallen-tor-publishing-group-books


Which has got me reading Deadhouse Gates again in my quest to finally read all the way through the series once more. Awesome super high fantasy!

 Overread wrote:
Humble are doing a bundle for the Malazan series of books https://www.humblebundle.com/books/steven-eriksons-malazan-book-fallen-tor-publishing-group-books


Which has got me reading Deadhouse Gates again in my quest to finally read all the way through the series once more. Awesome super high fantasy!

I so badly wanted to love this series based on the glowing recommendations it always gets from fellow fantasy readers, but after reading Gardens of the Moon twice (once a good fifteen years ago, and again last year) I just can't. Gardens is such a terrible book it makes me wonder how it was turned into a series. Like, who read that and decided they want more? I've read it twice and I still couldn't tell you what it was about.

Different strokes and all that I guess. Stormlight Archives is way more my kinda fantasy. I guess the world would be a pretty boring place if we all liked the same things.

I've gone ahead and started the Temeraire Series by Novak, starting with His Majesty's Dragon.

I never thought you could get as much mileage bout of 'posh British man gets a dragon and learns to loosen up' as these books get. Props to the author for managing to capture an air of Napleonic style, and era appropriate attitudes on social issues without being apolgetic or judgemental. Really lends to the atmosphere.

A good friend of mine died last week. In remembrance, I'm rereading his favorite fantasy series, Glen Cook's Black Company.

Also finished Vainglorious, the latest Ciaphas Cain book.

Yes. It’s another winner from Sandy Mitchell. Whilst firmly tongue in cheek, the Cain series never really crosses the line into outright farce. And I really like getting something of an honest narrator in the form of our titular hero. If he was terrified, he freely admits so. And whilst he puts his survival and decisions down to cowardice and self interest, he does judge himself too harshly.

After all, bravery isn’t feeling no fear. It feeling fear, or being outright terrified, and still taking action,

Overall, the books are standalone, but do form an ongoing narrative, like Discworld. So if you’re tempted to give it a spin, pretty much any story will get you going. You don’t have to start at the beginning.

 LordofHats wrote:
I've gone ahead and started the Temeraire Series by Novak, starting with His Majesty's Dragon.

I never thought you could get as much mileage bout of 'posh British man gets a dragon and learns to loosen up' as these books get. Props to the author for managing to capture an air of Napleonic style, and era appropriate attitudes on social issues without being apolgetic or judgemental. Really lends to the atmosphere.

Fun fact - the author also wrote the story for the expansion to Neverwinter Nights - I believe the 2nd expansion.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 creeping-deth87 wrote:

 Overread wrote:
Humble are doing a bundle for the Malazan series of books https://www.humblebundle.com/books/steven-eriksons-malazan-book-fallen-tor-publishing-group-books


Which has got me reading Deadhouse Gates again in my quest to finally read all the way through the series once more. Awesome super high fantasy!

I so badly wanted to love this series based on the glowing recommendations it always gets from fellow fantasy readers, but after reading Gardens of the Moon twice (once a good fifteen years ago, and again last year) I just can't. Gardens is such a terrible book it makes me wonder how it was turned into a series. Like, who read that and decided they want more? I've read it twice and I still couldn't tell you what it was about.

Different strokes and all that I guess. Stormlight Archives is way more my kinda fantasy. I guess the world would be a pretty boring place if we all liked the same things.

I do agree that Gardens of the Moon works better after a second read because of how many new concepts it throws at you; however 15 years is likely long enough that you've forgotten everything you learned from the first reading.
As a series it can also throw you because book 2 shunts you to a whole different continent and a new slew of characters with only a few from the first book.

It's a challenging series, but there's so many interconnected parts and the story ramps up. Plus once you grasp how the world works and warrens and such a lot of the story gets easier to follow.

Just finished Dune finally. Not sure if I'll go for Messiah yet but the first one was still good after the opening.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 nels1031 wrote:
Downloaded the audiobook version of Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization last night.

Heard about it in Dan Carlin's latest podcast where he interviewed the author. Pretty wild read. These step cultures always intrigued me and this book get pretty in depth with some of the cultures.

How far back does it go? I started (and then misplaced) The Horse, The Wheel and Language, about the PIE roots of language and culture, and would love a book that went more into the other steppe civilizations or just added more.

I had just dipped into it, but after the foreword about Atilla the Hun and co., it switches to the genetic makeup of the mummies found in the Tarim Basin (Northwestern China) dating around 3000 years old. Given the title of the chapter(The Peopling of the Steppes, or something to that effect), I assume its going to start with how they got there.

According to the foreword, the premise of the book starts with those mummies and ends with Tamerlane who was the last of the steppe conquerors and how technology wiped out the millennia(s) of military advantages that the steppe people had over their "civilized" counterparts. Author mentions that his book is a study of 45 centuries of lore and history.

Crispy78 wrote:
Still on my Joe Abercrombie re-read. Just wrapping up Best Served Cold, and very much looking forward to the recently-announced movie adaptation...

Going slow at the moment as I seem to be just so damn tired in the evenings these days. Don't seem to make it through more than a couple of pages before I'm off to sleep.

Still on Joe Abercrombie, just finished Red Country and on to A Little Hatred.

Currently on holiday in Sardinia and reading book 8 of 20 of O'Brien's Aubrey and Maturin series. Having re-read this so many times it's always a pleasure to become completely and comfortably engrossed.

Months ago, I bought a book called Diary of a Publican authored by Kieran Lyons. I found it recently when “Spring Cleaning”, (at the ass end of summer, as is tradition in my household) didn’t remember why I bought it at first, as its not a subject matter that usually appeals to me for reading. A quick and enjoyable 30 pages in (of 200+ pages) and constantly asking myself where I got this from, I remembered.

It was authored by Dakka’s own PaddyMick!

Pretty neat insights into pub culture and a fun read. Support a fellow dakkanaught and buy it, you goons!

My reading ADD has fully exploded.

I read some Stephen King books alongside my son, getting him interested in reading something more advanced than Goosebumps and X-Men. (He’s reading the short stories from Nightmares and Dreamscapes.) The novella collection Full Dark, No Stars seems like a return to form, something he might have written before 1999. The collection Just After Sunset is about the same quality as Everything’s Eventual, but with one standout story I’ll add to my list of the greats: “N.”.

Then Wargames Atlantic posted some Trojans/Myceneans, so I got out my Osprey books on Bronze Age Greeks and Agean Warriors.


Then Kings of War released a video about the Sea Peoples, so I got out The Middle Sea for a little while.

Now I’m back to Stephen King, cherry-picking stories from Skeleton Crew and Night Shift.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
My reading ADD has fully exploded.

I read some Stephen King books alongside my son, getting him interested in reading something more advanced than Goosebumps and X-Men. (He’s reading the short stories from Nightmares and Dreamscapes.) The novella collection Full Dark, No Stars seems like a return to form, something he might have written before 1999. The collection Just After Sunset is about the same quality as Everything’s Eventual, but with one standout story I’ll add to my list of the greats: “N.”.

Then Wargames Atlantic posted some Trojans/Myceneans, so I got out my Osprey books on Bronze Age Greeks and Agean Warriors.


Then Kings of War released a video about the Sea Peoples, so I got out The Middle Sea for a little while.

Now I’m back to Stephen King, cherry-picking stories from Skeleton Crew and Night Shift.

I haven't read any Stephen King in years. Does he still hold up? I may have to add something to the queue.

Over the last two weeks, I re-read Jason Pargin's Zooey Ashe books (Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits and Zoey Punches the Future in the Dxxk) in anticipation of the third in the series' imminent release. Currently, I'm rereading Altered Carbon.

I think he still holds up. Full Dark, No Stars doesn’t have much of the supernatural element compared to earlier works, but it has the same compelling storytelling as his pre-1999 work, as I remember it. Revisiting the short stories I’ve read before, I think they mostly hold up. Some of the ones I didn’t care much for as a kid are more impactful as an adult. A few of the stories are a little cheesier in terms of prose than I had remembered, but not necessarily in a bad way.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
I think he still holds up. Full Dark, No Stars doesn’t have much of the supernatural element compared to earlier works, but it has the same compelling storytelling as his pre-1999 work, as I remember it. Revisiting the short stories I’ve read before, I think they mostly hold up. Some of the ones I didn’t care much for as a kid are more impactful as an adult. A few of the stories are a little cheesier in terms of prose than I had remembered, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Thanks, I'll give it a look.