I stumbled over this wonderful article, Hooked on Classics in which the Times of London was discussing how there's been an upswing in interest in the Classics and listed several books that are out, or will soon be coming out, that sound positively MOUTH-WATERING. I've been pre-ordering like mad, both the history and the fiction. (I was one who was tremendously impressed by Robert Harris' Pompeii, and I gather he's upcoming with the first of what will be a fictional trilogy about ancient Rome. Hooray!)

Here are a few of the recommendations. All will shortly be published at Amazon except for Robin Lane Fox, which I had to order from Amazon.com/uk.

Robert Harris, Imperium, set in the age of Cicero

Robin Lane Fox, The Classical Award (winner of some prestigious awards)

Anthony Everitt (of Cicero) fame, The First Emperor: Caesar Augustus and the Triumph of Rome

Bryan Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome (also an award-winner).

And if I lived in Britain, I gather the BBC is doing a documentary of the entire history of Rome, ack! (we Yanks will just have to hope that ROME II in January is as good as the first series).

Plus Adrian Goldsworthy's upcoming book on Caesar, plus Antony Kamm's soon-to-be-released biography of Caesar . . . what larks for classical students!