What do you think?
Rate this book
A Day in the Life of a Gladiator: An Alternative History of Ancient Rome
'You will love Harry Sidebottom’s magnificent, blood-drenched study of the life of a gladiator … Was I not entertained? I absolutely was.' Dominic Sandbrook, The Times
'Grippingly original' Tom Holland
***A TIMES AND ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR***
In ancient Rome, a single day could decide a gladiator’s fate. Follow in their footsteps with bestselling author Harry Sidebottom.
Take a seat at the feast on the eve of the games and watch as the men marked for combat enjoy their final meal.
At dawn, Roman citizens rush to the Colosseum to see the wild-beast hunts, public executions and carefully choreographed violence – all part of a good day’s entertainment.
Watch as the gladiators enter the arena – armour gleaming, shields locked, they step into the light, fighting not just for survival but for the favour of the crowd.
Gripping, immersive and grounded in ancient sources, A Day in the Life of a Gladiator illuminates the reality of Roman life and death in all its glory. This is history as it happened – not in the marble halls of emperors, but on the blood-darkened sand of the arena.
Previously published in hardback as Those Who Are About to Die.
'Grippingly original' Tom Holland
***A TIMES AND ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR***
In ancient Rome, a single day could decide a gladiator’s fate. Follow in their footsteps with bestselling author Harry Sidebottom.
Take a seat at the feast on the eve of the games and watch as the men marked for combat enjoy their final meal.
At dawn, Roman citizens rush to the Colosseum to see the wild-beast hunts, public executions and carefully choreographed violence – all part of a good day’s entertainment.
Watch as the gladiators enter the arena – armour gleaming, shields locked, they step into the light, fighting not just for survival but for the favour of the crowd.
Gripping, immersive and grounded in ancient sources, A Day in the Life of a Gladiator illuminates the reality of Roman life and death in all its glory. This is history as it happened – not in the marble halls of emperors, but on the blood-darkened sand of the arena.
Previously published in hardback as Those Who Are About to Die.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2026
About the author
Harry Sidebottom
45 books545 followersHarry Sidebottom is Lecturer in Ancient History at Merton College, Oxford, and part-time lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick. He has written for and contributed to many publications, including Classical Review, Journal of Roman Studies, and War and Society in the Roman World.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 23, 2026
I learned a lot by reading this long and well-researched book, but I wasn't gripped.
It meandered quite a lot and wasn't structured in a way that kept me interested.
Huge achievement for the author, but I would have rather read a shorter book that focused solely on the title's premise without the frequent tangents.
It meandered quite a lot and wasn't structured in a way that kept me interested.
Huge achievement for the author, but I would have rather read a shorter book that focused solely on the title's premise without the frequent tangents.
August 24, 2026
Just a note: By my kindle, 49% of the book is a day in the life. 51% are plates mentioned in the book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews