Amazon.co.uk Review Emperor - Field of Swords takes Colin Iggulden's sequence of novels about the rise of Julius Caesar to a point where Caesar is forced to bid for mastery of the Roman world. Iggulden is intelligent and precise about the internal dynamics of the triumvirate of Caesar, the elderly rich Crassus and the proud Pompey. This alliance was never more than pragmatic and there was always going to be a settling of accounts--thus far so good, but Iggulden's idealizing of Caesar leads him at times into ignoring the sheer complexity of the affairs of the late Republic. This is a version of Rome which downplays the alliance of street and snob, and treats Caesar as if he were always an apostle of order--it is a historical novel which plays worrying games with historical fact.
Iggulden is fascinating on Caesar as governor and general--in the areas, that is, where we have the words of the man himself, rather than the spin put on his actions by his enemies. There is a real sense here of the practicalities of ancient warfare, of hard footslogging in difficult terrain and planning supplies for the long haul of sieges and forced marches - Iggulden may oversimplify politics, but he is intelligent about battle. --Roz Kaveney
One of the best books i have read in yearsJanuary 2, 2009 Quite simply this is one of the best books i have read in years. If you have any interest in Roman or military history then you must read this book. A griping read which has you ordering the next books in the trilogy before you have finished the book.
Quintissential Car Reading!December 20, 2008 In their style of writing, certain books complement certain venues - two examples being Dawkins' books for coffee shop reading and Michael Palin's books for holidays. Having listened to many audio books in my travels to & from work, I have found few better than the Emperor series for keeping my attention and yet not requiring me to know every detail of the plot.
This particular one was the first one Alex Jennings narrated and it is amazing how, even early on, he has a talent for the voices and a skilful clear narrative. The plot may be a little slow at first, but that is typical of biographical novels, and the action that begins on the third CD is well paced and compelling.
Since I have heard all but one of the rest of the series before this one, I would recommend this audio CD on its own merits as a good foundation to build the rest of the series on (though the order of reading is not especially important). The Emperor series make for brilliant and engaging adventure novels which help long journeys go by like a breeze!
A must readOctober 22, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The 3rd book in this amazing series may be the best. This series is a must read, even if you are not a historical fiction person. The combination of fact & fiction is so seamless and so well written that I have recommended this to all my friends who have loved it. This is a must for your bookshelf! Caesar lives!
Emporer seriesSeptember 12, 2008 This is a review based not just on "The Field of Swords" (third installment) but the entire quadrilogy. Whether you love ancient history fiction or non fiction you'll enjoy this book and the entire series. For fiction lovers who haven't yet tread through the pages of historical epics, than this is a great series to begin the adventure.
The recreation of the brutality of the battles and the atmosphere of ancient cities is realistic. The author almost transports you to another world.
Be warned though, if you like your protagonist a hero/heroine, you'll be badly disappointed. The primary character (Juluis) begins the journey in the first book "gates of rome" as an innocent boy. By the third installment, he has become a war mongering monster, whose selfish drive towards world domination is like a cancer. The character looses a lot of faith as the story progresses and probably as I have found, you will hate him with every page turn. He shows total disregard for his family, friends and the men who fought alongside him.
Still, the supporting characters are wonderful. Tuburk, Renius and the old man Cabera are just some of the wonderful characters along with the familiar Pompeii and Crassus.
A great series, none the less.
Great bookMay 5, 2008 A tremendously exciting book that is also more useful than a history lesson at school.
