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The Golden Age #1

by Conn Iggulden, Lucia Halová (Translator)

Vstúpte na bojisko starovekého Grécka v románe bestsellerového autora Conna Igguldena.

Po období na úsvite dejín, známom väčšinou z mýtov a legiend, nastúpil čas skutočných ľudí, o ktorých sa zmieňujú historické pramene a spisy. V popredí stojí významný stratég a predvídavý politik Kimón. Za ním sa vypínajú Atény, mesto, ktoré sa pomaly vzmáha k najväčšiemu rozkvetu, ale pred ním na súši aj na mori striehne obrovská perzská armáda.

Mladý Perikles je ešte neskúsený mladík, žije v tieni svojho slávneho otca Xantippa, ktorý kedysi zachránil Atény. Musí sa osvedčiť na domácej politickej scéne a zmerať si sily v múdrosti, dôvtipe a predvídavosti so skeptikmi a neprajníkmi. No slová ešte z nikoho neurobili vodcu. Je čas, aby sa hrdina chopil činu, aby sa jeho nepriatelia triasli a aby priviedol Atény k veľkému kultúrnemu, demokratickému a mocenskému rozmachu. Mladý Perikles musí prejsť skúškou ohňom a osvedčiť sa v boji s nepriateľom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Greece, Novels, Ancient History, War

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2022

About the author

Also publishes under author name C.F. Iggulden.

I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.

My mother is Irish and from an early age she told me history as an exciting series of stories – with dates. My great-grandfather was a Seannachie, so I suppose story-telling is in the genes somewhere. My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. Though it seems a dated idea now, I began teaching when boys were told only girls were good at English, despite the great names that must spring to mind after that statement. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.

I’ve always loved historical fiction as a genre and cut my teeth on Hornblower and Tai-Pan, Flashman, Sharpe and Jack Aubrey. I still remember the sheer joy of reading my first Patrick O’Brian book and discovering there were nineteen more in the series. I love just about anything by David Gemmell, or Peter F. Hamilton or Wilbur Smith. I suppose the one thing that links all those is the love of a good tale.

That’s about it for the moment. If you’d like to get in touch with me leave a comment in the forum or you can tweet me @Conn_Iggulden. I’ll leave it there for the moment. If you’ve read my books, you know an awful lot about the way I think already. There’s no point overdoing it.

Conn Iggulden

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This great book is the 1st part of a 2-set series featuring the Greeks of Athens and their allies in the Golden Age.

At the very beginning of this book you'll see a well-drawn map of the Ancient (Greek and Persian) World, and a few pages of names pronunciation, while at the back you'll notice a Historical Note, where the historical details are wonderfully defined.

Storytelling is excellent, and where Christian Cameron excel in describing famous battles and picturing these landmarks, Conn Iggulden excels in describing human emotions interwoven with great dialogue, so that all characters come vividly to life within this amazing story.

The Golden Age of Athens refers to the period of history that will start in 480 until 404 BC, where Athens and its allies will rise up and be victorious against Persia, as well as becoming once more an enemy of Sparta.

The title of the book, Lion, refers to Cimon, the son of Miltiades, who will play the most dominant part in this superb book of victory and conquer of part of Persia, on land and sea, with Cimon in his role as Strategos of the Greek Alliance.

With Cimon as the leader of the Athenian League and with him are Pericles, Epikleos, Zeno, Anaxagoras, and the annoying Ephialtes and his guard dog, Attikos, and they will certainly bring Athens very much to the forefront with ferocious battles, political debate and plays during the Festival of Dionysus.

What is to follow is an awesome tale about the Ancient World, with scheming Athenians turning Sparta into an enemy, and defeating Persians, while also heroism, cowardice, dirty politics, backstabbing and power within and without Athens will bring the best and worst out of some people from Athens, and that's all brought to us with great dialogue and action to make this book such a wonderful read.

Highly recommended to all who like an Ancient History tale (Greek, Spartans and Persians), for this is a great start of this two-set series, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Terrific Begin"!

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this third book of Iggulden’s series, we follow the early career of Pericles, son of Xanthippus. Much of it is imagined as little is known of Pericles’ early life and many of the events of this period were unrecorded until much later. His generation followed in the footsteps of those who fought at Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis and sought to emulate their heroes.

As always, I enjoyed learning a little more about life in Ancient Greece, particularly about theatre and The Festival of Dionysus. As before, the battle scenes are exciting and are seen from both sides of the field. The horror of what soldiers faced in the days of hand to hand combat is drawn in enough detail to appreciate it without being too gory, thankfully. No doubt, the fourth book of the series will follow Pericles in his later life and I will look forward to that.

3 stars because I didn’t find it as compelling as the first two in the series.

With thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a review copy.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conn Iggulden whisked me away to the world of Pericles and held me captivated. On to the the next journey!

[Charlie Hasler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little bit slow in the middle but great all the same. Looking forward to the next one.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Iggulden cannot write a bad read. His writing mechanics have been consistently excellent in his series of books. From Genghis Khan to Julius Caesar to English history, he is just good. His pick up timing is excellent. I do have a little four letter word bone to pick with him. He uses the 'f' word twice in this book which is set in 400 B. C. I studied the etymology (I hope that word is correct and I looked at words and not birds.) of the word, and it came into use much, much later. My word source habit is silly, but I am sure the author would forgive it.

Cymon and Pericles are the characters to watch. The Greek City States did not ally themselves except when fighting a common enemy. They pooled resources to build war ships to fight and destroy Persians on the seas, but no Persian ships could be found. The sea was empty. Pericles finds the Persians hidden on a river. The ensuing battle is exciting; but afterwards the alliance, the League as it was called, is not in a healthy state.

My review is finished, but I want to mention Alexander of Macedon and Xerxes. Alexander showed his worth while Xerxes showed his dark soul. The author portrays their characters through their words, and I hope fiction part of historical fiction is not fickle.

The Gates Of Athens and Protector are the first two books of the Athenian Series.

Thank you, Mr. Iggulden, for a good read.

[Adam Lofthouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, I think, the best of the three Athenian novels Conn Iggulden has written so far. The first two lacked a personal touch, very little dialogue, not much investment in the characters. This felt much more rounded, more engaging.

We follow Pericles through his early adulthood, as he seeks to carve himself out a reputation to match his fathers in Athens. He fights in the fleet under the command of Cimon, a man who is both a friend and a rival to him. Together they capture the island of Cyprus, a bitter contest in which Pericles is wounded.

We see Pericles grow as a man and as a leader. He marries, a decision he comes to regret, and even uses his family wealth to back a up and coming production in Athens, hoping to build his reputation further.

The story climaxes with a fierce battle on Persian soil. Once more with the fleet, Pericles and Cimon discover a vast Persian force, being readied in secret, and immediately launch an attack, seeking to nullify their enemy before they can sail on Greece. Pericles makes a rather strange decision in the aftermath of the battle (won't spoil it here!) but there seems little reason for it. It jerked a bit as a reader, as it didn't seem it fit his character arc, and I felt left a bit of an odd ending. That being said, I will gladly read the next instalment.

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley*

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Conn sees the Athenian navy set out to pursue the Persian forces to stop them from regrouping and building up for another attack on Greece.
Lots of action and intrigue sets the scene for the final book in the series. 
I can't wait.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alfonso Medina Rguez Acuña · Rating 2 out of 5]

A promising cover and blurb, but the story doesn't seem to have a purpose. Pericles goes from one thing to another, and all these characters come in and out. Yet one cannot tell the end goal. It could be so good but to me it felt flat.

[Terry Rudge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conn Iggulden with another fantastic story. This story if you stripped it all back, is one of finding your identity. Becoming more than what people expect and forging your own path and fulfilling your own ambitions.

I loved that we really got character depth in this one, as this is something that is often missing in HF.

I felt that with some of this time period being a little obscure and conflicting in historical papers, it actually really allowed CI to create a narrative and evolve a story .

Brilliant read

[Derek Gau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plotless, shallow characters; easily the most disappointing book Iggulden I’ve read.

[Kath B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conn Iggulden provides another masterful volume of historical fiction, again focused on ancient Greece and Persia, and, in particular, the beginning of the Peloponnesian Wars.

This book follows two Greek heroes, Cimon (The Lion of the title) and his younger companion, Pericles, in their adventures on the battlefield and at sea as they lead an alliance of the Greek states against their old enemy.

The author has done a tremendous amount of research in preparing for this novel, and perfectly describes the battle strategies and policies Athens employed to keep its rivals, especially Sparta, in their place. There is also a wonderful amount of political intrigue and personal jealousy throughout with friends becoming enemies and heroes becoming traitors almost in the blink of an eye, so easy is it to lose or gain 'honour' with one false move, or a show of ambition at the wrong time.

The characters in this book are well drafted and move from good to not quite so good as the story develops, keeping the interest high. The pace of the plot is also good for the most part though it did drag a little in the middle when Pericles returned to Athens as a choragi (producer) of theatre plays - this aspect of his life wasn't quite as interesting as the battle scenes in my opinion.

On the whole though, this was a good start to a new series (for me) which promises to see the development of the young Pericles into a career soldier in the next book.

[Nick Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A distinctly odd book this. The Lion of Athens is Pericles, a man who helped shape the culture and direction of Athenian politics. But we are presented more with Athens as the central character, the development of a fleet to take battle to the Persians and the excitement of a city that was the centre of almost everything. Pericles is presented as a young man finding his feet and love of culture and the more interesting character is the General, Cimon.
This tells an interesting story of Athens but it does lack the pace of the author’s other novels. I feel I did learn from the author’s meticulous research and knowledge but I wasn’t excited by the book which would be my normal default position with the author.

[Sylvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more like an introduction to the real thing, which will be the next book, on the life of Pericles. However, it describes the battle of the Eurymedon under Cimon, The Lion in the book (as Pericles is too young to matter). Pericles plays a minor role in this book, as he is below 30 years of age. In Athens, male descendants were not considered men yet as they lacked experience and cold judgment as he proved to be when marrying the wrong woman.
I liked it because it is nicely written in a style that only Conn Iggulden can employ. So, for some, especially if you are not passionate about history, Greek wars, battle description etc., you might find it a bit boring and long. To me, it sets the scene for what is coming, and it helps the main character (Pericles) grow for an in-depth re-creation of who this man was and what he did to remain a hero in Greek history.
in short, whatever Con Iggulden writes/releases, I read. He conquered my admiration and respect long ago with the Conqueror and Genghis Khan series. Look forward to the next book in this series.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third in a series set during the Graeco-Persian wars, The Lion depicts the triumph of Cimon, the man most responsible for the defeat of Persian king, Xerxes. The story covers the formation of the Delian League (the alliance of Greek states set up to combat the Persian threat), the hostility of Sparta to Athenian leadership, and the first fracture in the alliance caused by the rebellion of Thasos.

Interestingly, though, the narrative is told mostly from the point of view of Pericles, the future leader, as he begins to emerge into maturity. We watch him struggle to balance the competing claims of the war at sea, his new -and by no means submissive - wife, his family, and his friends, including the playwright Aeschylus and the philosophers, Zeno and Anaxagoras.

Ultimately, this is a story about identity – on the one hand, the beginnings of Hellenic identity and on the other, the development of Pericles’ sense of himself and his purpose. As I read it against the backdrop of the current conflict in Ukraine, it seemed to me that Iggulden had done exactly what a good writer of historical fiction should: brought to life a remote chapter of the past and shown how it resonates with the present.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 2 star rating is all on me-Ancient Greece just doesn't excite me like Ancient Rome does-which is a shame because I've loved the other historical series this author has done. This book highlight two famous Greeks, Cimon and Pericles, as the Hellenic league as sworn at Delos takes on the Persian empire.

[Mark Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather, drab addition to the Greek series focusing on the rise to fame of Pericles and another drubbing of the Persians who are so inept you wonder how they found their way out of bed each day. Lots of battles, some politics of the day and that's about it. Not one of Iggulden's best.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this great historical novel and look forward to continue this series. Iggulden is a master of historical military novel.

[Keith Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel follows on directly from the author’s Protector which saw Greek victory in the Persian Wars and focussed on the Athenian leaders Aristides and Xanthippus, and the Spartan general Pausanias. That novel opened in the middle of the battle of Salamis and closed shortly after the Spartan victory at Plataea.

Lion covers the ten or so years following the withdrawal of the Persians from Greece. Its heroes are the young Athenian general Cimon and Xanthippus’ son Pericles, beginning to make his way in public life. It is a well written, generally exciting adventure story, achieved without major insult to the historical record.

I am conscious that the above paragraph reads like faint praise. The truth is that, despite its readability, I have problems with the plot and characterisation. First, the clear and obvious hero of the book is Cimon, who steals every scene in which he appears. Pericles pales into insignificance in his presence. The story flags when Cimon is not present. Second, Pericles himself comes over as shallow and impetuous, nothing like how I might envisage the historical figure. True, he is young and inexperienced, but Cimon although not much older is a successful leader of men. Then there are the cardboard cut-out villains, Attikos (fictional) and Ephialtes (historical). Finally there is the entirely implausible love affair and marriage of Pericles to the unsuitable Thetis, the captive concubine of a pirate from Scyros. I just cannot conceive that this could possibly have occurred in the Athens of the aristocratic Pericles.

It is a fact that there are very few successful novels about the great age of democratic Athens. Someday someone will do Cimon justice. Pericles the Athenian by Rex Warner is very good in a rather intellectual way. The best existing novels are about the years of Athens’ defeat in the Peloponnesian War, Mary Renault’s The Last of the Wine and Stephanie Plowman’s Road to Sardis, Tom Holt’s The Walled Orchard. The author’s attempt is not entirely unsuccessful, but I suspect the target audience does not include a curmudgeon like me.

The test of a book in a series is whether I would read the next. In this case, I probably would.

[Anton Tagliaferro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two books in the series but I thought this was a really disappointing and lack lustre book - but this one really dragged on in the middle - a couple of good bits like the conquest of Cyprus but generally I find it very lack lustre and very very simplistically written without really much happening for much of the book.

Unusually for me with Conn Iggulden's books , I couldn't wait for this book to end ! I found it really lacked the pace of another historical fiction book I read just before it called " Mad King Robin" from James Vella Bardon which was action packed from beginning to end and I thought was fabulous.

[Sam Drayson Le Tissier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spears, Strategy, and Shifting Loyalties

Book Review: Lion by Conn Iggulden

Conn Iggulden’s Lion brings the Peloponnesian War to life with all the grit, blood, and political manoeuvring of the era. He takes what could be dry, dusty history and transforms it into a fast-paced, gripping narrative filled with tension and spectacle. The combat, in particular, is where the book truly shines. Every clash of spears and shields feels visceral, and the river raid in the final chapters stands out as a brilliant crescendo of action and suspense.

Iggulden also excels at laying the groundwork for conflict—introducing slivers of animosity between characters early on, only to pay them off in satisfying ways later. It gives the story a sense of inevitability and depth, making the politics and rivalries feel alive and personal.

That said, I struggled to fully invest in the characters themselves. With so many shifting points of view, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was who, and the emotional core of the story felt weaker as a result. Pericles, in particular, came across as thoroughly unlikable, which may have been intentional but still made his chapters less engaging.

Still, Lion is a powerful example of historical fiction done well. If you love vivid battle scenes, authentic political intrigue, and history turned into page-turning drama, it’s well worth your time—even if the characters don’t always inspire the same devotion as the story itself.

Please note I'm using the official Goodreads rating system:

1 star - didn’t like it

2 stars – it was OK

3 stars – liked it

4 stars – really liked it

5 stars – it was amazing

[Erik Martenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the Lion’s Den

Another great book about my favorite epoch, classical Greece, where democracy was born, and Hellas was united against Persia and later Sparta. The title Lion referes to Pericles, son of Xanthippus, who stood at Marathon, and later became a powerful politician. We follow Pericles as he grows up and becomes a name in Athens, and as he fights in the war against Persia, when they come again.

The book is well written, the formatting is fine, except that I prefer the indentations a bit more than just two spaces. There are very few mistakes, the worst one is this: «While Pericles had been forced to sit with his evacuated family …»

To evacuate is to «make empty». Many writers use this verb wrong. A good tip is to replace the word with «empty». If the sentence still makes sense, you’ve used the verb correctly. You evacuate buildings, cities, vehicles, ships, but never ever people or animals.

I also reacted to the word «practise» before I realized that’s how Brits spell the word.

I enjoyed the book greatly and chose to award it five stars.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This central character of this novel is Pericles, the younger but only remaining son of Xanthippus, the hero of the two novels of the Athenian series. Our 3rd person point-of-view comes from his perspective . While this is termed as the 1st of two books in a new series called The Golden Age, it also serves as a de facto 3rd book of the Athenian series as it continues on in the timeframe and the characters presented there.
A second central character in this book is Cimon, also prominent in the Athenian series. Cimon is the Strategos of the Greek Alliance, which is shown being formed in this part under the leadership of Xanthippus. Much of the book involves the Pericles/Cimon relationship as Pericles both admires Cimon as a leader and person and is jealous of him, especially for his intimacy with Thetis, the captive concubine of a pirate from Scyros and the woman who becomes Pericles wife.
The first part of the book deals with capture of Eion and Pericles and Cimon interactions with the residents of Scyros, where they find the remains of the Greek hero Theseus. The second part has Pericles back in Athens and getting involved as the moneyed sponsor of the dramatist Aeschylus’ acting troupe getting ready for The Festival of Dionysus. In Athens, Pericles also continues his conflict with the Athenian warrior Attikos, a conflict which started in the first half of the book due to Attikos’ attacks on Thetis.
I enjoyed these first two sections and appreciate the stories of Pericles’ interpersonal relations, thinking that I would prefer them to the more routine battle scenes. I did enjoy learning more about Athenian life and the whole Greek drama scene and Pericles friendship with Zeno and Anaxagoras. Another GR reviewer commented that Iggulden “excels in describing human emotions interwoven with great dialogue.” Yet I found myself first getting really excited by the book during the “routine battle scenes’ with the Persians that take place in the book’s climactic third part.
Overall, this was enjoyable but not as engrossing as the first two novels. It may be that the two Athenian books, as my first experience in this genre, naturally felt fresher and more exciting. This one I would term as more of a comfy and enjoyable read. It still ekes out a 4-star rating.

[Andrew House · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main plot takes place in the last 8-10 chapters. The rest is basically pointless

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of action, but certainly a good insight into the Athenian mindset at the beginning of a unified Greek nation, the decline of Spartan dominance, and the Persian empire. Picked up towards the end as the meandering plot came together.

[Jacob Gren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jovars, den slank ner

[Rowan Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable book by Conn Iggulden. A fast paced story with just the right balance of politics and battles, culture and characters.

[Björn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den är spännande och bra skriven. Vad är spännande, jo, läs berättelsen nedan så får du bra uppfattning.

[Alexander Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid instalment, this time focussing on Cimon and Pericles during the Greco-Persian Wars

[Dominique "Eerie" Sobieska · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointing. Slow start and you need to power through a portion of the book to finally hit something interesting. Its a shame since its a fictional story with Pericles.

[Katri Oksanen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Olisin niin halunnut uppoutua pitkään antiikin Kreikasta kertovaan sarjaan, mutta tämä sarja se ei valitettavasti ollut. En kerta kaikkiaan pystynyt lukemaan tätä. Kliseet ja henkilöhahmojen kapeus olivat tällä kertaa liikaa. Jäi kesken.