From Russia With Love … possibly!
English is a very wide-spoken and -read language. Despite this, I know that the fact that I am to all intents and purposes a mono-linguist severely restricts the spread of my books outside the English speaking world. So it was with some interest that I was informed that non-English publishers had bought the rights to translate my books into foreign languages.
To put it mildly, the fact that somebody believed my books were good enough to translate was a massive boost to the old ego. However, I know that the process can take several years and so it was possible that I would see little output until possibly the early-2020s.
So you can imagine my surprise when a parcel arrived containing two translations of ‘Stilicho’. So now you might think I’d be checking the odd page of the book to ensure that the translation is accurate. If it was French or German I would stand a (small) chance – as part of my MA I used Hoffmann’s epic German work on the Roman army, so back then my German was not too bad.
Trouble is, the book is the Russian translation.
Never mind translating part of a page, I can’t even translate my own name! I’d love to know how the Russian language/letters transliterate ‘Hughes’. At the same time, I’d love to see the same process on ‘With a Foreword by Adrian Goldsworthy’. I can see it, but don’t understand it!
Then again, the whole problem perfectly sums up my attitude to life in general: I can see it, but don’t understand it!
5 Comments
I have that book!
I hope you enjoy reading it! Don’t forget that I have others – though sadly not published in Russian yet!
As I know, Clio wants publish in Russian other your book about Aetius.
Its interesting, because in Russian, there is no so detailed a book about the Late Empire.
In Russian, are few books good on Fall of the Roman Empire. And in fact, these are three books – Goldsworthy, Heather and Syrotenko (published in 1975).
And something strange happened in 2016. when was published book about Crisis of the III century (by Y.B. Tsirkin, a historian of Carthage and Ancient Spain), biography of Shupar I, and biography of Stilicho=)
Hi Misha, thanks for getting in touch again. I hope you are correct about Clio and Aetius. Every little helps!
I am surprised that there is no book in Russian detailing the Late Empire. There have been many excellent Russian scholars, so I thought one of them would have written something.
Goldsworthy and Heather are two standard books on the period in English, so at least you have some of the better books in translation. I hope that in the future Tsirkin’s work is translated into English!
Maybe the publication of books in 2016 is the beginning of the publishing of more books on the period in Russian. And maybe more of my books will be included!
Привіт Ian Hughes!
As i know, Aetius was in their plans http://www.kliobooks.ru/index.php/events
They were, for example, Rostovtsev. However, their main area of interest – Civil wars and social/agrarian history, the uprising of the masses, colonus, Bagaudae, religion (these were themes that was allowed by marxism). The military history of the Late Empire does not include the sphere of their interests.
But about Punic, Civil wars and contacts with the Hellenistic states, there are many works.
N.B. In Ukraine, where I live, things are even worse. Plutarch is incomplete translated into Ukrainian. Polybius and Caesar’s Commentaries are not even translated. Very sad situation.
Goldsworthy and Heather are very good, however, the choice of the English-speaking reader of historical literature does not end there. You have books by – Ward-Perkins, Cameron, Potter, Kulikowski, Drinkwater, O’Donnell.
Well, at least, the best book about the fall of the Roman Empire, of german historian Aleksander Demandt, is not translated into either Russian or English=P
Unfortunately, this year there were no interesting publication on Late Empire, and even the release of “August” Goldsworthy was canceled. Sad.
The only two interesting books that came out. First was the translation from the English (!), of old book about Carthage by the French historian Picard. And second was also by French historian Pierre Renucci “Claudius” (however, this time the translation has been made from the original, but with some weird errors, like August was son of Cleopatra and Anthony).
P.S. Sorry, my English is not very good=)