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Emperor #1
The Gates of Rome
Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family–and his adoptive brother–will be the most powerful force in his life.
As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combat–under the tutelage of one of Rome’s most fearsome gladiators–Rome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier’s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win.
The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict–a conflict that will set Roman against Roman...and put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrasts–from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction.
From the Hardcover edition.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family–and his adoptive brother–will be the most powerful force in his life.
As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combat–under the tutelage of one of Rome’s most fearsome gladiators–Rome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier’s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win.
The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict–a conflict that will set Roman against Roman...and put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrasts–from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction.
From the Hardcover edition.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
1160 people are currently reading
19909 people want to read
About the author
Conn Iggulden
144 books6,025 followersAlso 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,293 reviews
October 28, 2018
William Bernhardt, author of Nemesis, is quoted on The Gates of Rome as saying "what Robert Graves did for Claudius, Conn Iggulden now does for...Julies Caesar." This would be true of Robert Graves was a thriller writing moron willing to ignore factual history at a moment's notice for mere literary convenience.
In his historical note afterward, Iggulden does mention that most of Julius Caesar's childhood is a mystery to historians. Iggulden could be forgiven for taking his liberties in with this period of the future dictator's life without taking too much flack (if only because his theories could not be disproven). However, there is little excuse for how he bastardized the competition between Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
Iggulden portarys Marius as being a populist infinitely younger than he was by the time Julius Caesar was born. Sulla is reduced to being an implied deviant obsessed with worshiping Aphrodite, but may still be a brilliant general in his spare time. In the book’s "climatic" final battle, Sulla murders Marius outside a siege of Rome while Marius shouts to his legion to burn the city. Other than Sulla marching on Rome, both events are purely fiction. Marius died weeks after assuming his unprecedented seventh consulship. Sulla went on to fill the vacuum left by Marius death, but would peacefully resign the powers of a dictator after reforming the Roman constitution. Both men were far better than the shallow, vain political power-mongers Iggulden paints them as.
Leaving aside his glaring fictionalization, Iggulden seems to delight in creating wholly unappealing main characters. I found it difficult to care about Caesar, who fluctuates between petulant aristocratic child and rich California play boy during the course of the book. His childhood friend, the fictitious Marcus, is little more than a two-dimensional exploration of a wanna-be Legionnaire. His appearances in the novel after leaving Caesar in Rome have a tacked on feel and do little more than jarringly move the reader from one part of the ancient Mediterranean world to the other.
The only part of Iggulden's fictional experiment that works is his secondary characters. They keep the book entertaining, but largely fall into the crushing stereotypes of the surrogate father (Tuburk), the mentor (Renius), the fortune-teller (Cabera), and the first love (Alexandria). If they were played by actors, a critic would praise them for managing to make the most out of a horribly written screenplay with ineptly designed characters.
I may have been spoiled by Graves' duology on Claudius and McCullough's Master of Rome series, but that leaves Iggulden little excuse to mass produce such historical garbage. I would rank both series as infinitely superior to Gates of Rome, and definitely say that HBO's Rome series was far better at capturing Rome as it was (knowing full well all its flaws) than this novel. Reading the remainder of the series would be enjoyable only to pick Iggulden apart.
In his historical note afterward, Iggulden does mention that most of Julius Caesar's childhood is a mystery to historians. Iggulden could be forgiven for taking his liberties in with this period of the future dictator's life without taking too much flack (if only because his theories could not be disproven). However, there is little excuse for how he bastardized the competition between Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
Iggulden portarys Marius as being a populist infinitely younger than he was by the time Julius Caesar was born. Sulla is reduced to being an implied deviant obsessed with worshiping Aphrodite, but may still be a brilliant general in his spare time. In the book’s "climatic" final battle, Sulla murders Marius outside a siege of Rome while Marius shouts to his legion to burn the city. Other than Sulla marching on Rome, both events are purely fiction. Marius died weeks after assuming his unprecedented seventh consulship. Sulla went on to fill the vacuum left by Marius death, but would peacefully resign the powers of a dictator after reforming the Roman constitution. Both men were far better than the shallow, vain political power-mongers Iggulden paints them as.
Leaving aside his glaring fictionalization, Iggulden seems to delight in creating wholly unappealing main characters. I found it difficult to care about Caesar, who fluctuates between petulant aristocratic child and rich California play boy during the course of the book. His childhood friend, the fictitious Marcus, is little more than a two-dimensional exploration of a wanna-be Legionnaire. His appearances in the novel after leaving Caesar in Rome have a tacked on feel and do little more than jarringly move the reader from one part of the ancient Mediterranean world to the other.
The only part of Iggulden's fictional experiment that works is his secondary characters. They keep the book entertaining, but largely fall into the crushing stereotypes of the surrogate father (Tuburk), the mentor (Renius), the fortune-teller (Cabera), and the first love (Alexandria). If they were played by actors, a critic would praise them for managing to make the most out of a horribly written screenplay with ineptly designed characters.
I may have been spoiled by Graves' duology on Claudius and McCullough's Master of Rome series, but that leaves Iggulden little excuse to mass produce such historical garbage. I would rank both series as infinitely superior to Gates of Rome, and definitely say that HBO's Rome series was far better at capturing Rome as it was (knowing full well all its flaws) than this novel. Reading the remainder of the series would be enjoyable only to pick Iggulden apart.
June 14, 2015
I've been amazed by quite a few historical fiction already, but none of this specific genre. Rome is one of my favorite places ever since I was young. I aced my third year in high school where we had Greek, Roman, and Egyptian History. Those 3 are my main interest, kindly include Russian History but I haven't read anything about that though.
I know that this novel is high on the inaccuracy, but the author made a note in the end anyway. He said that he intentionally had to do the inaccuracy to make the plot a lot better. I honestly didn't mind the inaccuracies, even though I'm a semi huge history buff. I found the novel really interesting despite the issue. I know most of the people who hated this didn't like the inaccuracies, so I guess that goes to show that people have different opinions.
I now conclude that I love reading about military and war fiction/non-fiction. I'm also currently reading The Thousand Names by Django Wexler, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Both focused heavily on war and military. I will surely read more of the genre.
This has to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. I'm now reminded to make a top-something reads of 2015 shelf. Something about the setting and characters really made me enjoy this novel. It felt very, historical. It delivered the setting it was supposed to. It felt like living in Rome at some parts. The characters were really great. Gaius, Marcus, Renius, etc were awesome. Almost all of them were fully developed and contributed a lot more to the plot than possible.
4/5 stars. Highly recommended to those who can stand the historical inaccuracies. That was the only problem I saw that might hinder you from enjoying this. Aside from that, this was near perfect. I didn't rate this a 5 because it didn't blow me away, unlike the other 5 star novels I've read in the past. Another note too that this felt a bit like a young adult/coming-of-age kind of novel. You'll be reading about Gaius and Marcus' journey from childhood to manhood. It's not that annoying to be honest, unlike some YA books I've read. It read more like a historical fiction book, just like it was supposed to.
I know that this novel is high on the inaccuracy, but the author made a note in the end anyway. He said that he intentionally had to do the inaccuracy to make the plot a lot better. I honestly didn't mind the inaccuracies, even though I'm a semi huge history buff. I found the novel really interesting despite the issue. I know most of the people who hated this didn't like the inaccuracies, so I guess that goes to show that people have different opinions.
I now conclude that I love reading about military and war fiction/non-fiction. I'm also currently reading The Thousand Names by Django Wexler, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Both focused heavily on war and military. I will surely read more of the genre.
This has to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. I'm now reminded to make a top-something reads of 2015 shelf. Something about the setting and characters really made me enjoy this novel. It felt very, historical. It delivered the setting it was supposed to. It felt like living in Rome at some parts. The characters were really great. Gaius, Marcus, Renius, etc were awesome. Almost all of them were fully developed and contributed a lot more to the plot than possible.
4/5 stars. Highly recommended to those who can stand the historical inaccuracies. That was the only problem I saw that might hinder you from enjoying this. Aside from that, this was near perfect. I didn't rate this a 5 because it didn't blow me away, unlike the other 5 star novels I've read in the past. Another note too that this felt a bit like a young adult/coming-of-age kind of novel. You'll be reading about Gaius and Marcus' journey from childhood to manhood. It's not that annoying to be honest, unlike some YA books I've read. It read more like a historical fiction book, just like it was supposed to.
May 22, 2017
Conn Iggulden vivid imagination and superior prose make of The Gates of Rome a great historical fiction. Most of Julius Caesar’s growing up years are a mystery, so this is basically a work of fiction. But as such it is thoroughly a compelling read. What emerges is a coming of age tale set in the Roman Empire, where the author imagines a vibrant characterization of the early years of the man who would become the most powerful ruler of his era. In a note, Iggulden does mention that most of Julius Caesar's childhood is a mystery to historians. If you are not looking for historical accuracy, this is an adventure story that will capture your attention and grant a few hours of an entertaining read.
The Gates of Rome is the first of four books of the Emperor series that portrays the life of Julius Caesar, from boyhood through to his violent death. Now on to the second volume, The Death of Kings. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
_____
The Gates of Rome is the first of four books of the Emperor series that portrays the life of Julius Caesar, from boyhood through to his violent death. Now on to the second volume, The Death of Kings. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
_____
August 27, 2018
*** 3 ***
I think most people faced with a work of Historical Fiction based on well researched and known historical characters, tend to look for the historical truth, despite knowing that the works are romanticized and fictionalized. I think in the case of Gaius Julius Caesar it would be even harder to take dramatic licenses and let the author's imagination run free, because he is such a famous figure in history, it is hard to create timelines without being called on it. In this book the author does a great job portraying the youth of the future Dictator of Rome and his fictional best friend Marcus. Things get a bit murkier once we involve the also very famous populist general and Gaius's uncle Gaius Marius. This was a man larger than life and with countless wins on the battlefield, but better known for changing the requirements for entering the army and opening more possibilities for the landless and low-born willing to give their lives for Rome. He was a city consul for 7 times, dying in 86 b.c. only weeks after taking his seventh consulship jointly with Cinna. At that time, in Real Life timeline, Julius Caesar was only 14 years old. However, in order to take the drama to a higher level, the author takes some years away from Marius, gives about 6-7 years plus to Gaius Julius, and to top it all, makes the consul's death a very big theatrically dramatic moment. It was written very well and it works great with the way the plot and story was told, it just was not necessarily true...
So, if you are not stickler for exactness in your history, and if you are in the mood for a fun Fictional Account of that historical period, this is a good book to read! It really is a fun read, just don't go expecting historical accuracy. However, the reality of the period is well described and as always, it is better to have some idea about this very important period in our civilization, than none at all. As I was saying to a GR friend, I think any knowledge is still cool when it comes to that time. In my personal opinion, most of the big Epic Fantasy has been written based on the history and legends of Rome and how it affected and changed all the cultures it encountered and the way they resisted or were taken over and changed for good... This is why I am all in for this type of easier to read retelling of the period. I am not being judgmental, just a bit warped from what I have learned from the years I have been delving into that period:) And what a period of constant change that was!!!
Now I wish you All Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
I think most people faced with a work of Historical Fiction based on well researched and known historical characters, tend to look for the historical truth, despite knowing that the works are romanticized and fictionalized. I think in the case of Gaius Julius Caesar it would be even harder to take dramatic licenses and let the author's imagination run free, because he is such a famous figure in history, it is hard to create timelines without being called on it. In this book the author does a great job portraying the youth of the future Dictator of Rome and his fictional best friend Marcus. Things get a bit murkier once we involve the also very famous populist general and Gaius's uncle Gaius Marius. This was a man larger than life and with countless wins on the battlefield, but better known for changing the requirements for entering the army and opening more possibilities for the landless and low-born willing to give their lives for Rome. He was a city consul for 7 times, dying in 86 b.c. only weeks after taking his seventh consulship jointly with Cinna. At that time, in Real Life timeline, Julius Caesar was only 14 years old. However, in order to take the drama to a higher level, the author takes some years away from Marius, gives about 6-7 years plus to Gaius Julius, and to top it all, makes the consul's death a very big theatrically dramatic moment. It was written very well and it works great with the way the plot and story was told, it just was not necessarily true...
So, if you are not stickler for exactness in your history, and if you are in the mood for a fun Fictional Account of that historical period, this is a good book to read! It really is a fun read, just don't go expecting historical accuracy. However, the reality of the period is well described and as always, it is better to have some idea about this very important period in our civilization, than none at all. As I was saying to a GR friend, I think any knowledge is still cool when it comes to that time. In my personal opinion, most of the big Epic Fantasy has been written based on the history and legends of Rome and how it affected and changed all the cultures it encountered and the way they resisted or were taken over and changed for good... This is why I am all in for this type of easier to read retelling of the period. I am not being judgmental, just a bit warped from what I have learned from the years I have been delving into that period:) And what a period of constant change that was!!!
Now I wish you All Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
May 25, 2008
First off, there was nothing wrong with the writing, or the pacing or action. It was all fine. But because this is historical fiction and I am trained in history, certain things about this book bothered me enough to really lessen my enjoyment of reading it. If this were an alternate history, it wouldn't bother me, because in an alternate history novel, the end is different (duh, right?). But because I know this is going to the same end as the histories, then historical inaccuracies just stick in my craw.
****SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!***************
OK, my main issues with the book:
Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar did not grow up together. Caesar was 15 years older than Brutus. I mean, sure, it makes it more "dramatic" to have them grow up together like brothers, but it is wrong. Just like if a book had Lincoln and Jefferson Davis growing up together and was put out as a historical fiction.
This is one of many things that just annoyed.
Caesar's father didn't die in a slave rebellion. He just keeled over one day. There is another. The list goes on.
And the character of the wiseman, the guy who has semi-mystic healing powers and can see glimpses of the future? For god's sake, this is supposed to be historical fiction, not a freaking fantasy!! Feh.
****SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!***************
OK, my main issues with the book:
Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar did not grow up together. Caesar was 15 years older than Brutus. I mean, sure, it makes it more "dramatic" to have them grow up together like brothers, but it is wrong. Just like if a book had Lincoln and Jefferson Davis growing up together and was put out as a historical fiction.
This is one of many things that just annoyed.
Caesar's father didn't die in a slave rebellion. He just keeled over one day. There is another. The list goes on.
And the character of the wiseman, the guy who has semi-mystic healing powers and can see glimpses of the future? For god's sake, this is supposed to be historical fiction, not a freaking fantasy!! Feh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
8/10, cuatro estrellas completas.
O sea, que sí, que merece la pena leer a Iggulden.
¿Es recomendable? Sí, sin duda ninguna si se tiene presente que es ficción histórica, con muuuuchas licencias de cara a la fluidez de la novela (el propio autor lo explica en el epílogo).
¿Es lo mejor que puedes leer en Novela Histórica? Pues no, menos aún si hace poco has leído a Posteguillo, quien para mi gusto le supera en todos los aspectos.
Lo dicho, que tal vez gracias a las licencias que se toma el autor la historia es entretenida, dinámica, con personajes interesantes (sin pasarse tampoco) y con el gran atractivo de los dos chavales protagonistas, Marco y Cayo, y el ver cómo van creciendo desde los 8 años que tiene al comienzo de la novela.
Si no estás muy puesto en Historia –y no has leído la “spoileadora” sinopsis- casi mejor porque así tendrás la sorpresa de reconocer a alguno de los personajes mediada la novela. Si ese reconocimiento llega pronto o te lo ha destripado la sinopsis queda el placer de leer sobre la infancia novelada de los mismos.
Es el primero de una pentalogía, sí, pero al menos no llega a las 400 páginas.
¿Y dónde pierde la quinta estrella? Pues por sensaciones, seguramente subjetivas y tal vez injustas ya que he leído hace poco a Posteguillo. Pero ya digo que creo que os satisfará totalmente si sois seguidores de la ficción histórica no excesivamente rigurosa.
O sea, que sí, que merece la pena leer a Iggulden.
¿Es recomendable? Sí, sin duda ninguna si se tiene presente que es ficción histórica, con muuuuchas licencias de cara a la fluidez de la novela (el propio autor lo explica en el epílogo).
¿Es lo mejor que puedes leer en Novela Histórica? Pues no, menos aún si hace poco has leído a Posteguillo, quien para mi gusto le supera en todos los aspectos.
Lo dicho, que tal vez gracias a las licencias que se toma el autor la historia es entretenida, dinámica, con personajes interesantes (sin pasarse tampoco) y con el gran atractivo de los dos chavales protagonistas, Marco y Cayo, y el ver cómo van creciendo desde los 8 años que tiene al comienzo de la novela.
Si no estás muy puesto en Historia –y no has leído la “spoileadora” sinopsis- casi mejor porque así tendrás la sorpresa de reconocer a alguno de los personajes mediada la novela. Si ese reconocimiento llega pronto o te lo ha destripado la sinopsis queda el placer de leer sobre la infancia novelada de los mismos.
Es el primero de una pentalogía, sí, pero al menos no llega a las 400 páginas.
¿Y dónde pierde la quinta estrella? Pues por sensaciones, seguramente subjetivas y tal vez injustas ya que he leído hace poco a Posteguillo. Pero ya digo que creo que os satisfará totalmente si sois seguidores de la ficción histórica no excesivamente rigurosa.
January 19, 2015
It has been a bloody long time since I last had a review to do that felt this easy to write. This book was so cut and dry for me. It falls into a class of read that I never fail to find the words to elaborate on.
Incompatibility.
One of the nicest negative review words a reviewer could draw upon - incompatibility. The sweetest way to say that I thought it was bad, but maybe it isn't the authors fault.
If we were in a relationship, this book and I, I would be saying to it "I want you to know that it isn't you. It is me. I think we are just too different and are far better off apart. I know you will find other fish in the sea that will appreciate you better than I".
Only this is a book, not a relationship. So about this book I will say;
We simply are not compatible. It will be compatible with many thousands, and it has been. The proof of that is there in all the positive ratings on Goodreads and Amazon and in the book deals and bank accounts of the author.
For me, however, I do not like books that dedicate most of their quantity to childhood characters. If I liked to be in the heads of kids for that long I would be reading the Young Adult genre. A genre I do not like to read, because, obviously, I am an adult, who likes to read about adults.
That is not to say there are no adults who like to read about children. Only I am not one of them.
I say give them a chapter or two, maybe a quarter or even a third of the book (okay, a third of a book may be stretching it), but just don't make boys and girls the main feature of a book for adults.
Good for milking an extra book out of a series and making more money, but not always great fun for adult readers.
I also found the writing to be a little simple and raw, which only accentuated the YA aromatics.
The other thing that bugs me and makes us incompatible, is flagrant disregard for historical accuracy just because you don't like the restraints of the historical accuracy mistress. She isn't such a bad bird and can be forgiving if you feel the need as an author to break free and dabble. But this book doesn't dabble or stretch the confines for more freedom, this book gives historical accuracy a wide, albeit arrogant, berth.
And while there are those thousands of readers who don't know the history enough to know that this book is an alternate history, there sure are thousands that do. I don't even know much about this history, and yet I can see it.
Arrogance with historical accuracy is a turn off for me.
I read all this author's Ghengis Khan series. Had a love/hate relationship with it. Liked one or two, really liked one, hated the rest.
I don't like Roman historical fiction much, but I bought this (used) book based on some decent experiences with that Ghengis series.
That is the last time I follow an author into his or her other ventures so blindly.
I finish by pointing out the other advantage of saying a book is incompatible with your tastes. I get to say 'don't take my word for it' to anybody reading this review.
We don't all have the same approach to books. This is one of those books I think you will need to discover for yourself.
Incompatibility.
One of the nicest negative review words a reviewer could draw upon - incompatibility. The sweetest way to say that I thought it was bad, but maybe it isn't the authors fault.
If we were in a relationship, this book and I, I would be saying to it "I want you to know that it isn't you. It is me. I think we are just too different and are far better off apart. I know you will find other fish in the sea that will appreciate you better than I".
Only this is a book, not a relationship. So about this book I will say;
We simply are not compatible. It will be compatible with many thousands, and it has been. The proof of that is there in all the positive ratings on Goodreads and Amazon and in the book deals and bank accounts of the author.
For me, however, I do not like books that dedicate most of their quantity to childhood characters. If I liked to be in the heads of kids for that long I would be reading the Young Adult genre. A genre I do not like to read, because, obviously, I am an adult, who likes to read about adults.
That is not to say there are no adults who like to read about children. Only I am not one of them.
I say give them a chapter or two, maybe a quarter or even a third of the book (okay, a third of a book may be stretching it), but just don't make boys and girls the main feature of a book for adults.
Good for milking an extra book out of a series and making more money, but not always great fun for adult readers.
I also found the writing to be a little simple and raw, which only accentuated the YA aromatics.
The other thing that bugs me and makes us incompatible, is flagrant disregard for historical accuracy just because you don't like the restraints of the historical accuracy mistress. She isn't such a bad bird and can be forgiving if you feel the need as an author to break free and dabble. But this book doesn't dabble or stretch the confines for more freedom, this book gives historical accuracy a wide, albeit arrogant, berth.
And while there are those thousands of readers who don't know the history enough to know that this book is an alternate history, there sure are thousands that do. I don't even know much about this history, and yet I can see it.
Arrogance with historical accuracy is a turn off for me.
I read all this author's Ghengis Khan series. Had a love/hate relationship with it. Liked one or two, really liked one, hated the rest.
I don't like Roman historical fiction much, but I bought this (used) book based on some decent experiences with that Ghengis series.
That is the last time I follow an author into his or her other ventures so blindly.
I finish by pointing out the other advantage of saying a book is incompatible with your tastes. I get to say 'don't take my word for it' to anybody reading this review.
We don't all have the same approach to books. This is one of those books I think you will need to discover for yourself.
April 14, 2025
I just love Conn Iggulden’s writing. I am swept away. It’s like watching an action film. It’s too bad that, even though it’s historical fiction, Iggulden has changed factual details to suit his story. I was excited to learn the history of Rome in such an engrossing way but apparently it’s way off base. It’s also apparently geared toward YA. I thoroughly enjoyed it though!
There are many suggestions for Colleen McCullough so I’m going to try her Masters of Rome series.
There are many suggestions for Colleen McCullough so I’m going to try her Masters of Rome series.
September 1, 2018
A good first book in the series but not nearly as compelling as his Genghis series. The story is good, consistent and well written but it's also a bit boring. I'll still finish out the series but why does every author write about Rome and this time period in such pedantically humorless tones? The Khans weren't exactly Comedy Central material and yet there's so much more humor and personality in that series.
It's not just Igulden. Every author who takes on this time period does so in such a monotone fashion. I get the legions were strict military unit's but were they castrated of humor to the point of being the Unsullied? We need Tyrion to liven them up a bit.
It's not just Igulden. Every author who takes on this time period does so in such a monotone fashion. I get the legions were strict military unit's but were they castrated of humor to the point of being the Unsullied? We need Tyrion to liven them up a bit.
August 24, 2022
If the historical inaccuracies don't suck the joy from this, then Gates of Rome is incredibly entertaining and fun with Iggulden interweaving his staple excellent set pieces and dynamic characters throughout.
January 9, 2020
Sadly, I am starting new year with DNF.
I had high hopes for this book(series) but I couldn't get into it at all. But it's Conn Iggulden so I pushed and pushed myself onward until I got stuck on page 99 and decided not to waste any more time on this book. Thanks goodness I had only copy from library instead of buying whole series box set as was my original plan.
It's tricky to write fiction about famous historical figures. After reading this novel, I can say that I prefer Bernard Cornwell's style - he uses completely fictional character's perspective to tell the story of someone famous. On the other hand, Mr. Iggulden writes straight from Julius Caesar's POV in this novel and sadly it felt like boring fanfiction to me.
I definitely won't continue with this series but I still plan to read Iggulden's more popular work about Genghis Khan in the future.
I had high hopes for this book(series) but I couldn't get into it at all. But it's Conn Iggulden so I pushed and pushed myself onward until I got stuck on page 99 and decided not to waste any more time on this book. Thanks goodness I had only copy from library instead of buying whole series box set as was my original plan.
It's tricky to write fiction about famous historical figures. After reading this novel, I can say that I prefer Bernard Cornwell's style - he uses completely fictional character's perspective to tell the story of someone famous. On the other hand, Mr. Iggulden writes straight from Julius Caesar's POV in this novel and sadly it felt like boring fanfiction to me.
I definitely won't continue with this series but I still plan to read Iggulden's more popular work about Genghis Khan in the future.
December 9, 2016
Action-packed historical drama
Conn Iggulden seemed to like my review of his "quick read," Blackwater, almost as much as I enjoyed reading that book. Being in a one-to-one conversation gave me the opportunity to ask him if he would recommend his Emperor series to anyone who had enjoyed the shorter story. He was very honest in admitting that he didn't know but advised me to walk into a bookshop, pick up The Gates of Rome, read the first chapter then decide whether to replace it on the shelf or buy it.
That's almost exactly what I did. In fact, what I actually did was to buy the whole series and read the books back-to-back.
This is the first of a series of four historical that describe the life of Julius Caesar and his best friend, Brutus, from boyhood through to his violent death. Knowing what happens in the final pages of the final book does nothing to damage the reader's enjoyment of the set. The action starts in the opening pages as Gaius, as Julius is known in his youth, and his friend Marcus, later known as Brutus, are captured and bullied by older boys from the neighbouring property.
As Gaius grows up, he has an early introduction to the Roman Senate and shares some very tough training for his military manhood with Brutus. His mentor is his father's estate manager and his trainer is an even tougher ex-gladiator. These men follow and support Julius and Brutus through most of their lives.
Violence, death and political treachery abound and the first book ends with Julius embarking on a voyage as a junior officer on a Roman military ship in North Africa as Brutus heads off to the colonised lands of Greece.
After reading the first chapter in the bookshop, I bought the book. Before I'd finished The Gates of Rome, I'd bought all three remaining books in the series and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the same course of action to any friend.
Conn Iggulden seemed to like my review of his "quick read," Blackwater, almost as much as I enjoyed reading that book. Being in a one-to-one conversation gave me the opportunity to ask him if he would recommend his Emperor series to anyone who had enjoyed the shorter story. He was very honest in admitting that he didn't know but advised me to walk into a bookshop, pick up The Gates of Rome, read the first chapter then decide whether to replace it on the shelf or buy it.
That's almost exactly what I did. In fact, what I actually did was to buy the whole series and read the books back-to-back.
This is the first of a series of four historical that describe the life of Julius Caesar and his best friend, Brutus, from boyhood through to his violent death. Knowing what happens in the final pages of the final book does nothing to damage the reader's enjoyment of the set. The action starts in the opening pages as Gaius, as Julius is known in his youth, and his friend Marcus, later known as Brutus, are captured and bullied by older boys from the neighbouring property.
As Gaius grows up, he has an early introduction to the Roman Senate and shares some very tough training for his military manhood with Brutus. His mentor is his father's estate manager and his trainer is an even tougher ex-gladiator. These men follow and support Julius and Brutus through most of their lives.
Violence, death and political treachery abound and the first book ends with Julius embarking on a voyage as a junior officer on a Roman military ship in North Africa as Brutus heads off to the colonised lands of Greece.
After reading the first chapter in the bookshop, I bought the book. Before I'd finished The Gates of Rome, I'd bought all three remaining books in the series and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the same course of action to any friend.
May 10, 2020
There are two problems I have with this work. One is subjective, the other objective. The subjective one is the style. I can't stand it. It's plain when it should be flowery and plain when it should be exciting and when it's supposed to be tragic it's still plain. I can find nothing in here that really appeals to me apart from a pretty generic action/adventure plot. The style is almost nonexistent and the story is paper thin. Even if he had included every fact known to make this the most accurate fictional work on Caesar ever, I would still find it a bad book.
The second one is more objective, although whether it bothers you or not will vary. This problem is its historical accuracy. There is none. This book has no connection with reality whatsoever. I don’t mean it’s inaccurate. A lot of historical novels are inaccurate. This has no ties to history whatsoever, apart from a few names. And those names don’t line up to the people they’re named after. Example: our two leads, Caesar and Brutus. You may recognize those names. You’ll recognize nothing else about them. Brutus was the son of Caesar’s lover and it was rumored (almost certainly wrongly) that Caesar was his father.
Here they’re the same age.
Think about that for a second. This would be like making Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler grow up together (same age gap after all) after Hitler’s prostitute mother abandoned him. It makes no sense and changes everything of importance about these two, in effect turning a big sprawling complicated war into a personal grudge between two former friends. You’d feel your intelligence was being insulted. Well it’s the same here.
The complete lack of research that went into this novel shows how little Iggulden cared about writing historical fiction. It’s actually quicker to write about the elements of Roman society he gets right than those he gets wrong. There was a Senate, Romans owned slaves, gladiators did fight matches... That’s pretty much it. The rest is a generic Fantasy empire. In truth, if you changed the names around I don’t think I could even identify this story as Roman. I certainly couldn’t have recognized Brutus or probably Caesar.
Which really makes me wonder: why didn’t he just right a Fantasy novel? I’ve actually read Fantasy novels that hewed closer to true events than this one (example: The Sarantine Mosaic, Videssos, etc.). I’ve even read Fantasy books given historical settings (The Once and Future King, the Belisarius series, ). The whole point of historical fiction is to make at least some effort to ground the story historically. Otherwise what’s the point? Whereas with Fantasy anything goes. And the only explanation I can think of is that he wanted to give his Fantasy story name recognition. Otherwise why pretend?
It‘s not even as if he replaces it with anything interesting. HBO’s Rome gave us a crazy sort of femme fatale matchup between Servilia (Brutus’ mother) and Atia (Augustus’ mother) that makes no sense historically but is enormously fun in practice. Here it’s just, again, generic Fantasy tropes given a modicum of historical dressing. Caesar is a politician, Brutus a devoted soldier, Marius a noble populist, Sulla a lecherous thug, etc. No depth is given to any of them. And it just gets worse as the series goes on. Eventually we’re given soap opera plots like the one where the evil senator Cato conspires to murder Caesar’s wife and Pompey’s daughter, only to end up killing himself prior to execution. Cato’s actually a weird and complicated person. Not one word of that summary applies to him, especially since he dies here before the real Cato’s career even began. Because, as I said, these names are just names. There are no details attached to them.
What makes the whole thing worse is that Iggulden lies about it. In his Historical Note at the end he mentions things like how Marius was Caesar's uncle on the other side of his family and a few other things of no great importance. Reading this you could be forgiven for thinking that he made no major changes to the story. This is largely because he is flat-out lying to you in the only section of a novel where the author’s meant to be completely honest. These minor details barely even scratch the surface, and he focuses on them in a pompous scholarly manner (is it meant as parody?) that suggests that anyone who notices any errors of fact is just being nitpicky. I’ll freely confess that while reading this book I was pretty incredulous. It was only when I read the historical note that I got actually angry. If I don't like being lied to then I absolutely despise being patronized.
For a much better series on the fall of the Roman Republic try Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome. They’re painstakingly accurate (and admittedly self-indulgently long) but the characters really leap to life and you get a feel for what life was like under the Romans.
The second one is more objective, although whether it bothers you or not will vary. This problem is its historical accuracy. There is none. This book has no connection with reality whatsoever. I don’t mean it’s inaccurate. A lot of historical novels are inaccurate. This has no ties to history whatsoever, apart from a few names. And those names don’t line up to the people they’re named after. Example: our two leads, Caesar and Brutus. You may recognize those names. You’ll recognize nothing else about them. Brutus was the son of Caesar’s lover and it was rumored (almost certainly wrongly) that Caesar was his father.
Here they’re the same age.
Think about that for a second. This would be like making Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler grow up together (same age gap after all) after Hitler’s prostitute mother abandoned him. It makes no sense and changes everything of importance about these two, in effect turning a big sprawling complicated war into a personal grudge between two former friends. You’d feel your intelligence was being insulted. Well it’s the same here.
The complete lack of research that went into this novel shows how little Iggulden cared about writing historical fiction. It’s actually quicker to write about the elements of Roman society he gets right than those he gets wrong. There was a Senate, Romans owned slaves, gladiators did fight matches... That’s pretty much it. The rest is a generic Fantasy empire. In truth, if you changed the names around I don’t think I could even identify this story as Roman. I certainly couldn’t have recognized Brutus or probably Caesar.
Which really makes me wonder: why didn’t he just right a Fantasy novel? I’ve actually read Fantasy novels that hewed closer to true events than this one (example: The Sarantine Mosaic, Videssos, etc.). I’ve even read Fantasy books given historical settings (The Once and Future King, the Belisarius series, ). The whole point of historical fiction is to make at least some effort to ground the story historically. Otherwise what’s the point? Whereas with Fantasy anything goes. And the only explanation I can think of is that he wanted to give his Fantasy story name recognition. Otherwise why pretend?
It‘s not even as if he replaces it with anything interesting. HBO’s Rome gave us a crazy sort of femme fatale matchup between Servilia (Brutus’ mother) and Atia (Augustus’ mother) that makes no sense historically but is enormously fun in practice. Here it’s just, again, generic Fantasy tropes given a modicum of historical dressing. Caesar is a politician, Brutus a devoted soldier, Marius a noble populist, Sulla a lecherous thug, etc. No depth is given to any of them. And it just gets worse as the series goes on. Eventually we’re given soap opera plots like the one where the evil senator Cato conspires to murder Caesar’s wife and Pompey’s daughter, only to end up killing himself prior to execution. Cato’s actually a weird and complicated person. Not one word of that summary applies to him, especially since he dies here before the real Cato’s career even began. Because, as I said, these names are just names. There are no details attached to them.
What makes the whole thing worse is that Iggulden lies about it. In his Historical Note at the end he mentions things like how Marius was Caesar's uncle on the other side of his family and a few other things of no great importance. Reading this you could be forgiven for thinking that he made no major changes to the story. This is largely because he is flat-out lying to you in the only section of a novel where the author’s meant to be completely honest. These minor details barely even scratch the surface, and he focuses on them in a pompous scholarly manner (is it meant as parody?) that suggests that anyone who notices any errors of fact is just being nitpicky. I’ll freely confess that while reading this book I was pretty incredulous. It was only when I read the historical note that I got actually angry. If I don't like being lied to then I absolutely despise being patronized.
For a much better series on the fall of the Roman Republic try Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome. They’re painstakingly accurate (and admittedly self-indulgently long) but the characters really leap to life and you get a feel for what life was like under the Romans.
June 29, 2024
A surprising easy to read and fascinating, albeit somewhat fictionalized, look at Julius and Marcus as youth. I really liked this book from beginning to end, even the battle scenes which aren't my usual fare.
A lot of reviews have criticized the historical inaccuracies, but need I remind the reader this is historical fiction. Dramatization and toying with timelines and people is to be expected.
Overall, a great introduction to the story we know will follow as these two men take their place in history.
(Reviewed 3/7/13)
A lot of reviews have criticized the historical inaccuracies, but need I remind the reader this is historical fiction. Dramatization and toying with timelines and people is to be expected.
Overall, a great introduction to the story we know will follow as these two men take their place in history.
(Reviewed 3/7/13)
November 29, 2018
Review of the audiobook narrated by Robert Glenister.
Even though I love history and historical fiction, I've never found Roman history interesting. I've never known exactly why. I love ancient Egypt, the pre-colonization civilizations of the Americas, any history after the Romans, just not the Romans (or Greeks if I can group those two time periods together). My solution was that a great historical fiction novel set in that period would do the trick to jump-start my interest. This is not that novel.
I love that with historical fiction you can get transported to a different place and time, but in this book if you renamed the people and places you would have a hard time figuring out where the book was even set. There is absolutely nothing descriptive that makes it truly feel like you're in Roman times. The historical accuracy is questionable at best (according to the postscript, many of the few details known about Julius Caesar as a youth were changed for the book). That in itself I don't mind, but here it is just another disappointment. The story is cookie cutter and simple, with all attempts to add surprise or intrigue clunkily done. Nearly all of the characters were completely one-dimensional and emotionless. I even had a hard time telling the two main characters apart - they were interchangeable for most of the book. In short, there were no redeeming qualities about this book.
I absolutely loved Robert Glenister's narration of the Comoran Strike series. He is so perfect for that character. Part of my decision to listen to this one was because he was the narrator. I found his performance to be average here, and it's hard to tell if that's due to the material or not.
Final verdict: 2 star story, 3.5 star narration, 2 stars overall
Even though I love history and historical fiction, I've never found Roman history interesting. I've never known exactly why. I love ancient Egypt, the pre-colonization civilizations of the Americas, any history after the Romans, just not the Romans (or Greeks if I can group those two time periods together). My solution was that a great historical fiction novel set in that period would do the trick to jump-start my interest. This is not that novel.
I love that with historical fiction you can get transported to a different place and time, but in this book if you renamed the people and places you would have a hard time figuring out where the book was even set. There is absolutely nothing descriptive that makes it truly feel like you're in Roman times. The historical accuracy is questionable at best (according to the postscript, many of the few details known about Julius Caesar as a youth were changed for the book). That in itself I don't mind, but here it is just another disappointment. The story is cookie cutter and simple, with all attempts to add surprise or intrigue clunkily done. Nearly all of the characters were completely one-dimensional and emotionless. I even had a hard time telling the two main characters apart - they were interchangeable for most of the book. In short, there were no redeeming qualities about this book.
I absolutely loved Robert Glenister's narration of the Comoran Strike series. He is so perfect for that character. Part of my decision to listen to this one was because he was the narrator. I found his performance to be average here, and it's hard to tell if that's due to the material or not.
Final verdict: 2 star story, 3.5 star narration, 2 stars overall
July 22, 2023
A good beginning to a quartet on the life and times of Julius Caesar. If you read my reviews or know me personally, you know that I am stickler for historical accuracy in my Historical Fiction reading. So it so very surprising that the liberties Iggulden takes with Caesar's early life did not bother me at all. It was such a fast paced story, filled with wonderful characters, that I got engrossed early on and could not put it down. Iggulden does comment in his notes that he took the liberties due to the 1) the lack of information available on Caesar's youth and 2) to enhance the reading.
I plan to continue the series and would recommend this book to any who enjoy HF in a war/military setting. This was the author's debut novel and I look forward to see how he grows as an writer.
I plan to continue the series and would recommend this book to any who enjoy HF in a war/military setting. This was the author's debut novel and I look forward to see how he grows as an writer.
July 15, 2014
Not much to say about this one. Way too much of a kid-gloves YA vibe and outright fucking with history. Iggulden's excuses in the author's note don't do it for me. His Genghis series seems to be a billion times more well-written and cognizant of historical fact.
October 16, 2025
(1) The beginning of the story: two boys, one noble and one orphan, growing up together, so what is next?
(2)
Good, good.
(3) Once again Conn Iggulden works his charm by writing a coming-of-age story with historical characters, so we go back in time to see Gainus and his orphaned best friend growing up and training together in Gainus's father's household then the two boys' fortune turned for the worse and they went to the city of Rome and seek Gainus' uncle protection. Court intrigues, betrayal, crisis and brutal battle scenes ensured.
I am so excited!
(4) the ending part is getting a bit grime, but I wonder what Marcus is doing.
(5) I can't wait to read the next book!
(6) I am a bit surprised in this book but I am not complaining and I hope to know more in the next book!
(7) There have been accusations about historical inaccuracies with this book, I think I just don't know enough about Roman history to know better.
Review for book 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(2)
"No, he is my enemy now. I will see him dead, in time."
Good, good.
(3) Once again Conn Iggulden works his charm by writing a coming-of-age story with historical characters, so we go back in time to see Gainus and his orphaned best friend growing up and training together in Gainus's father's household then the two boys' fortune turned for the worse and they went to the city of Rome and seek Gainus' uncle protection. Court intrigues, betrayal, crisis and brutal battle scenes ensured.
I am so excited!
(4) the ending part is getting a bit grime, but I wonder what Marcus is doing.
(5) I can't wait to read the next book!
(6) I am a bit surprised in this book but I am not complaining and I hope to know more in the next book!
(7) There have been accusations about historical inaccuracies with this book, I think I just don't know enough about Roman history to know better.
Review for book 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 8, 2012
Hmmm...I'm slightly bemused by the consistent 4+ star reviews here. I love historical fiction, but the likes of George MacDonald Fraser and Patrick O'Brian have set the bar high so I perhaps I have unfairly high expectations.
I have to say this is fairly basic stuff. Lacking in drama and character. I managed to get through to the end because I was on holiday (in Rome, as it happens) and had no other books with me.
The most disappointing aspect is that it doesn't really capture the classical period. The characters lift right out and it could honestly have been set anywhere and any time.
The only character I found slightly tantalizing was the slave girl Alexandria; there is potentially an interesting story there, but I'm not particularly inspired to read the rest of the series.
I think the reason why Fraser, O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell work so well is that they don't write fictionalised accounts of historical figures; they create a fictional hero and weave them into history. But as I said, perhaps it is an unfair comparison.
On the plus side, it has inspired me to investigate more about some of the leading players. Sulla seems a very interesting character, so a trip to the library is probably in order.
I have to say this is fairly basic stuff. Lacking in drama and character. I managed to get through to the end because I was on holiday (in Rome, as it happens) and had no other books with me.
The most disappointing aspect is that it doesn't really capture the classical period. The characters lift right out and it could honestly have been set anywhere and any time.
The only character I found slightly tantalizing was the slave girl Alexandria; there is potentially an interesting story there, but I'm not particularly inspired to read the rest of the series.
I think the reason why Fraser, O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell work so well is that they don't write fictionalised accounts of historical figures; they create a fictional hero and weave them into history. But as I said, perhaps it is an unfair comparison.
On the plus side, it has inspired me to investigate more about some of the leading players. Sulla seems a very interesting character, so a trip to the library is probably in order.
May 9, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book although I noticed many negative reviews, strongly criticizing Iggulden because it was historically inaccurate. From my perspective, the purpose of an historical novel and a history book are quite different. Due to their nature, there is no such thing as an accurate historical novel - for example, the majority of their dialogue is a figment of the author's imagination.
Iggulden's series on Genghis Khan was fabulous and, as a result of enjoying to the extent that I did, I am now reading the series on Caesar. There is no question in my mind that I will learn a great deal about the history of Rome. AND, because it is extremely well written, I will thoroughly enjoy it.
The book is very easy to recommend to those who enjoy well-written historical novels.
The End.
Iggulden's series on Genghis Khan was fabulous and, as a result of enjoying to the extent that I did, I am now reading the series on Caesar. There is no question in my mind that I will learn a great deal about the history of Rome. AND, because it is extremely well written, I will thoroughly enjoy it.
The book is very easy to recommend to those who enjoy well-written historical novels.
The End.
January 29, 2008
The first of the 'Emperor' series. This one is Ceasar and Brutus, one the honored son the other the adopted bastard, growing up on a farm outside of Rome. Thats right, you heard me. This series of books creates a completely new Ceasar narrative, one that only vaguely tracks the actual history. Unfortunately, one might say. There is little authenticity in this series. If that doesnt bug you then its a nice pulp read for a sunny day.
October 8, 2013
First in a series about Julius Caesar.
June 18, 2012
Simply put, I didn't like this book. There are any number of things with which I took exception, but first and foremost is his treatment of Caesar's mother, Aurelia Cotta. In The Gates of Rome she is portrayed as epileptic, and those who know her consider her deranged. But this is generally refuted by a historical record that paints her as a model Roman woman and mother who was highly regarded among all classes of her Roman contemporaries. Colleen McCullough adopted this line in her series of novels about the principal characters at the end of the Roman Republic, and therein Aurelia is portrayed as exceedingly smart, independent, and a powerful influence on her precocious son. Given what we know about Caesar, this is very likely true. Second, Caesar was known to be proscribed by Sulla and very nearly lost his life because of it. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Iggulden's rendering of Sulla's interaction with Caesar. He has Sulla sparing Caesar because he divines something special in him, saying "there may be two of Marius inside him". In addition, nothing in the historical record suggests Sulla and his men killed Marius during Sulla's first march on Rome. In fact, Marius was able to flee the city and go into exile in Africa, and then later returned to Rome to be elected Consul for the seventh and final time.
With all that being said, I hasten to add that I loved Mr. Iggulden's series of books about Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. It's much more interesting reading and I think he did excellent work in richly developing numerous characters in all five of these historical novels. Skip this series on Julius Caesar and look there for better reading.
With all that being said, I hasten to add that I loved Mr. Iggulden's series of books about Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. It's much more interesting reading and I think he did excellent work in richly developing numerous characters in all five of these historical novels. Skip this series on Julius Caesar and look there for better reading.
December 27, 2015
Really happy with this book - I see many have slammed the story of historical inaccuracies, so I think its fair to read this as fiction based on history, rather than in any way accurate. Nonetheless the story is pretty strong and what I especially liked was the vividness of the prose. There was enough detail to make the story clear, without bogging the world down in the particulars.
Only a couple of beefs with the novel. First it was too obviously the first of a series, the two MCs had barely begun to do anything worthwhile (relying for most of the book on relatives and seniors) before the book ends. Second the prose was occasionally clunky, engaging in head-hopping and at times during combat requiring a reread to reduce confusion.
In the end I really liked how easy it was to grasp the action and story-line of the novel. I was never bored reading the Gates of Rome. The ending was a little cheesy, but kinda good cheese.
Only a couple of beefs with the novel. First it was too obviously the first of a series, the two MCs had barely begun to do anything worthwhile (relying for most of the book on relatives and seniors) before the book ends. Second the prose was occasionally clunky, engaging in head-hopping and at times during combat requiring a reread to reduce confusion.
In the end I really liked how easy it was to grasp the action and story-line of the novel. I was never bored reading the Gates of Rome. The ending was a little cheesy, but kinda good cheese.
November 8, 2017
The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden, narrated by Robert Glennister. A Blackstone Audio book. Volume #1 of the Emperor Series.
This a historical fictiion novel of the Roman Empire at the end of the Republic era and the beginning of the Kings era. Well written, the story comes alive and is difficult to put down. Iggulden has really done his homework as the events in the book match the historical timelines. This is my first of Iggulden’s books and not the last. I highly recommend it.
This a historical fictiion novel of the Roman Empire at the end of the Republic era and the beginning of the Kings era. Well written, the story comes alive and is difficult to put down. Iggulden has really done his homework as the events in the book match the historical timelines. This is my first of Iggulden’s books and not the last. I highly recommend it.
September 1, 2012
My edition of this book has 597pg's, not 448pg's as stated. This was a damn good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My eldest brother recommended this book to me, then told me that one of the character's in this book reminded him of me *smiling*. I had no bloody idea which one ;) But found it even more interesting finding out. The answer to that particular mystery was 'Marcus Brutus'. Nice to know I was slightly cocky as a teenager *laughing*.
It's the tale of Caesar's life from childhood/early teens (which is the period that this book deals with). It covers his, and Marcus's, upbringing, early experiences, hard gladitorial training and tutoring, and their early experiences in the political arena surrounding the Roman Senate and Senator's. There is no shortage of action and suspense, or strong supporting characters. It's a really well written book and very character driven, which drives you along in this page turner.
That said, the ending shows you that this is just the beginning and leaves you with more questions than answers. It's not really a 'stand alone' read, as you'll want to know more, much more. But it is a damn good and interesting read on one of the world's greatest ever leaders and his life.
I finished this book over a week ago and have already begun, and finished, the second one in this series 'The Death of Kings'.
It's the tale of Caesar's life from childhood/early teens (which is the period that this book deals with). It covers his, and Marcus's, upbringing, early experiences, hard gladitorial training and tutoring, and their early experiences in the political arena surrounding the Roman Senate and Senator's. There is no shortage of action and suspense, or strong supporting characters. It's a really well written book and very character driven, which drives you along in this page turner.
That said, the ending shows you that this is just the beginning and leaves you with more questions than answers. It's not really a 'stand alone' read, as you'll want to know more, much more. But it is a damn good and interesting read on one of the world's greatest ever leaders and his life.
I finished this book over a week ago and have already begun, and finished, the second one in this series 'The Death of Kings'.
July 10, 2013
I enjoyed the first half of the novel. But when the Marius-Sulla civil war kicked in, I lost all respect for it. Iggulden admits in his closing historical remarks that he took great liberties with the historical record and proceeds to summarize the real history. He abandoned the history almost entirely, and the reader is left with an alternate history that only vaguely relates to what really happened. It's a crime.
One of the worst examples is,
I can tolerate some deviation from the historical record; it's all a matter of degree. I cannot tolerate what Iggulden has done here. I've enjoyed his Conqueror series, but I won't read any more of his novels. It's a shame, because I've been looking forward to his upcoming series about the Wars of the Roses. But I can't trust him.
One of the worst examples is,
I can tolerate some deviation from the historical record; it's all a matter of degree. I cannot tolerate what Iggulden has done here. I've enjoyed his Conqueror series, but I won't read any more of his novels. It's a shame, because I've been looking forward to his upcoming series about the Wars of the Roses. But I can't trust him.
September 25, 2024
This was an enjoyable and great read. I could have easily rated it 4 stars but in truth I was expecting a bit more historical accuracy than what we got. This felt like a heavily fictionalized story about the early years of Caesar. To the author's defence, he mentions in the end of the book that due to the very few historically accurate details of Caesar's upbringing, he took some liberties to make the book more approachable. But still I think that the book felt a bit too "fictiony" to have the impact that I expected.
As a coming of age story though, about a young Roman noble with a great future ahead of him, this was quite good. Also the details about the Roman politics, the way of life, and the structure of the military were all very interesting.
I really hope that the next books in the series will lean more in the historical aspect of the story.
6.9/10
As a coming of age story though, about a young Roman noble with a great future ahead of him, this was quite good. Also the details about the Roman politics, the way of life, and the structure of the military were all very interesting.
I really hope that the next books in the series will lean more in the historical aspect of the story.
6.9/10
August 8, 2015
What a disappointment! After first acquainting myself with this author through his Genghis Khan "Conqueror" series, I had high hopes. They were quickly dashed. It's amazing how a book about the early life of Julius Ceasar could be boring. He is an incredibly influential historical figure, he's even got a month named in his honor! Perhaps the rest will be better. I have the second book in this series that I got for free, and I will probably read it. This however, was a total dud. There wasn't a single character I developed any warm feelings for. Everything moved incredibly slowly and the violence, wars and intrigue just blended together in an unappetizing mess.
May 16, 2017
I decided to go back to the beginning of this series after having read and enjoyed the final book which was about Augustus, not Caesar. Unfortunately, I wasn't really interested in the young Caesar and his friend Marcus. I would rather read about the politics and intrigues of Rome (relayed in an historically accurate way to the extent possible) rather than the constant fights and battles in this book. If the next book of the series doesn't improve, I'm done with it.
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