Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans

I never buy merchandise or books from creators on YouTube, but I'm glad I made the exception. This was a fun and easy read filled with interesting anecdotes and some uncommon information.The information is presented in a very approachable and conversational way. It was easy to pick up and read as I had time. The question/answer format made it a page turner with easy breakpoints.And the foot notes were a great addition!Content-wise--------------Unsurprisingly, and to the reader's benefit, the book reads like the script to one of the author's videos.True to the description of the book, the questions asked are the type of every-day-life context questions that you'd be unlikely to ask in a more strictly academic (i.e. teaching to test) context.But this is the type of information that makes you (or at least, me) better understand the time period/culture and see the throughlines to today.Did they believe in ghosts?Did they believe their myths?etc.--------------If you're a scholar or someone who has a deep-well of knowledge on the time period/culture, there might not be a ton of new stuff here.If you're a casual enjoyer of history (or just want a fun/easy non-fiction read), there's a lot here to enjoy.

As a layperson with an interest in Greek/Roman history I became enamored with Dr. Ryan from binge watching his Youtube channel, Toldinstone. His interest in ancient history is very exceedingly extreme as obtaining a PhD in any subject requires. My interest is only mildly extreme and my lack of education will qualify this claim. In his videos he has a somewhat condescending and sardonic delivery which I find utterly hilarious as well as informative. Disappointingly he does not employ this attitude in the book. His writing is straight forward, simple, and accessible. Nevertheless, it is also informative and his sense of humor is not lost. If you are, seriously, not that serious about history this book will provide a fun overview of historical subjects normally omitted from discussion. And if you are a serious historian this book will provide a wealth of additional reading material from its footnotes. Give this man your money so that he will author more books and create more videos.

I discovered Garrett with his told in stone YouTube channel and soon came to love his videos and sense of humor as he shares tidbits about history.And of course I had to have his book.And while enjoying this book, I learned of his next one and ordered an advance copy.I often pause while reading to research a particular word or concept and further deeper my love of all things Roman.If you like this, you will likely enjoy the work of Vicki Leon, she’s similarly witty and also highly readable.

I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down, BUT although I would give it 5 stars, the chapter about "were relationships between men and boys controversial?" was way too descriptive. I now know things about the Greeks and Romans that I wish I didn't. I feel a little ambushed.

I wish I had this book when I learned about the ancient Greeks and Romans in school. Most courses focus on the big picture when it comes to classical history and philosophy: emperors' reigns, territorial boundaries, the ideas of the great thinkers. You don't often learn about what everyday life was like for the people of that time. That's where this book comes in. It's clear that a lot of research went into it, but it's never "academic" in its writing style. It's engaging, witty, and just generally fun to read. The footnotes, offering extra little nuggets of information that don't fit into the main narrative, may be my favorite part. I heartily recommend this book for anyone with even a remote interest in the classical world. I also think it would be a valuable addition to the syllabus for any classical studies course, as its variety of topics and connections to everyday life would be sure to draw in students of all ages and make the period more relatable.

out of a sea of youtube history videos--which are mostly great--prof ryan's toldinstone channel emerged to my eyes only about 6 mos ago. & what a pleasure! at first i thought the initial work i watched was flukishly interesting but soon found myself engaged in each upload & learning much therefrom. i kept hearing dr ryan talk about this book he was writing then suddenly decided, 'hey, i should try this book.' this book is great!! i actually find each chapter contains more information than is presented in his videos &, of course, it's great having a verifiabe resource. each sentence is a jewel & there are alot of sentences in this book. so that's alot of information. this is my secret book to slide under my keyboard at work & i think will be a long term 'companion!' so in the middle of my day now i'm reading about city revolts that occured in ephesus b/c someone's bath water was drawn too cold or an alexandrian revolt that occured over two men arguing over who's shoes were bigger. what an interesting book! thank you dr ryan for this eidetic portrayal of facts & knowledge that would be, i suppose, rather dry, academe material in other hands . . .

As a lover of all things historical (especially Ancient Rome & Greece) this book was a fun read. It was interesting, insightful, and answers a lot of everyday questions about life in Ancient Rome. It doesn't go in any specific order, there are sections like "sport and leisure" or "daily life" and each chapter answers a specific question about the sections subjects. So if you've ever wondered about ancient surgeries, how animals were captured and transported to the Coliseum, birth control in Ancient times, if the Roman's had secret police/assassins, and so much more I highly recommend this book to you. Love the format, loved the questions that were answered, and overall really loved the book. Hoping Dr. Ryan writes more in the future!

As a geek and amateur in Roman history, this book lit up about a thousand buttons in my mind's eye. Fun. Informative, giggly, and delightful details.

I bought this as a gift, but I was skimming through and it seems very good. I like the authors YouTube channel. The physical book itself was a little scuffed when it arrived, which is a tad disappointing considering it is supposed to be a gift.

This book is full of very interesting information about the every day framework of ancient life. The author is a good writer and you enjoy his knowledge of the matter.

Very easy and fun to read. Ryan’s writing style is constantly engaging and humourous

Sehr Gutes Buch mit interessanten historischen Fakten und Geschehnissen, welche laienfreundlich erklärt werden.

A pleasant read about specific facts of the Ancient World. Lots of information available to all audiences as it is narrated in a close and authentic way.A must read for all those lovers of Antiquity, and a perfect gift.