Thanks for the personal message! I enjoy reading about the very same things you do! Although I am not as interested in the warfare as others might be, I still appreciate the role of war in the lives of the Germans. :-D My high school was pretty crappy with world history, and I didn't really have to take any history courses in college (I was a criminal justice major), so I am pretty much just trying to play catch up. I am reading a few literary texts about the Germanic peoples, but nothing too intense or "meaty" yet. *laughs* Some of those huge books on ancient history intimidate me! I look forward to catching up on the posts here, and feel free to stop by my Haim and say hello! Blessings, Alia