# RIP Colleen McCullough
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 31, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467 "2015-01-31T22:23:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/1 "2015-01-31T22:23:38Z")
She died yesterday.
Most of the articles I’ve seen identify her as the author of _The Thorn Birds_, which I’ve never read, but it was her 7-volume series on Rome that made her one of my favorites. Solid history mixed with invented dialog and speculation, and a very good read.
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### Author:  [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/2 "2015-01-31T23:01:04Z")
What a pity . I first read \* The Thorn Birds\*, then \* Tim\* ,then \* The Ladies of Missolonghi _. Of her Rome series I only read \* The Grass Crown_ but I’m ready for the rest .
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### Author:  [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/3 "2015-02-01T02:02:33Z")
LOVED The Thornbirds and Tim; haven’t read anything else by her. I’m gona have to check out the series on Rome…
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/4 "2015-02-01T02:05:06Z")
> [@PapSett](#):
>
> LOVED The Thornbirds and Tim; haven’t read anything else by her. I’m gona have to check out the series on Rome…
I have all seven.
Prepare yourself. Long and complicated.
But very, _ **very** _ good, at least IMHO.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/5 "2015-02-01T03:03:59Z")
We already have a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747804) on this.
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/6 "2015-02-01T03:21:35Z")
I imagine that hers will be one of the biggest funerals that Norfolk Island has seen in a number of years.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/7 "2015-02-03T23:02:23Z")
The French artist Jean Leon Gerome did [a series of nude and semi-nude paintings of Pygmalion and Galatea](https://www.google.com/search?q=galatea+gerome&biw=1300&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zVLRVOSoGIznsASh7YDoCg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ).
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/8 "2015-02-03T23:04:50Z")
She made herself such an authority on Roman history that profs consulted her, or so I’ve heard.
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### Author:  [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/9 "2015-02-03T23:13:11Z")
> [@Baker](#):
>
> I have all seven.
>
> Prepare yourself. Long and complicated.
>
> But very, _ **very** _ good, at least IMHO.
The first three Masters of Rome books are indeed excellent, but McCulloch’s veneration of Caesar make the last four less entertaining (but still worthwhile) in my opinion.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/10 "2015-02-04T01:24:13Z")
> [@lisiate](#):
>
> The first three Masters of Rome books are indeed excellent, but McCulloch’s veneration of Caesar make the last four less entertaining (but still worthwhile) in my opinion.
Yeah, there’s no doubt Caesar was a genius, but that version is too flawless.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-colleen-mccullough/711467/11 "2015-02-04T04:17:02Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> The French artist Jean Leon Gerome did [a series of nude and semi-nude paintings of Pygmalion and Galatea](https://www.google.com/search?q=galatea+gerome&biw=1300&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zVLRVOSoGIznsASh7YDoCg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ).
Sorry- wrong thread! No idea how it wound up in this one.