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Spectacles of Death in Ancient Rome Prof. Donald G. Kyle, ISBN - 0415248426 First published in 2001 this is one of the most recent academic studies that has anything to do with gladiators. Kyle explains that the initial inspiration for this book was several years earlier when he first taught on ancient sport. He was busy 'disgusting students with horrific true stories of bloody beastfights, gladiatorial gore and cruelty to Christians. As I read out famous accounts of the astounding numbers of casualties in the spectacles, a usually lethargic student suddenly blurted out: But what did they do with all those bodies?' From this has come a great study not just into the initial question above but other questions that surround the amphitheatres; Who were the people that died in them? How did the Romans consider death? The origins and historical development of the games? As well as others. Kyle seems to leave no stone unturned in trying to find these answers and in the series of 9 compelling chapters he examines each question in turn developing the stories of the amphitheatres as we read. Dealing with subjects such as the removal of the remains he raises some thorny barriers for contemporary thought such as the idea that the bodies where simply thrown into the Tiber. Editors with an eye for the plebeians made good use of the animal carcasses from the great games giving them away to the public in lotteries, stands or selling the prized meat to try and recoup some of the expense of bringing the animals from all over the known world. With each new question he raises he delivers some, often new, evidence to prove his thoughts on the subject. The book rarely gets tired and keeps the reader wondering about some previously little thought of question surrounding the bloody amphitheatres, this will make a fantastic addition to any library on the topic or even for those more generally interested in Roman culture. To order this book from Amazon click here. Graham Ashford.