History books both details and interesting to read

It seems I tend to find books that are either well written but skimp on any detail or just essentially list fact and are a bore to read.

I'm looking for books on ancient Greece, Rome (but more specifically Julius Caesar), and both China and Japan (the less contemporary the better) that are interesting, accurate and detailed if it's possible. Can anyone make some suggestions?




(I'm not actually a new user, I just do not remember the password to my other account or the email used to activate it :( )

On China: Try Foreign Mud. I believe it is about the opium trade in the 19th century, and I have wanted to get at it myself for my novel that I am never going to finish, but hey, you helped me to remember one title from my corrupted reading list file. Let me think a bit and I might recall a few more from my big history classes I took right before I left academia.

Thucydides was amazing when I read it (well, a lot of it) for an Ancient Greek History course. I imagine that using the wikipedia entries about the covered events could give enough of a condensed run-down to make the book work for someone who isn't familiar with reading "ancient" classical history, and isn't taking a class. Lots of detail (I would say), but also great speeches, and stuff about strategy and the acts of particular individuals.

I read this Penguin version because it's what was in the bookstore (and thought it was great, but without comparing it to any other...):
http://www.amazon.com/History-Pelopo...4109256&sr=8-1

but by all means check out other ones if you think there might be better translations out there. Of course, maybe you've read it already...

Perhaps you would like "The History of Rome", by Theodor Mommsen. I believe it is quite exhaustive.

Livy is one of my favorite books, it's about the early history of Rome. Very good stuff.

"What is Ancient Philosophy?" by Pierre Hadot
"The Great Transformation" by Karen Armstrong
"The Pursuit of Happiness" by Darrin McMahon

Ancient Greece - Herodotus and Peloponnisian War by Thucydides
Ancient Rome - History of Early Rome by Livy
Annals by Tacitus
Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar
I, Cladius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves
China - You can't do better than to start with the Travels of Mrco Polo
All Men are Brothers is a classic tale of China
Japan - Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn, classic Japanese ghost stories

Some great suggestions guys, very much appreciated!