Have a guess what this topic is about :P Just picked up a large selection at the library after finishing the books I was on.
Fiction
Cry of the Newborn by James Barclay. The first book in the Ascendants of Estorea world, so excellent I just grabbed it's sequel from the library. Fantasy genre, no other races, Romanish (Roman type armies, toga's, not so much the bloodthirsty infighting) with magic not in common usage, very large book at just over 800 pages.
If you want to be made to smile, steer well away from this book. It is a world where characters will suffer and they will die, some of the suffering is such I would not recommend it to anyone below 15 myself, I can't think of one chapter were I felt cheery afterwards. One battle song caused me to cry, a major plot point caused me to go and seek a huggle for comfort but that is part of the world he created, that it can cause such emotion reflects well on the author. There are a lot of characters, some only appearing for a chapter or two while others throughout, and it is too Barclay's credit that it is hard to confuse them with each other as many of them remain distinct from each other, they are also very believable with their own flaws and strengths. There are a lot of battles, seemingly well researched though perhaps gets too many battles near the end. However an ability to surprise, good characters and excellent descriptions help make battles enjoyable as you see it through a person's eyes. It is also a book where you don't get told "General A has been utterly destroyed as have all his legions" or "Our army of the West has won a great victory", Barclay instead shows you the said battle.
The real strength is entertaining dialog, the banter, the arguments, all done so very well and the ability to pull at the emotions. One or two flaws, one small part of the book plot didn't quite feel it was pulled off well, felt the Tsard kingdom was very poorly represented in terms of characters. Yet it doesn't detract from a engrossing read in an excellent book.
Non Fiction:
Ancient Rome On Five Denarii A Day by Philip Matyszak. Essentially a small guidebook based on what a traveller to Rome in 200 A.D might need to know. Was quite funny in patches, some excellent quotes and anecdotes in a very short but solid book.
Venus of Empire: The Life of Pauline Bonaparte by Flora Fraser. About the sister of an Emperor whose name was known for deviancy as people looked to blacken the name of the Bonaparte. A lack of sources for her early life and a not always pleasant character doesn't help Fraser's efforts but I do wonder if a better job then this could have been done. Fraser describing Pauline's time in Haiti was fascinating, perhaps due to combining army, political as well as love life but sometimes Fraser confused me. One page, explaining how so and so was not her lover but then next page she suddenly has a lover who Fraser doesn't seem to name for example. She fails to address the rumors/charges against her subject sometimes and when she does, like the incest one, Fraser explanation wasn't always convincing. Didn't often seem to get into the head of her on her lovers but that may be due to lack of sources. For all that, a decent book but no more then that, you may be able to find a better biography out there.
Talleyrand by Philip G.Dwyer. Part of the Profiles in Power series (different writers for different people), it is rather small meaning Dwyer has had to cut certain things out. Talleyrand's time in America, his educational suggestions, his personal life and a few things near the end are cut though for those looking for more detail, he does have a list of books in English. The book requires some basic knowledge of the French Revolution though elsewhere Dwyer does brief background stuff to avoid confusion. Leaving aside the limits imposed on the work, Dwyer writes well and is informative about the subject though I feel he is slightly too forgiving of the subject in this case (my sister disagrees). Did get a feel of his abilities, the difficulties he was in as a minister and only wish Dwyer would write a full biography.
Europe's Tragedy: A history of the Thirty Years War by Peter H.Wilson. Very large book, makes a good overview of the war in and out of Germany, dealing with the politics and the battles well, going into just enough detail for the large battles. It isn't a book that manages to convey personalities that well and would prefer he didn't give all the info of a guy's career/personality/reputation when we first meet them but this is really a book of overview and theory about the period. For those who already know a lot about thirty years war, some might find Wilson's assertions interesting, for those like me who knew nearly nothing, this is an excellent way of learning about it.
1939: Countdown to War by Richard Overy. More a treatise in paperback then a book, it covers from 24 Aug till the fateful day the Allies declared war. The concentration is on events in Germany, England and France, to a lesser extent Poland, with Italy being a minor part and on the major personalities involved. Informative as you would expect from someone with Overy's reputation, it challenges a fair few things commonly thought about the Prime Minster Neville Chamberlain. My only wish for this excellent work is for it to have been longer.
A Gambling Man: Charles II and the Restoration by Jenny Uglow. A surprising choice of subject by Uglow and a difficult one for any biographer who likes to get inside their subjects head. In that sense, Uglow was never going to succeed but it is still a good book, making a solid overview of the period and the characters, of how people viewed the court. Having a quote, usually from a poem or a play, at the start of each chapter is a nice touch with Uglow concentrating the book on the period between Charles becoming King and his signing a secret treaty with France. Won't provide anything new if you have fairly good knowledge of Charles II, one of England's more popular and well known monarchs, but will provide a good introduction to the subject for those who do not have such knowledge.