The Real Gladiator - The True Story of Maximus Decimus Meridius

The Real Gladiator - The True Story of Maximus Decimus Meridius written

by Tony Sullivan and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 -Hardback -Pages 208

“Are you not entertained?” shouts Russell Crowe, playing the part of General Maximus

Decimus Meridius in the Oscar winning 2000 film Gladiator. The crowd, having

witnessed Maximus defeating several gladiators, cheer in response. Film goers

too were indeed entertained with the film grossing nearly half a billion dollars. This

book covers the historical events that film was based on. From the Germanic wars

on the northern frontier to the gladiatorial arena in Rome. From the philosopher emperor,

Marcus Aurelius to the palace intrigues during the reign of his son. We will discover

how Commodus really died and which of the characters actually fought in the arena.

Readers will meet two generals, Pompeianus and Maximianus, who most resemble our hero General Maximus. Also Lucilla, the sister of Commodus, who in reality married her General, but detested him. The book also focuses on warfare, weapons and contemporary battles. It will compare the battle and fight scenes in the film with reality from contemporary sources and modern tests and reenactments.

The reader will discover that fact is not only stranger than fiction, it is often more entertaining. The real history was certainly as much, if not more, treacherous, bloodthirsty, murderous and dramatic than anything the film industry has created. Anyone who answered “yes!” to the question posed by Russell Crowe’s character in the film, will indeed be entertained by this book.

This book is based upon the man Maximus Decimus Meridius, now while you might have seen the film Gladiator, which was fictional, this book is based upon the true story of the man and his life. A really fascinating and gripping read this book explains his life, career and what he managed to achieve. We read about army life, being a gladiator, Marcus Aurelius, taking part in the gladiatorial games, fighting and warfare all tidily done in seven chapters. The book contains a good number of pictures, diagrams and maps which really do add to the overall story. This was a well-written book by the author Tony Sullivan, who I have read before and I find him an excellent writer and to the point on most things. If your into Roman history you should really like this book, it’s not often you get such a good book about an individual soldier.

The Ultimate Book of Movie Monsters

The Ultimate Book of Movie Monsters written by Christopher Carton and

published by White Owl Books - £25.00 - Softcover - Pages 216

Do you believe in monsters?

We dare you to take a look inside this cursed tome containing some of the most iconic and obscure monsters from the history of cinema.

Cower in fear of Count Dracula and his dreaded children of the night. Abandon hope as the mightiest kaiju ever seen on film decimate all around them. Pray that silhouette at the end of your bed is just a shadow and not the dreaded Babadook.

Spanning nearly a century of cinematic terrors, The Ultimate Book of Movie Monsters showcases creatures from genres such as horror, fantasy, B-movies and even musicals. Along with legendary beasts like Frankenstein’s monster, Godzilla, the Living Dead and the (mostly) friendly creatures of Monsters Inc., you’ll find film facts, creature strengths and weaknesses and over 150 full-colour pictures of the monsters themselves. From the era of stop-motion beasties to the cinematic showdown of the century in Godzilla vs. Kong, film lovers and horror aficionados will find plenty to keep their lust for terror satiated.

But beware, for the beasts that dwell within these forsaken pages may just keep you up all night. You have been warned…

I’m not sure if I would be classed as a Movie Monster fan because although I have seen a great many of the monsters/films mentioned in this book, but there were a good number I had not heard of. This book is like the encyclopedia of Movie Monsters, it is very comprehensive and detailed in how much it covers. There is a great and excellent number of movie photographs throughout the book to support an enormous amount of detail and research. 

The author Christopher Carton has done a great job, researching figures and movies I wouldn’t have known or classed as being Movie Monsters. Plus he covers right from the start of movie making up to the modern day, so you have a book that covers Dracula from the b/w movies right through to colourful movies such as Monsters Inc. Which I admit I hadn’t thought of these characters, as they are so nice, I hadn’t thought of them as being monsters. A fantastic read, and certainly a book a Movie Monster fans are going to love.

Carry On Regardless

Carry On Regardless written by Caroline Frost and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20.00 - Hardback - Pages 232

The completely updated story of Carry On, Britain's largest film franchise, all the way from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the raucous golden age of the 1960s, to its struggles in the years that followed.

We take a happy walk down memory lane to enjoy again Sid James's cheeky chuckle, Kenneth Williams' elongated vowels, Charles Hawtrey's bespectacled bashfulness and Barbara Windsor's naughty wiggle.

It all seemed effortless, but exclusive interviews with the series' remaining stars including Bernard Cribbins, Angela Douglas and Kenneth Cope shed new light on just how much talent and hard work went into creating the laughs. For the first time, the loved ones of some of the franchise’s biggest names – on and off screen – share their personal memories from this unique era.

Was Carry On really as sexist, racist and bigoted as critics claim? Three of the films' female stars explain why they never felt remotely exploited, plus we take a fresh look at some of the series' biggest titles and discover that, in reality, they were far more progressive than their detractors would have you believe.

Finally, with constant talk about new films, fresh productions and tantalising speculation about a brand new era of Carry On, we ask – does this unique series still have legs?

On Sunday afternoons in the 80’s when I was a teenager the choice used to be a western or a ‘Carry On’ film if you were a film buff. I always picked a ‘Carry On’ if I wanted a laugh or cheering up. The sound of a Sid James laugh still echoes in my head or if I’m reading about Rome or the Romans I have ‘Infamy, Infamy they’ve all got it in for me’ in my head. What a cracking read that tells you some of the stories and going on’s and some of the highs and lows of some of the actors throughout the franchise.

The book also doesn’t shy away from criticism for the modern day audience about sexism, racism and bigotry but the book comes back well at these accusations and shows how the Carry On films were actually not as bad people like to say and in some ways showed how they were sometimes ahead of their time. This has been a really good read, and an entertaining read I didn’t know I needed. Excellent research by the author who has done a really good job. I would definitely recommend this book.

The History of the Vampire in Popular Culture

The History of the Vampire in Popular Culture written by Violet Fenn and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Our enduring love of vampires - the bad boys (and girls) of paranormal fantasy - has persisted for centuries. Despite being bloodthirsty, heartless killers, vampire stories commonly carry erotic overtones that are missing from other paranormal or horror stories.

Even when monstrous teeth are sinking into pale, helpless throats - especially then - vampires are sexy. But why? In A History Of The Vampire In Popular Culture, author Violet Fenn takes the reader through the history of vampires in ‘fact’ and fiction, their origins in mythology and literature and their enduring appeal on tv and film. We’ll delve into the sexuality - and sexism - of vampire lore, as well as how modern audiences still hunger for a pair of sharp fangs in the middle of the night.

This was a really pleasant surprise, not being a huge fan of Vampires. I can say that I really enjoyed this book and, to be honest, it seems vampires are around more often than you think. I suppose it helped to be in conjunction with popular culture as I had heard about a number of the books and films spoken about throughout. I enjoyed the writing of the author Violet Fenn who clearly knows her stuff as there was lots of good detail that was enjoyable and engaging. Maybe not a book that would appeal to the many, but actually I think people should give this a chance as I quite enjoyed it.