Add BookmarkThe Gates of Rome (Emperor)
Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand... (show more)
Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family–and his adoptive brother–will be the most powerful force in his life.
As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combat–under the tutelage of one of Rome’s most fearsome gladiators–Rome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier’s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win.
The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict–a conflict that will set Roman against Roman...and put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrasts–from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction.
From the Hardcover edition. (show less)
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Virkelig å anbefalle!
Bra tempo i handlingen, som lagt opp til at det vil være enkelt å filmatisere senere. Inneholder alle element av maktspill, humor, kampscener, romersk dekadanse, sorger og gleder og en ung gutt som i en turbulent tid prøver å vokse opp kjapt til den maktposisjonen han er født inn i og har slektskap til å arve. Som flere før meg har sagt: Om man liker filmen Gladiatoren og serien Rome, så er dette en skikkelig god bok!
Fikk tips om denne serien av en venn av en ven... (show more)
Virkelig å anbefalle!
Bra tempo i handlingen, som lagt opp til at det vil være enkelt å filmatisere senere. Inneholder alle element av maktspill, humor, kampscener, romersk dekadanse, sorger og gleder og en ung gutt som i en turbulent tid prøver å vokse opp kjapt til den maktposisjonen han er født inn i og har slektskap til å arve. Som flere før meg har sagt: Om man liker filmen Gladiatoren og serien Rome, så er dette en skikkelig god bok!
Fikk tips om denne serien av en venn av en venn og leste ikke noe om hva den omhandlet på forhånd. Det ble en positiv aha-opplevelse midtveis da det gikk opp for meg hvilken historisk person den er om. Etterordene i boken oppklarer en del om historiske friheter og antagelser som forfatteren har gjort, men det var ikke noe problem hos meg siden jeg aldri (enda) har satt meg inn i romersk historie.
Har etterpå lest andre reviews som sier at dette skal være den minst gode boken i serien av 4, så jeg gleder meg til å lese resten! (show less)
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Conn Iggulden's first book and the first of what was to become a 4 part series on the life of Julius Caesar. This fleshes out the early lives of some of the key characters, and whilst it is a perfectly good historic adventure it somehow doesn't make enough of the momentous backdrop of the tussle for power between Marius and Sulla. It also unnecessarily condenses the timeframe and messes with some historical details, perhaps with one eye on a potential screenplay, as well as adding a pointless... (show more)
Conn Iggulden's first book and the first of what was to become a 4 part series on the life of Julius Caesar. This fleshes out the early lives of some of the key characters, and whilst it is a perfectly good historic adventure it somehow doesn't make enough of the momentous backdrop of the tussle for power between Marius and Sulla. It also unnecessarily condenses the timeframe and messes with some historical details, perhaps with one eye on a potential screenplay, as well as adding a pointless "mystical element" in the form of a character who reads like Getafix from the Asterix series. Still, all that said I cannot wait to read the other 3. (show less)
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