• EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)

  • By: Conn Iggulden
  • Narrated by: Robert Glenister
  • Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (943 ratings)

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EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)  By  cover art

EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)

By: Conn Iggulden
Narrated by: Robert Glenister
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Publisher's summary

On a small estate just outside Rome in the first century BC, two boys become blood brothers, little imagining the extraordinary future that lies before them. As friends and rivals, Gaius and Marcus are destined to find lasting fame.
©2009 Conn Iggulden (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

thin characterizations, focus on fights and battle

Colleen Mcculough's Rome series is way more 3 dimensional. It is at the same time more enjoyable as fiction and more historically accurate. This book is ok, the performance is very good, were it any less good I wouldnt have bothered with the story. The narrative likes sword... um gladius strokes, way more than politics, or social history. I would estimate the word "gladius" is used 300 times in the first two books of this series, which I bought together.

There are no real discriptions of places, neither homes nor forts nor markets, there are no holidays or festivals, there are no debates. The one time we are invited to dine there is no food and no conversation, just the assertion that children should be still while eating and that Aurelia has a medical condition. This is what I mean by thin. The characterizations of men seem limited to how good they are at violence.

Aurelia, who is a favorite character in first man in rome, is reduced to a shadow, and a nasty one at that. Its the totally fictional bit players here that add interest for me. The historical figures are cardboardy. I dont see that this will get repeat listens

Having said all that, its not terrible, I am listening all the way through and I have not yet decided if I will finish the series, but that has more to do with the lack of new offeriings I want to hear just now than because I really like it. I wish audible would get the rights to sell the rest of the Mccullough books unabridged. And I cant wait for January when the new Ruso book comes out from Ruth Downie.

I am offering the comparison so that other listeners will understand my definition of great historical fiction. I know lots of people will see this as action packed and thrilling, its just not my favorite kind of thing

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

to live in Rome

What was it like to live in B.C. Rome. This book gives you the feeling that you are there. Conn puts you in the head of some of the most famous leaders of history. The book is entertaining from start to finish. There are no slow parts, no fillers, no bull. I will be buying the rest of the series.

This being fiction, Conn explains in the end what he did to write the story. I love authors who say something at the end about how and why they write what they write.

I liked the series about Genghis Khan just a slight better, but that is probably because I have always been more interested in China's history then in Rome's. This being the fourth book I have listened to written by CI, I do not believe you can go wrong. So pick which ever history you would like to live in and listen to that.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Conn Iggeldon winner

Having finished Iggeldon's six book Conquerer series about Genghis Khan, I was looking forward to having thre Emperor series still ahead of me. My initial thought was that this story can't possibly be as interesting as the story of Genghis, but it holds its own.

I'm writing this review having finished the whole series, and like the Conquerer series I'll rate the Emperor series as a whole, and as a whole it's a great story, well executed, and well performed. It's hard for me to imagine that anyone could possibly read this first book of the series and stop. If you buy this download, I guarantee you'll be buying the next three, and if you haven't read the Conquerer series, you'll be buying six more on top of that. You'll wish there were more.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining

I had trouble warming up to this book, but am glad I stuck with it. By the end of the book. I was enthralled with the characters. I thought they were developed in a way that drew my attention and made me want to read the next book in the series. I liked the epilogue explaining the historical inaccuracies and the writers reasoning behind them.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fictional History at it best!

Conn did a wonderful job bringing an old story to some new heights. I am not sure how to understand the critics that say this story is not historicly accurate. "Of course it is not completely accurate"!!! That is why it is fiction. Maybe those critics are best to stay with just history and leave fiction to us with a good imagination I love Roman history as much, if not more than anyone...but I also love a good story that mixes both History and Fiction together. Well done Conn!!!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertainment Value

Some readers have complained that the "order of history" this book is based upon is not accurate. I don't see a problem with that. Fictional books are often written with nuggets of reality and factoids. One must remember that this book is a "work of fiction" and should be read for entertainment value. Folks wanting more accurate versions of reality for thesis quality research should look elsewhere for their timelines.

That said, this is a great book and I'm looking forward to the next Empire series.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Rome!

Not a fan of historical fiction yet this book this book had me hooked! Also when completed I wanted to learn more about the history.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Un-putdownable

Having read Iggulden's Ghenkis Khan series whilst in Outer Mongolia I see similarities with this series.

The writing is well-paced and well researched and characters are convincing.

I was transported for a couple of days and couldn't put it down.

The narration was excellent and enhanced the experience

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book makes me want to get a tattoo of Julius

Boil this content on a spoon and inject it directly into my veins. 10/10

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

train rack of a story

it's like someone gave the author cliff notes of Caesar's life he took 2 minutes and read through it and decided he knew enough to write a story.

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2 people found this helpful