- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Mar 17 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1416532056
- ISBN-13: 978-1416532057
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 16.8 x 3.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 141 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #205,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"With his trademarks of extensive knowledge, insight, and great storytelling ability, Barry Strauss brings us as close as we can get to the enigmatic Spartacus, the slave who defied the Roman Republic." -- Adrian Goldsworthy, author of Caesar: Life of a Colossus
Product Description
The Spartacus War is the extraordinary story of the most famous slave rebellion in the ancient world, the fascinating true story behind a legend that has been the inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and revolutionaries for 2,000 years. Starting with only seventy-four men, a gladiator named Spartacus incited a rebellion that threatened Rome itself. With his fellow gladiators, Spartacus built an army of 60,000 soldiers and controlled the southern Italian countryside. A charismatic leader, he used religion to win support. An ex-soldier in the Roman army, Spartacus excelled in combat. He defeated nine Roman armies and kept Rome at bay for two years before he was defeated. After his final battle, 6,000 of his followers were captured and crucified along Rome's main southern highway.
The Spartacus War is the dramatic and factual account of one of history's great rebellions. Spartacus was beaten by a Roman general, Crassus, who had learned how to defeat an insurgency. But the rebels were partly to blame for their failure. Their army was large and often undisciplined; the many ethnic groups within it frequently quarreled over leadership. No single leader, not even Spartacus, could keep them all in line. And when faced with a choice between escaping to freedom and looting, the rebels chose wealth over liberty, risking an eventual confrontation with Rome's most powerful forces.
The result of years of research, The Spartacus War is based not only on written documents but also on archaeological evidence, historical reconstruction, and the author's extensive travels in the Italian countryside that Spartacus once conquered.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ancient History at its Best,
By
This review is from: The Spartacus War (Hardcover)
In twelve spell-binding chapters (plus an introduction and a conclusion), the author recounts the story of the Spartacus slave revolt that took place in Italy in 73 - 71 B.C. Perhaps because of the mythology surrounding the name `Spartacus', it is surprising to learn that very little is known for certain about the details of the various military encounters between Spartacus' followers and the Roman legions. This lack of information also applies to many of the exact routes taken by the slaves in their treks through the Italian peninsula and their reasons for taking them. Consequently, after alerting the reader to deficiencies in facts, whenever appropriate, the author considers the likelihood of the various possible scenarios and presents the most likely explanations for the events that have unfolded that are consistent with historical and archaeological evidence. Throughout the book, the author does a superb job of separating the facts from the myths. The writing style is clear, very authoritative and scholarly, friendly, widely accessible and most engaging. Although this book is bound to be a real treat for ancient history buffs, general readers who like thrilling adventure stories are likely to enjoy it just as much.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Rousing Tale, Full of Speculation 3.5 Stars,
By
This review is from: The Spartacus War (Hardcover)
I'm of two minds on this book - I can't help but say I enjoyed it. It is, after all, a rousing tale with its basis in history, full of conflict and hope.Having said that, you will need to be comfortable with many (MANY) gaps in the historical record, filled with what may be the most plausible and supportable speculation, but speculation nonetheless. Lots of 'we may imagine' etc. Which is fine, until we start 'imagining' what individual people may or may not have thought or felt...that gets to be a bit much. So I kept getting pulled back to those moments, even though the story itself is great. In the end I didn't mind that a lot of it may augmentation - it was an enjoyable book nonetheless. But just a warning as you go in.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Une synthèse très accessible,
This review is from: The Spartacus War (Paperback)
Avec ce livre, Barry Strauss continue de nous offrir une courte synthèse très facile et très agréable à lire dans la même veine que sa bataille de salamine. L'introduction sur les guerres serviles est peut-être un peu succincte mais les sources latines sur les années 73-71 av. J.C. sont très bien exploitées et ce livre se lit comme une enquête.
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