- Mar 2013
- 1,051
- Breakdancing on the Moon.
I agree, I find classicists can be pretty highly strung and sometimes the gentlemanly facade can drop. There were times when I lost my cool once or twice at a conference myself. Tbf one of those was due to a 'precocious' American UG calling me a Nazi for mentioning 'Indo-European'.That said, Badian's slashing review was a disgrace, it wasn't necessary for him to set out to humiliate Lane Fox in that way, and he plainly gained too much enjoyment from doing so which doesn't speak well for him.
I'm afraid that I find Lane Fox's books dull, I've never managed to get through one!
Yes, they can be a little dull can't they? No argument from me there! For what it's worth, he is more engaging in person. As I've got older my tolerance for long winded books has oddly decreased. Like a sort of ADHD. Oh, I can still enjoy the big weight tomes but I prefer those and academic articles to long discursive books aimed at the general reader and so very fluffy.
Recently been trying to get through Romm's "Ghost on the Throne" and its so....so....just...draaaaaaaaaaawwlllliiiiiiing.