Search found 125 matches

by derek
Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:26 pm
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Visiting Vergina
Replies: 5
Views: 3322

Re: Visiting Vergina

Hello Sandros, it's a few years since I was there so you'd need to check the access hasn't changed, but Philip's palace and the theatre are just a short walk up the hill from the tombs. Probably no more than half a mile or a kilometre. Your typical coach tour only does the tombs, so going on your ow...
by derek
Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:57 pm
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander the Great...Good or Bad King, or neither? An Essay
Replies: 81
Views: 54920

Re: Alexander the Great...Good or Bad King, or neither? An Essay

Derek, even if Alexander had had a son before he left for Asia, at most he would have been about 14. A moot point, but how long would he have lasted? Hello Alexias, There were so many strong generals and it was such a large empire, yes, I agree Alexander's sons wouldn't have had much chance whateve...
by derek
Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:25 pm
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander the Great...Good or Bad King, or neither? An Essay
Replies: 81
Views: 54920

Re: Alexander the Great...Good or Bad King, or neither? An Essay

All, I’m a bit late getting into this discussion and it’s moved on a bit, but to address the original question: was Alexander a good king? However I look at it, it staggers me that he failed to leave a viable heir. Parmenion and Antipatros both advised him to delay the invasion of the Troad until he...
by derek
Fri Oct 14, 2016 6:50 pm
Forum: Alexander the Great in the Media
Topic: New Alexander Program Scheduled
Replies: 1
Views: 6227

Re: New Alexander Program Scheduled

This is on tomorrow night, Saturday 15th, and is about the Sogdian Rock.

Derek
by derek
Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:00 pm
Forum: Alexander the Great in the Media
Topic: New Alexander Program Scheduled
Replies: 1
Views: 6227

New Alexander Program Scheduled

For those in North America:

The AHC channel is screening a new series of “Ancient Assassins”. The episode on October 15th at 10pm is called “Alexander The Great’s Spidermen”. No episode description on my tv yet, but I’d guess either the Agrianians or the climbers at the Sogdian Rock

Derek
by derek
Mon Nov 16, 2015 3:25 pm
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander's Grave Will Be found
Replies: 11
Views: 5115

Alexander's Grave Will Be found

All, My first love was Richard III; when I was still at school my mother spent endless nights teaching me the truth about Richard, and I first joined the Richard 3rd Society as a teenager back in the 70’s. I’ve just had my first trip home to England in 4 years. When I was last there, Richard’s remai...
by derek
Mon Aug 03, 2015 4:54 pm
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: All-time classic
Replies: 4
Views: 3877

Re: All-time classic

I agree, thank for the photos. It’s good to see the statues so close up. I’d never really thought about the back of them and it’s surprising to see how much detail there is. Now the museum is open, I must think about another trip to Athens. I went to Germany last year and was wandering around the Gl...
by derek
Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:56 pm
Forum: 'Off-topic' forum
Topic: What Happened To Pothos?
Replies: 24
Views: 9741

What Happened To Pothos?

I used to be a regular visitor to Pothos and would sometimes get involved in the discussions, but I wouldn’t dare now. To post an opinion would be to risk the criticism that seems to envelop every thread. It’s grown noticeably over the last couple of years and now it seems like every new subject deg...
by derek
Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:39 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: My novel "Shadow of the Lion"
Replies: 39
Views: 26915

Re: My novel "Shadow of the Lion"

Ruth,

That’s good news on the book. I hope it all goes smoothly and is a great success.

Best wishes,
Derek
by derek
Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:07 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: New Novel
Replies: 6
Views: 5733

Re: New Novel

Alexias, It’s always good to see one of my books being mentioned, so thanks for pointing it out. Everyone I know says, “Go on, sex sells!” but I always feel uncomfortable writing anything too explicit. I have a mental image of my old nan reading it. I’m still plugging away at my vampire book, co-sta...
by derek
Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:14 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Re: Writing how to present Ptolemy's relationship to Alex.
Replies: 2
Views: 2853

Re: Writing how to present Ptolemy's relationship to Alex.

Hello Lysis, I saw no connection. In more modern royal families, you get illegitimate lines because the king beds women other than the queen, but Philip “took another wife with every campaign”, so he would have simply married the mother and had another heir. Unless Ptolemy’s mother was already marri...
by derek
Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:31 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: My novel "Shadow of the Lion"
Replies: 39
Views: 26915

Re: My novel "Shadow of the Lion"

I agree. If you have to cut by that much, then you easily have enough material for more than one book. It sounds like it's crying out to be turned into a trilogy.

Derek
by derek
Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:11 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel
Replies: 37
Views: 21064

Re: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel

Scott, It's reassuring to hear from someone who can confirm agencies do actually look at their slush piles. I spent the best part of a year trying to get an agent and, apart from one positive response, heard virtually nothing. In the end I just lost interest. Apologies if it sounded like I thought i...
by derek
Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:27 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel
Replies: 37
Views: 21064

Re: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel

Scott, You're absolutely right. The ideal route is to get an agent, who finds a publisher, who puts your novel in bookstores. But unless you're already someone famous, the chances of a first-time author making it into print are virtually nil. Yes, every year, dozens of unknowns do get their book pri...
by derek
Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:45 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel
Replies: 37
Views: 21064

Re: Child Prodigy, nucleus of novel

Jan, Do what you’re comfortable with. Whether you publish in sections or wait until you have a completed novel, whether you keep it online or make it a physical entity with your photo on the back cover, the important thing is to do it. Yes, you want people to like what you write, but just as much, y...