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Binding: Mass Market PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9780440240945 ISBN: 0440240948 Label: Dell Manufacturer: Dell Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 480 Publication Date: February 03, 2004 Publisher: Dell Release Date: February 03, 2004 Studio: Dell Editorial Review: Book Description: 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. Download Description: 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. "Emperor is stunning.... Words like 'brilliant,' 'sumptuous' and 'enchanting' jostle to be used, but scarcely convey the way Iggulden brings the schoolbook tale to life...Iggulden knows that history derives from 'story.' And this story has barely begun. The Gates of Rome is its first, exhilarating, installment. Don't miss it." L.A. TIMES "A swashbuckling adventure story...dramatic historical fiction to keep adults turning pages like enthralled kids...a spirited, entertaining read. Iggulden is a grand storyteller." USA TODAY "Emperor rules... What a find. A first-time author who writes—wonderfully! Emperor combines the fantasy of Harry Potter with the historical details of John Jakes. Books don't get better than this." CONTRA COSTA TIMES "Iggulden excels at describing battle scenes both small-scale and epic." SEATT Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Like I was robbedIt's my own fault for not reading any of these reader reviews first. Unfortunately I bought the entire Emperor series at once before opening this first book. By the time I hit Caesar as a teenager during Marius' third term as consul I knew I had garbage in my hands. Marius' third term was about 100BC, the same year Caesar was born. And Marius and Sulla each trying to force the other to march off to fight Mithridates is a complete reversal of the facts. I've never burned a book, but I might have a ... Read More Rating: - A failure on many levelsAs a reader of historical fiction, particularly ancient Roman historical fiction, I wanted to like this book, but just couldn't bring myself to do so. As I see it, there are three reasons for reading historical fiction. First, one reads such books to gain a better understanding of the period or a different interpretation of the events and the characters involved. Obviously, this book, with its extreme distortion of historical characters and events, fails to provide this. Second, one ... Read More Rating:  - Set your expectations, and you will enjoy thisRead this for fun, for the atmosphere of ancient Rome, but not strict historical accuracy. It's a great story, well-paced and suspenseful. Efficient use of phrase. The entire series is enjoyable. Rating: - Hard to be fair This is a decent, easy-reading adventure story. But it purports to be based on history, and gets the history all wrong. So what really is the point? Rating:  - Superb - A fun, gritty, compelling readI do not understand the negative reviews for this tremendous book. This is exciting, compelling, evocative writing that brings an era and personality to brilliant life. Mr. Iggulden makes no bones to the fact that he uses a great deal of poetic license on history for plot purposes, and includes a detailed addendum in each book on where he deviates from history. So big deal: this is historical FICTION, and great fiction at that. I found the characters to be real, the action exciting, and ... Read More |
