Conquest: A History of Roman Britain

by Ferdinand Addis

An epic, visceral history of the Romans in Britain, from Caesar's first invasion attempt in 55 BC to the fall of the Roman empire.

Britain wasn't conquered in a day. Caesar invaded twice, but didn't try to complete a conquest of the island. It was only when Claudius and his legions arrived in AD 43 that true colonization was possible. Forty years later, almost the whole of southern Britain was under Roman control, where it stayed until the final decline of the empire, the weakness of the colony's defences and the quarrels of Roman generals brought the experiment to an end.

Piecing together evidence from the often-propagandistic Roman literary sources – including the writings of Caesar, Tacitus and Livy – and making brilliant use of archaeological and anthropological research, Addis paints a vivid portrait of Roman and British life both in prehistoric times and in the first century AD. He brings the violence and intrigues of British tribal life into vivid relief, but also evokes the ways in which these diverse peoples lived, their monumental burial sites, their customs, their trade with continental Europe, their military organization and the kinds of war they practiced.

Ultimately, The Roman Conquest gives us fresh insight into the deep history of the island that the Romans set out to conquer.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 9, 2026

Reviews

[Mergulum · Rating 5 out of 5]

To describe this book as a history of the Roman conquest of Britain would be a disservice as it is far more extensive. It covers the history of Britain and indeed wider Europe from 9700BC describing the various migrations that established the population that faced Julius Caesar on his landings on the island and continues through and beyond the departure of the Romans in the early fifth century AD. The author draws on archaeological and diverse primary and secondary sources and includes details on the most recent DNA evidence of the ancient populations of Britain. The writing is clearly expressed and so easy to read and understand. I thoroughly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this review copy.

[Emma-Louise Wykes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for review.

I find the Roman conquest of Britain a particularly interesting period in history. I am always looking to improve my knowledge, so this book was a great fit for me.

The book is written in plain, accessible language, and is peppered with the author's dry wit which I loved. It gives a thorough and orderly account, which is a great starting point for anyone interested in this subject.

I found that whilst overall I enjoyed this read, there was a little too much repetition in parts, and it would have benefited from being a little shorter.