Steven’s Bookshop/USA DVD Documentaries

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STEVEN’S TOP 10 MOVIES LIST • SWORD & SANDAL MOVIES
ANCIENT CINEMA BOOKS • HAIL SHAKESPEARE!

MOUNT NEMRUD: THE THRONE OF THE GODS Excellent introduction to the remarkable burial site of Antiochus I, ally of Pompey the Great and victor over Marc Antony, who ruled the kingdom of Commagene on the Euphrates in what is now eastern Turkey.

DOCUMENTARIES

METROPOLIS chronicles the glories of cities from the ancient world to the Dark Ages, including Athens, Rome, Carthage, Alexandria, Constantinople, Venice and Paris; 7-part series on 2 disks. INCREDIBLE MONUMENTS OF ANCIENT ROME The temples, arenas and palaces of Rome still astound us as monuments to human vantiy and human suffering. Leonard Nimoy narrates.

THE TRUE STORY OF HANNIBAL Benjamin Maccabee plays the Carthaginian general in this History Channel docudrama about the gravest challenge ever faced by the Roman Republic. CRUCIFIXION History Channel documentary explores the origins of crucifixion as a method of execution in the ancient world and scientifically examines its impact on the human body.

SECRETS OF THE PARTHENON Nova looks at the restoration of one of the world’s greatest monuments, and confronts the riddle of its construction. SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Vivid recreations depict the construction and awesome appearance of these ancient marvels. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT & THE CATAPULT Laying siege to Tyre, the young Alexander resorts to a daring secret weapon that will change history — the catapult. THE TRUE STORY OF GLADIATORS Historians and scholars recount the amazing stories of these larger-than-life warriors, who included women, senators, and even an emperor.

TERRY JONES’ BARBARIANS The erstwhile Python posits a new paradigm: Rome bad, barbarians good. Read the companion book by Jones and Alan Ereira. BARBARIANS & BARBARIANS II Multi-disk sets from the History Channel explore the successors of the crumbling Roman Empire in Europe.

GLADIATORS: BLOODSPORT OF THE COLOSSEUM explores the brutality and popularity of gladiators in Ancient Rome. Narrated by David Hemmings. AMAZON WARRIOR WOMEN Did the Amazons of Greek legend really exist? Read the companion book by archaeologist Jeannine Davis-Kimball

DECISIVE BATTLES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Excellent series uses real locations and computer graphics to visualize the actual scale and tactical movements of 13 battles that changed history. ANCIENT DISCOVERIES Thought-provoking series reconsiders technology in the ancient world with evidence of ingenious machines, massive ships, and other startling innovations.

ROME: POWER & GLORY 6-hour series narrated by Peter Coyote for Discovery Channel observes the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. LEADERS IN BATTLE: JULIUS CAESAR Also available in a 4-disk boxed set (with documentaries about Cromwell, Lord Nelson, and the Duke of Marlborough).

CLEOPATRA: DESTINY’S QUEEN Karen Allen narrates this portrait of the Egyptian queen from the popular A&E Biography series. CLEOPATRA: FIRST WOMAN OF POWER A sympathetic portrait shatters negative images perpetuated by historians and Hollywood. Narrated by Angelica Huston.

ANCIENT ROME Footage of ancient ruins and scholars from Oxford, the University of Michigan and UCLA tell the story of Rome in this brief overview from Just the Facts Learning Series LAST STAND OF THE 300 The History Channel explores the battle of the Greeks and Persians at Thermopylae, basis for the hit movie 300; includes an eye-opening look at the brutal customs of the Spartan ruling class.

ROME: ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE The History Channel explores the great aqueducts, the Baths of Caracalla, Hadrian’s Wall, Caesar’s bridge, the Coliseum, and the Pantheon. ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE Boxed Set 4-disk set from the History Channel explores ancient Persia, Greece, Alexander, Carthage, the Byzantines, and more. Also available: Egypt: Engineering an Empire.

HERCULANEUM UNCOVERED 2000 years after Vesuvius buried the city, researchers use new forensic techniques to study the Romans who lived and died there. HEADLESS ROMANS Archaeologists explore the mystery of 45 ancient skeletons, all missing their heads, uncovered in an English garden in York.

THE GREAT FIRE OF ROME Modern forensic analysis yields fresh ideas on the origins and extent of the fire that devastated Nero’s Rome in 64 A.D. THE LEGIONS OF ROME Available as a 3-disk boxed set or as individual DVDS: Punic Wars • Gallic Wars • Roman Invasions of Britain

THE ROMANS AND BARBARIANS The Romans invade Britain; expert commentary, re-creations, and location footage examine the military tactics and weaponry that made Rome a force to be feared. GREAT GENERALS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Available as a 3-disk boxed set or as individual DVDS: Alexander the Great • Hannibal • Julius Caesar

HELEN OF TROY Scholar Bettany Hughes embarks on a journey across the eastern Mediterranean to discover the unconventional truth about Helen. Read the companion book. IN SEARCH OF MYTHS & HEROES Michael Wood travels the world to find the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba, Shangri-La, and the Holy Grail. Read the companion book.

ANCIENT ROME Examines Roman feats of architecture and engineering — roads, aqueducts, the Pantheon, Trajan’s Forum, Caracalla’s Baths, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus. ANCIENT GREECE Celebrates ancient feats of architecture and engineering — the Palace of Knossos, the Theatre of Epidaurus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Parthenon, and the legends of Lost Atlantis.

SECRETS OF LOST EMPIRES: Colosseum / Stonehenge PBS’s Nova series reveals the methods used to create two early marvels of design and construction. ROMAN CITY Based on his acclaimed book, David Macaulay uses computor graphics and visits real sites to explain the workings of a Roman City. Also available: Pyramid, Castle, Cathedral, Mill Times

THE REAL OLYMPICS Superior PBS documentary features first-rate scholars along with authentic (though not completely naked) re-enactments of the early games. THE FIRST OLYMPICS: BLOOD, HONOR, & GLORY Three History Channel docs about the mythic background and historical origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

YOU ARE THERE: ANCIENT GREECE Vintage TV: Walter Cronkite covers Alexander the Great and the death of Socrates as breaking stories. Robert Culp and E.G. Marshall star. BOUDICCA: WARRIOR QUEEN Documentary about the Queen of the Iceni who led a massive uprising against the Romans in Britain, based on the accounts of Tacitus and Cassius Dio.

POMPEII: The Last Day / COLOSSEUM: A Gladiator’s Story Two superb docudrama mini-movies on one DVD. Hunky Robert Shannon scores as Verus the gladiator! JULIUS CAESAR’S ROME 6 episodes on 2 disks from The History Channel focus on Caesar, Antony, and Cleopatra, the end of the republic, and the birth of the empire.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER A fascinating journey across 16 countries traces Alexander’s conquests from the Balkans to India. Read the companion book by Michael Wood.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic examines the remarkable life of the world conqueror.

THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT Special presentation from The History Channel, hosted by Peter Woodward.
THE SPARTANS Superior series from PBS about the elitist warrior culture of Sparta, rival of Athens and nemesis of Persia.

IN SEARCH OF THE TROJAN WAR Brilliant on-site exploration of the truth behind the legend. Read the companion book by Michael Wood.

TROY: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic looks at the ancient myths and unsolved mysteries behind the epic tale.

EMPIRES COLLECTION 5 disk set from PBS includes Egypt’s Golden Empire, The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization and The Roman Empire in the First Century.

ANCIENT GREECE Four documentaries filmed on location: Art In Ancient Greece; Mining In Ancient Greece; Bacchus, The God of Wine; Firewalking in Greece.

Lost Treaures of the Ancient World: 7 Wonders of the Ancient World • Hadrian’s Wall • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome • Pompeii • Carthage • Romans in North Africa • Also available in 6-disk boxed sets. Volume I: Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall, Pyramids, Pompeii, Rome, Mayans & Aztecs • Volume II: Egypt, Greece, Carthage, Jerusalem, Romans in North Africa, 7 Wonders • Volume III: China, India, Samurai Japan, Empires in the Americas, Dark Age England, Celts.

Documentaries from A&E and The History Channel: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World • The Hidden City of Petra • Pompeii: Buried Alive • Private Lives of Pompeii • • Private Lives of the Emperors • The Greek Gods • Gods & Goddesses • Incredible Monuments of Rome • Cleopatra’s World: Alexandria Revealed • Ancient Rome & Its Mysterious Cities • Secrets of Delphi • Mystical Monuments of Ancient Greece

ANCIENT CINEMA BOOKS

“From Helen of Sparta to Helen of Troy” by Monica S. Cyrano (free download of a 120K MS Word doc) A lecture by the author of BIG SCREEN ROME, delivered by Dr. Cyrano at the University of New Hampshire in 2006 as part of the Professor John C. Rouman Classical Lecture Series.

BIG SCREEN ROME by Monica S. Cyrino Systematic survey of the most important and popular films from the past half century that reconstruct the image of Roman antiquity.

IMPERIAL PROJECTIONS Ancient Rome in Modern Popular Culture ed. by Joshel, Malamud & McGuire How we celebrate Ancient Rome, from the cinema to Caesar’s Palace.

GLADIATOR: Film & History ed. by Martin M. Winkler Essays on the Oscar-winning film and the history behind the movie. PROJECTING THE PAST: Ancient Rome, Cinema & History by Maria Wyke pays special attention to the recurring fascination with Spartacus, Cleopatra, Nero, and Pompeii.

ROME by Jonathan Stamp Deluxe illustrated “making of” book loaded with images, interviews and commentary about the HBO series Rome.

THE MAKING OF ALEXANDER by Robin Lane Fox, foreword by Oliver Stone traces the creation of one of the most controversial and spectacular movies about the ancient world

WITH FIRE & SWORD: Italian Spectacles on American Screens, 1958-1968 ed. by Patrick Lucanio 540-page filmography of over 300 Sword & Sandal movies.

ANCIENT GREECE IN FILM & POPULAR CULTURE by Gideon Nisbet An Oxford Classicist and film fan charts the hidden history of Greece in the 20th-century imagination, from movies to science fiction and comics.

SPARTACUS: Film & History ed. by Martin M. Winkler Essays examine the film’s use of ancient sources, as well as the history of the censored, landmark film itself.

TROY: From Homer’s Iliad to Hollywood Epic ed. by Martin M. Winkler Film scholars and ancient historians look at the truth and legend behind Hollywood’s depiction of the Trojan War.

THE ANCIENT WORLD IN THE CINEMA by Jon Solomon Comprehensive survey of movies set in the ancient world, with over 200 photos.

CLASSICAL MYTH & CULTURE IN THE CINEMA ed. by Martin M. Winkler Scholarly essays on the uses of ancient myth in modern movies.

300: THE ART OF THE FILM How the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller became the blockbuster movie 300. RETRO STUD: Muscle Movie Posters From Around the World by David Chapman Sword & Sandal mania!

Go to: GREECE • ROME • FORTHCOMING MOVIES
STEVEN’S TOP 10 MOVIES LIST • SWORD & SANDAL MOVIES
DOCUMENTARIES • HAIL SHAKESPEARE!

Back to Steven’s Bookshop

	METROPOLIS chronicles the glories of cities from the ancient world to the Dark Ages, including Athens, Rome, Carthage, Alexandria, Constantinople, Venice and Paris; 7-part series on 2 disks.		INCREDIBLE MONUMENTS OF ANCIENT ROME The temples, arenas and palaces of Rome still astound us as monuments to human vantiy and human suffering. Leonard Nimoy narrates.
	THE TRUE STORY OF HANNIBAL Benjamin Maccabee plays the Carthaginian general in this History Channel docudrama about the gravest challenge ever faced by the Roman Republic.		CRUCIFIXION History Channel documentary explores the origins of crucifixion as a method of execution in the ancient world and scientifically examines its impact on the human body.
	SECRETS OF THE PARTHENON Nova looks at the restoration of one of the world’s greatest monuments, and confronts the riddle of its construction.		SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Vivid recreations depict the construction and awesome appearance of these ancient marvels. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan.
	ALEXANDER THE GREAT & THE CATAPULT Laying siege to Tyre, the young Alexander resorts to a daring secret weapon that will change history — the catapult.		THE TRUE STORY OF GLADIATORS Historians and scholars recount the amazing stories of these larger-than-life warriors, who included women, senators, and even an emperor.
	TERRY JONES’ BARBARIANS The erstwhile Python posits a new paradigm: Rome bad, barbarians good. Read the companion book by Jones and Alan Ereira.		BARBARIANS & BARBARIANS II Multi-disk sets from the History Channel explore the successors of the crumbling Roman Empire in Europe.
	GLADIATORS: BLOODSPORT OF THE COLOSSEUM explores the brutality and popularity of gladiators in Ancient Rome. Narrated by David Hemmings.		AMAZON WARRIOR WOMEN Did the Amazons of Greek legend really exist? Read the companion book by archaeologist Jeannine Davis-Kimball
	DECISIVE BATTLES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Excellent series uses real locations and computer graphics to visualize the actual scale and tactical movements of 13 battles that changed history.		ANCIENT DISCOVERIES Thought-provoking series reconsiders technology in the ancient world with evidence of ingenious machines, massive ships, and other startling innovations.
	ROME: POWER & GLORY 6-hour series narrated by Peter Coyote for Discovery Channel observes the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.		LEADERS IN BATTLE: JULIUS CAESAR Also available in a 4-disk boxed set (with documentaries about Cromwell, Lord Nelson, and the Duke of Marlborough).
	CLEOPATRA: DESTINY’S QUEEN Karen Allen narrates this portrait of the Egyptian queen from the popular A&E Biography series.		CLEOPATRA: FIRST WOMAN OF POWER A sympathetic portrait shatters negative images perpetuated by historians and Hollywood. Narrated by Angelica Huston.
	ANCIENT ROME Footage of ancient ruins and scholars from Oxford, the University of Michigan and UCLA tell the story of Rome in this brief overview from Just the Facts Learning Series		LAST STAND OF THE 300 The History Channel explores the battle of the Greeks and Persians at Thermopylae, basis for the hit movie 300; includes an eye-opening look at the brutal customs of the Spartan ruling class.
	ROME: ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE The History Channel explores the great aqueducts, the Baths of Caracalla, Hadrian’s Wall, Caesar’s bridge, the Coliseum, and the Pantheon.		ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE Boxed Set 4-disk set from the History Channel explores ancient Persia, Greece, Alexander, Carthage, the Byzantines, and more. Also available: Egypt: Engineering an Empire.
	HERCULANEUM UNCOVERED 2000 years after Vesuvius buried the city, researchers use new forensic techniques to study the Romans who lived and died there.		HEADLESS ROMANS Archaeologists explore the mystery of 45 ancient skeletons, all missing their heads, uncovered in an English garden in York.
	THE GREAT FIRE OF ROME Modern forensic analysis yields fresh ideas on the origins and extent of the fire that devastated Nero’s Rome in 64 A.D.		THE LEGIONS OF ROME Available as a 3-disk boxed set or as individual DVDS: Punic Wars • Gallic Wars • Roman Invasions of Britain
	THE ROMANS AND BARBARIANS The Romans invade Britain; expert commentary, re-creations, and location footage examine the military tactics and weaponry that made Rome a force to be feared.		GREAT GENERALS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Available as a 3-disk boxed set or as individual DVDS: Alexander the Great • Hannibal • Julius Caesar
	HELEN OF TROY Scholar Bettany Hughes embarks on a journey across the eastern Mediterranean to discover the unconventional truth about Helen. Read the companion book.		IN SEARCH OF MYTHS & HEROES Michael Wood travels the world to find the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba, Shangri-La, and the Holy Grail. Read the companion book.
	ANCIENT ROME Examines Roman feats of architecture and engineering — roads, aqueducts, the Pantheon, Trajan’s Forum, Caracalla’s Baths, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus.		ANCIENT GREECE Celebrates ancient feats of architecture and engineering — the Palace of Knossos, the Theatre of Epidaurus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Parthenon, and the legends of Lost Atlantis.
	SECRETS OF LOST EMPIRES: Colosseum / Stonehenge PBS’s Nova series reveals the methods used to create two early marvels of design and construction.		ROMAN CITY Based on his acclaimed book, David Macaulay uses computor graphics and visits real sites to explain the workings of a Roman City. Also available: Pyramid, Castle, Cathedral, Mill Times
	THE REAL OLYMPICS Superior PBS documentary features first-rate scholars along with authentic (though not completely naked) re-enactments of the early games.		THE FIRST OLYMPICS: BLOOD, HONOR, & GLORY Three History Channel docs about the mythic background and historical origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece.
	YOU ARE THERE: ANCIENT GREECE Vintage TV: Walter Cronkite covers Alexander the Great and the death of Socrates as breaking stories. Robert Culp and E.G. Marshall star.		BOUDICCA: WARRIOR QUEEN Documentary about the Queen of the Iceni who led a massive uprising against the Romans in Britain, based on the accounts of Tacitus and Cassius Dio.
	POMPEII: The Last Day / COLOSSEUM: A Gladiator’s Story Two superb docudrama mini-movies on one DVD. Hunky Robert Shannon scores as Verus the gladiator!		JULIUS CAESAR’S ROME 6 episodes on 2 disks from The History Channel focus on Caesar, Antony, and Cleopatra, the end of the republic, and the birth of the empire.
	IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER A fascinating journey across 16 countries traces Alexander’s conquests from the Balkans to India. Read the companion book by Michael Wood.		ALEXANDER THE GREAT: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic examines the remarkable life of the world conqueror.
	THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT Special presentation from The History Channel, hosted by Peter Woodward.		THE SPARTANS Superior series from PBS about the elitist warrior culture of Sparta, rival of Athens and nemesis of Persia.
	IN SEARCH OF THE TROJAN WAR Brilliant on-site exploration of the truth behind the legend. Read the companion book by Michael Wood.		TROY: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic looks at the ancient myths and unsolved mysteries behind the epic tale.
	EMPIRES COLLECTION 5 disk set from PBS includes Egypt’s Golden Empire, The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization and The Roman Empire in the First Century.		ANCIENT GREECE Four documentaries filmed on location: Art In Ancient Greece; Mining In Ancient Greece; Bacchus, The God of Wine; Firewalking in Greece.

	Lost Treaures of the Ancient World: 7 Wonders of the Ancient World • Hadrian’s Wall • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome • Pompeii • Carthage • Romans in North Africa • Also available in 6-disk boxed sets. Volume I: Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall, Pyramids, Pompeii, Rome, Mayans & Aztecs • Volume II: Egypt, Greece, Carthage, Jerusalem, Romans in North Africa, 7 Wonders • Volume III: China, India, Samurai Japan, Empires in the Americas, Dark Age England, Celts.
	Documentaries from A&E and The History Channel: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World • The Hidden City of Petra • Pompeii: Buried Alive • Private Lives of Pompeii • • Private Lives of the Emperors • The Greek Gods • Gods & Goddesses • Incredible Monuments of Rome • Cleopatra’s World: Alexandria Revealed • Ancient Rome & Its Mysterious Cities • Secrets of Delphi • Mystical Monuments of Ancient Greece

	BIG SCREEN ROME by Monica S. Cyrino Systematic survey of the most important and popular films from the past half century that reconstruct the image of Roman antiquity.		IMPERIAL PROJECTIONS Ancient Rome in Modern Popular Culture ed. by Joshel, Malamud & McGuire How we celebrate Ancient Rome, from the cinema to Caesar’s Palace.
	GLADIATOR: Film & History ed. by Martin M. Winkler Essays on the Oscar-winning film and the history behind the movie.		PROJECTING THE PAST: Ancient Rome, Cinema & History by Maria Wyke pays special attention to the recurring fascination with Spartacus, Cleopatra, Nero, and Pompeii.
	ROME by Jonathan Stamp Deluxe illustrated “making of” book loaded with images, interviews and commentary about the HBO series Rome.		THE MAKING OF ALEXANDER by Robin Lane Fox, foreword by Oliver Stone traces the creation of one of the most controversial and spectacular movies about the ancient world
	WITH FIRE & SWORD: Italian Spectacles on American Screens, 1958-1968 ed. by Patrick Lucanio 540-page filmography of over 300 Sword & Sandal movies.		ANCIENT GREECE IN FILM & POPULAR CULTURE by Gideon Nisbet An Oxford Classicist and film fan charts the hidden history of Greece in the 20th-century imagination, from movies to science fiction and comics.
	SPARTACUS: Film & History ed. by Martin M. Winkler Essays examine the film’s use of ancient sources, as well as the history of the censored, landmark film itself.		TROY: From Homer’s Iliad to Hollywood Epic ed. by Martin M. Winkler Film scholars and ancient historians look at the truth and legend behind Hollywood’s depiction of the Trojan War.
	THE ANCIENT WORLD IN THE CINEMA by Jon Solomon Comprehensive survey of movies set in the ancient world, with over 200 photos.		CLASSICAL MYTH & CULTURE IN THE CINEMA ed. by Martin M. Winkler Scholarly essays on the uses of ancient myth in modern movies.
	300: THE ART OF THE FILM How the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller became the blockbuster movie 300.		RETRO STUD: Muscle Movie Posters From Around the World by David Chapman Sword & Sandal mania!