Autumn Reading List (2026)

There’s so many interesting new books being published that it is hard to keep up. So, having been inspired by Rhiannon’s blog post about her pile of to-be-read books a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would share the books I have been and will be reading this month.

First off, Rex Juba: Fifteen Glimpses of an African King by Andrew Kenrick. In AH 47, after reading Jane Draycott’s book Cleopatra’s Daughter, I wrote a short, two-page article about Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony. Though her husband, Juba II of Mauretania, is not the focus of that book, he was a fascinating figure and I have wanted to learn more about him since.

Paul Cartledge’s biography of Pericles, the Athenian politician, Pericles: Statesman, Demagogue, Eccentric is also at the top of my to-be-read pile. The democracy of Classical Athens is one of the most thoroughly documented political systems from antiquity, but studies tend to focus on the institutions of the democracy and how it functioned. A more character-focused study, examining Pericles, who dominated the nascent democracy in the mid-fifth century BC, will offer a fresh perspective — hopefully.

Finally, some fiction — Robert Harris’ Agrippa. I must admit, despite him being an author of high regard, I have never read any of Robert Harris' books. With the recent publication of Agrippa, I thought I would remedy that. Keep an eye on the blog for my thoughts in future!

What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?

Cover Image: © Wikimedia Commons / Bodleian Social Science Library, Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford