One of four books that changed the author, as shared at the Sydney Morning Herald:
THE FIRST MAN IN ROMERead about the other entries on the list.
Colleen McCullough
Nobody had to convince me that history was fun and exciting. But Colleen McCullough showed me that characters and stories could be recruited from dusty academic tomes and recast in dynamic and highly entertaining novels. Her settings are evocative, the plotlines riveting and historical detail painstakingly researched. Her achievements encouraged me to be brave in my aspirations and to see the value in the knowledge I've accumulated as an archaeologist and historian.
--Marshal Zeringue