Theoderic

by Ross Laidlaw

While the army of the Goths makes war, the Romans may live in peace!' - AD 468. With the last Roman emperor of the West deposed, the Empire is in ruins - a plaything for the barbarian armies that rampage across it. This extraordinary story spans Europe, from the intrigues of Constantinople to the battlefields of the future France, North Africa and the Balkans, tracing the rise of Theoderic the Goth to a pinnacle of power and wealth.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ancient

311 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Ross Laidlaw is a Scottish writer of historical, thriller and spy fiction.

Laidlaw was born in Aberdeen and now lives in East Lothian. He attended the University of Cambridge and has spent time working and traveling in southern Africa. In 1979, while working as a geography and history teacher at Belhaven Hill School near Dunbar, Laidlaw's first book was released, The Lion is Rampant, receiving significant praise. He has since released five more books with the most recent being Justinian: The Sleepless One which was released in 2010.

Reviews

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2008, 'Theoderic' is a novel based on the life of the Ostrogoth leader who rose to become leader of the remains of the Western Roman Empire. The author admits that, as a work of fiction, he has occasionally moved events forward or backward in the interests of the plot, whilst also adding scenes inspired by famous Hollywood moments. That aside, it makes an incredible read for the most part, with some quite morbid moments. The main let down for me was the rather pointless side plot explaining away Arthurian legends - it should have been scratched by the editor.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly recommended - almost a follow-on to Attila.