- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Press (Jan 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385336608
- ISBN-13: 978-0385336604
- Product Dimensions: 16 x 3.3 x 23.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 617 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #53,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
If the Roman Empire had taken as long to rise and fall as this novel takes to discover a main character and a plot, most of the world would still be wearing togas today. The story, such as it is, revolves around two boys: Gaius, the broody son of a wealthy senator, and Marcus, a prostitute's mischievous child who is reared as Gaius's brother and trained with him in the arts of war. Before the two boys reach majority, they are thrust into adulthood by the untimely death of Gaius's father and take up residence in Rome with Gaius's uncle Marius, a powerful consul who is vying with Sulla for control of the Republic. When Marcus is 14, he joins the Fourth Macedonian Legion to earn his fortune; Gaius remains by his uncle's side. Iggulden lingers long over boyhood pranks, trying the reader's patience; the pace picks up only halfway through the novel. Frequent fight scenes, ranging from individual combat to full scale battles, liven the mix somewhat, but the cartoon-like ability of the characters to bounce back after a few stitches weakens the effect. Though Iggulden has a solid grounding in Roman military history, anachronisms in speech and attitude ("Cabera took him outside and gave him a hiding") roll underfoot and trip up authenticity. A major twist toward the end reveals the protagonists to be two of Roman history's best-known figures, but readers with some knowledge of the period will have guessed their identities already. This is ultimately little more than a protracted introduction to a bigger story, which Iggulden will surely go on to tell.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
English writer Iggulden's first novel is the story of two young boys-Gaius and Marcus, raised as brothers though one is illegitimate-as they grow to adulthood in Rome two millennia ago. At that time, the republic was beginning to fall apart, a collapse that would result in the civil wars that brought the emperors to power. It was a time of turmoil, chaos, revolutions, casual violence, and savage brutality, and Iggulden's descriptions of the culture and environment are vivid. Although covering a period unknown to most lay readers, Emperor is a surprisingly fast and often exciting read. Iggulden admits to taking some liberties with history, and his masking the identities of Gaius and Marcus is unnecessary and distracting. While the real identity of Marcus (Et tu, Brute?) may be a puzzle, readers with a fair knowledge of Roman history will quickly identify Gaius (think of the Ides of March). Also, the roles of historical warlords Marius and Sulla are not well clarified. Still, this entertaining historical novel will appeal to fans of Steven Pressfield and Michael Curtis Ford. For larger collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/02; also, look for Colleen McCullough's The October Horse: A Novel About Caesar and Cleopatra, which will be released by S. & S. in November.-Ed.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, M.
--Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The track in the woods was a wide causeway to the two boys strolling down it. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
The track in the woods was a wide causeway to the two boys strolling down it. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining Roman Adventure Leaves Something to be Desired,
By
This review is from: Emperor: The Gates of Rome (Hardcover)
My husband and I are both rabid historical fiction fans, particularly books that take place in Ancient Rome, so it was with high hopes that we both tore through Conn Iggulden's THE GATES OF ROME. While much of it is entertaining, Iggulden dumbs the historical facts down to a degree that borders on insulting. The high-born young Gaius (a.k.a. Julius) Caesar, and his childhood friend Marcus (later known as Brutus), share some amazing childhood adventures a la "Rich Man, Poor Man", which include being trained for battle by star gladiator and curmudgeon Rennius, fighting blue-faced savages, and saving the family farm. There is much worth reading in the book, but Iggulden should do his readers a favor and tell history like it was if he is going to write about recognizable characters. The brilliance of Steven Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" series, and John Maddox Roberts' "SPQR" novels is that both authors accurately portray known history and historical figures, and then invent like hell around them to create whopping great stories. Iggulden could certainly learn a thing or two from them. I look forward to seeing where the next installment will lead us, and can only hope Iggulden learns to trust his readers with the facts.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
While it may not be historically accurate, still a great read!,
By
This review is from: Emperor: The Gates of Rome: A Novel of Julius Caesar (Paperback)
First and foremost, I am NOT an expert in Rome's or Caesar's history.Having just finished this book, I was looking at the other reviews written here, and I'm shocked at all the people who gave it a terrible rating! And while I understand their reasoning, I don't think this book is getting the respect it is due. Having read through a number of reviews, I've noticed that none of the reviews that i saw saying it was horribly inaccurate say anything about the notes the author makes at the end of the book (as he does in all of his historical fiction books). He clearly states that he is aware of the majority of the problems people had with the accuracy, and explains the truth behind them. The other key thing to think of is that this is NOT A BIOGRAPHY! Nor does the author ever claim it to be, it is a FICTIONAL NOVEL based loosely on history. If you want a book that will be 100% accurate in every way (and will probably be a lot drier), then buy any one of a huge number of biographies written about Caesar, many of which by historians. One negative reviewer stated that a lot of people will read this series and believe they know a lot about Caesar, and I agree wholeheartedly. If people make that mistake, and don't read the historical notes (where the author gives other resources for a more accurate historical account of the events covered), then that is their mistake. However, what I think the author did very well was give a very SIMPLE and entertaining account of some of ancient Roman history, and I think it will encourage people to read more advanced books if their interested in the subject. But someone with no prior knowledge of this history might have trouble jumping right into one of the more historical biographies. All in all, this was a very entertaining read, and an excellent way to whet ones appetite for ancient Roman history just Caesar's lifetime, and hopefully will encourage more people to delve into the some of many historical accounts or biographies, and learn a lot about this fascinating time in the world history, and about this enthralling man.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining Tale/Poor Historical Fiction,
By Bookworm Plus "Bill C." (Redondo Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Emperor: The Gates of Rome (Hardcover)
Before going further, I grant that this tale of two spunky lads trying to make their mark in the days of the late Roman Republic is a potboiler that kept my interest and has me wondering what will happen in the sequel. The problem is that the main characters are very prominent historical figures and the basic story deviates way too far from actual history. This is not a case of filling in the blanks based on logical assumptions. Colleen McCullough did this very effectively in the Master of Rome series. Instead Iggulden ignored the historical facts and flow to create settings and events of his choosing. I bought this book knowing nothing about it and from the title expected it to be set in Imperial Rome. As I began to understand what was going on, I started to get a sick feeling that young Gaius would turn out to be Julius Caeser with his cohort being Brutus. Needless to say this turned out to be the case. An analogy would be a story in which George Washington grows up in a city such as New York or Charleston sharing daring and swashbuckling adventures with Benedict Arnold as his bosom buddy. Those wishing to really learn something about ancient Rome in a historical novel should try Colleen McCullough. Although I may read and possibly enjoy the sequel, I have to downgrade Emperor's rating because a good story does not excuse grossly inaccurate historical fiction.
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