Hello and welcome to World History Encyclopedia! My name is Kelly and today's video is gonna be
a little different. I am here to talk to you all about my top five history and historical fiction
reads of 2021. Don't forget, the easiest way to support us is by giving this video a thumbs up,
subscribing to our channel and hitting that bell icon for notifications, so you don't miss out on
any new uploads. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organisation and you can find us on
Patreon - a brilliant site where you can support our work and receive exclusive benefits in return.
Your support helps us create videos twice a week, so make sure to check it
out via the pop-up in the top corner of the screen or via the Patreon link down below.
Okay, counting down from five, let's start off with "Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome"
by L. J. Trafford. This book is exactly how it sounds; Trafford gives you this whistle-stop tour
through the history of sex and debauchery in ancient Rome. For a relatively short and quick
read, Trafford has squeezed everything you could ever want to know - and maybe not want
to know - about what the ancient Romans got up to. She begins by outlining specific terminology that
she uses throughout the book and then explains them, so you're not left confused later. She
then takes you on this intimate and somewhat scandalous tour of the ancient Roman world. Things
you can expect from this book are sections on the perfect virtuous man, and the ideal chaste woman,
how to find a woman in the Roman Empire, and who you are and who you are not meant to be
seen fondling in the Roman Forum. Trafford uses as much evidence as possible to not only illuminate
the sexual lives of men but also women. She details erotic wall paintings and statues,
the concept of witchcraft, the tantalising beauty and fashion, and what was all the rage to help
you pull on the streets of Rome, so by the end of this book you'll have an intimate knowledge
of the intimate lives of both the Roman emperors, well some of them, and the everyday Roman citizen.
Number four on my list is a book that has been featured on this channel already and that is
"Egyptian Mythology: a Traveler's Guide from Aswan to Alexandria" by Egyptologist Garry J. Shaw. Gary
takes you on a scenic journey up the Nile, without even leaving the comfort of your own living room.
He has done such a cool thing by combining travel guide with mythology book, that
really immerses you. He invokes your senses and gives you goosebumps as you imagine yourself
standing in front of an Egyptian temple, both in the present day and thousands of years ago.
Shaw has undertaken a monumental task of synthesising ancient texts,
wall paintings and archaeological evidence in order to present the gods, goddesses,
myths, and legends of each of the main sites on his tour. At each stop, with each chapter
corresponding to a geographical region or ancient site, you get tips on how to travel there now,
what it would have been like in its prime, and the key myths and deities connected to the site.
It's truly a wonderful read for lovers of Egyptian history, mythology and travelling.
If you want to learn more about Gary and his book, then make sure to check out our interview with
him, which you can find from the pop-up in the top corner of the screen or in the description below.
Number three is "The Greek Vase: Art of the Storyteller" by John H. Oakley.
Now, I'm not going to lie to you, the images were probably the best part of this book.
Don't get me wrong, the accompanying information is super easy to read, incredibly informative and
pretty in depth, but the images just make it so much more interesting. The book is split into
six main sections: Fabric, Form and Function, Potters and Painters, Depicting the Divine,
Meeting the Myth Makers, a Life Well Lived and Seducing the Senses. So by the end of the book,
you're going to be familiar with not only what is decorated on the surviving pottery
but the way they were made, the people making them, and how the painters decided what design
goes on which face. I absolutely loved the section Potters and Painters, which takes you through how
some potters and painters have been identified, and how analysing drawing styles isn't as easy
as it sounds. Pottery has been traced back to the workshop in which they were manufactured,
and in some instances, pottery has been inscribed with names which makes it clear
that it was a family skill passed from father to son. This is more than your average coffee table
book and you'll never realize how much you could enjoy ancient pottery until you dig into this one.
Number two is "Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint, and it's another book that we featured on our channel
in 2021. You can check out our interview with Jennifer via the pop-up or from the description
down below. "Ariadne" is a retelling of the myth of Ariadne, beginning when she was a child and
following her throughout her entire life. Not only does it look at the life of Ariadne but the
myths of Minos, Pasiphaë, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, as well as Theseus, Hippolyta, Dionysos
and her sister Phaedra. Not only do we get to read a beautiful retelling of the myth of Theseus and
the Minotaur, and Ariadne with Dionysos on Naxos, but we also get to read sections through the eyes
of her sister Phaedra. Having dual perspectives in this novel was such a brilliant way to tell a
story, especially since Phaedra essentially lived the life Ariadne dreamed for herself,
the second she locked eyes with Theseus. Saint has such beautiful prose and has created such a vivid
retelling of these myths, that aren't always super lovely and pleasant. This book was also chock full
of hints to the long history of the Greek epic poetry, like the reuse of epithets commonly seen
in Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey." My favourite and one that popped up a lot, was "Rosy-fingered
dawn." Saint also incorporated archaeological evidence from Crete and the Minoan civilisation,
like the Minoan bee pendant which saint has Daedalus give to Ariadne. This is a beautiful
retelling of the myths associated with Ariadne and Phaedra, and I could not recommend it more.
And finally, my favourite read of 2021 was "The Wolf Den" by Elodie Harper. "The Wolf Den" is
a historical fiction novel set in Pompeii during the 1st century CE, and follows the life of Amara,
a prostitute who works in Pompeii's lupanar or brothel. Even from the title alone you get a
glimpse of the detail Elodie put into researching this novel with the term 'lupanar' meaning both
'brothel' and 'wolf den,' and the term 'lupa,' which can be used for both a she-wolf or a
prostitute. Now, our main character Amara is a Greek woman who was born into a middle-class
family, who was sold after her father died, and who found herself as a prostitute at the wolf den
along with four other women. Harper focused this book on the lives of these women,
outside of their profession and wove a compelling tale using archaeological evidence from the city
of Pompeii. Architectural features which you could see today, if you explored the ancient city,
were incorporated as well as some of the names of the girls which were taken from graffiti found at
Pompeii. Not only has Harper created a phenomenal story rooted in archaeological evidence,
but she also explores so many themes and issues that would have been prevalent in the ancient
world at the time this novel was set. Elodie makes the reader realise just how dangerous
and difficult it would have been to be a woman in the ancient world. If you're interested in
hearing a bit more about "The Wolf Den," be sure to check out my interview with Elodie, which you
can find in the top corner of the screen or down below. Did you read any history, non-fiction or
historical fiction books in 2021? Which one was your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel,
so you don't miss out on our new videos every Tuesday and Friday.
This video was brought to you by World History Encyclopedia. For more
great articles and interactive content, head to our website via the link below.