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EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)
- Narrated by: Robert Glenister
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
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- By Nic on 04-24-23
By: Mike Shackle
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Unfettered
- Tales By Masters of Fantasy
- By: Terry Brooks, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, and others
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim, Marc Vietor, Bronson Pinchot, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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You define life or it defines you. In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both. Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell to help alleviate those bills—and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends. Unfettered is the result: An anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.
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A TRULY BAD COLLECTION OF DOGS
- By Randall on 12-21-18
By: Terry Brooks, and others
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Hero of Rome
- By: Douglas Jackson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The Roman grip on Britain is weakening. Emperor Nero has turned his face away from this far-flung outpost. The Druids are on the rise, spreading seeds of rebellion among the British tribes. Roman cruelty and exploitation has angered their British subjects. The warrior queen Boudicca will lead the tribes to war. Standing against the rising tide of Boudicca's rebellion is Roman Tribune, Gaius Valerius Verrens, Commander of the veteran legions at Colonia.
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Good story, well told and well read
- By Mike Varley on 10-01-14
By: Douglas Jackson
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The Oremere Chronicles Omnibus
- The Complete Series
- By: Helen Scheuerer
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 52 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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At 16, Bleak lost the only person she cared for when her mentor died at sea. Now 19, she still misses him terribly. She needs him more than ever. That’s why Bleak drinks. But the haze of the mead and wine has hidden something from her. Her powers have grown more than she knows. Others have noticed. When the king sends his top commander to take her, Bleak is too hungover to resist. But he isn’t the only one who needs her for their plans. What does he want?
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“Whut?”
- By Anonymous User on 02-08-23
By: Helen Scheuerer
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The Great Game
- Praetorian, Book 1
- By: SJA Turney
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Promoted to the elite Praetorian Guard in the thick of battle, a young legionary is thrust into a seedy world of imperial politics and corruption. Tasked with uncovering a plot against the newly crowned Emperor Commodus, his mission takes him from the cold Danubian border all the way to the heart of Rome, the villa of the Emperor’s scheming sister, and the great Colosseum. What seems a straightforward, if terrifying, assignment soon descends into Machiavellian treachery and peril as everything in which young Rufinus trusts and believes is called into question....
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COULDN'T KEEP MY INTEREST
- By peter on 12-05-18
By: SJA Turney
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The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
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Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
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The Gates of Athens
- By: Conn Iggulden
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Evoking two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World - the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae - The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling by a well acclaimed master of the historical adventure novel.
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One of Iggulden’s best ever!
- By Bud R on 01-15-21
By: Conn Iggulden
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For the Killing of Kings
- The Ring-Sworn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Howard Andrew Jones
- Narrated by: Lori Prince
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies. But when squire Elenai’s aging uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery, she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall.
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Great Story!
- By Aurora McMillian on 05-15-19
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Gears of Troy
- By: Daniel Pierce
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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When naval officer Troy Weston loses his hands in a training accident, the doctors present him with a unique offer: robotic replacement hands with added strength and durability. He'll be a new man with a new life, far more capable than he ever was before. He accepts, and during his recovery he returns to Lake Superior to pilot his sailboat on bays he's known since childhood. During a fierce and wild thunderstorm, Troy and his craft are sent through a portal and into an unknown world. When the rain settles, he finds himself on a foreign coastline surrounded by Greek architecture.
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Needs more
- By John on 05-22-19
By: Daniel Pierce
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A Time for Swords
- A Time for Swords, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Lindisfarne, AD 793. There had been portents - famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared. They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site. It is 8th June AD 793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun. While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground.
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Good start to a new series.
- By Scott on 04-17-22
By: Matthew Harffy
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Evoking two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World - the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae - The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling by a well acclaimed master of the historical adventure novel.
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One of Iggulden’s best ever!
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Great retelling of a little known part of history.
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In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named "The Lamb," Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father's famous battlefield exploits; already, his dependence on his closest men has stirred whispers of weakness at court. A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride - Margaret of Anjou - sparks revolts across English territory.
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100% Fiction and 0% Real History
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The Abbot's Tale
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In the year 937, the new king of England, a grandson of Alfred the Great, readies himself to go to war in the north. His dream of a united kingdom of all England will stand or fall on one field - on the passage of a single day. At his side is the priest Dunstan of Glastonbury, full of ambition and wit (perhaps enough to damn his soul). His talents will take him from the villages of Wessex to the royal court, to the hills of Rome - from exile to exaltation.
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This One's a Gem
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Blackwater
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How far can you go before you're in too deep? A dark, chilling psychological thriller from number one best-selling author Conn Iggulden. Davey has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, a smiling sociopath who will stop at nothing to protect himself and his family. But when the shadowy figure of Denis Tanter comes into Davey's life, how far will the bond of brotherhood reach?
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The Forgotten Legion
- Forgotten Legion Chronicles 1
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Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken nobleman on his way home from a good night out. At 13 years old, they and their mother are sold: Romulus to gladiator school, Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of one of the most powerful men in Rome, and their mother into obscurity and death in the salt mines. Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior and soothsayer, born enemy of Rome, but doomed to fight for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion.
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Well done
- By Scott D McCoy on 10-18-23
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One of Iggulden’s best ever!
- By Bud R on 01-15-21
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Great retelling of a little known part of history.
- By Joanne M. on 10-10-19
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Wars of the Roses
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In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named "The Lamb," Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father's famous battlefield exploits; already, his dependence on his closest men has stirred whispers of weakness at court. A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride - Margaret of Anjou - sparks revolts across English territory.
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100% Fiction and 0% Real History
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 04-25-18
By: Conn Iggulden
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The Abbot's Tale
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In the year 937, the new king of England, a grandson of Alfred the Great, readies himself to go to war in the north. His dream of a united kingdom of all England will stand or fall on one field - on the passage of a single day. At his side is the priest Dunstan of Glastonbury, full of ambition and wit (perhaps enough to damn his soul). His talents will take him from the villages of Wessex to the royal court, to the hills of Rome - from exile to exaltation.
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This One's a Gem
- By Ballika on 08-10-18
By: Conn Iggulden
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Blackwater
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How far can you go before you're in too deep? A dark, chilling psychological thriller from number one best-selling author Conn Iggulden. Davey has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, a smiling sociopath who will stop at nothing to protect himself and his family. But when the shadowy figure of Denis Tanter comes into Davey's life, how far will the bond of brotherhood reach?
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The Forgotten Legion
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Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken nobleman on his way home from a good night out. At 13 years old, they and their mother are sold: Romulus to gladiator school, Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of one of the most powerful men in Rome, and their mother into obscurity and death in the salt mines. Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior and soothsayer, born enemy of Rome, but doomed to fight for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion.
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Well done
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Arminius
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In the First Punic War, the Roman legions defeated and humiliated Carthage, their only serious rival for power in the Mediterranean. Now a brilliant young Carthaginian general, called Hannibal, is out for revenge. Caught up in the maelstrom are two young boys, Hanno, the son of a distinguished soldier and confidant of Hannibal, and Quintus, son of a Roman equestrian and landowner. A disastrous adventure will see Hanno sold into slavery and bought by Quintus's father.
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" Almost" as good as Iggulden
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1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme. But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion. Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior. Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine.
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Painfully Droll Historical Fiction
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Under the Eagle
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The first novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Roman series. It is 42 AD, and Quintus Licinius Cato has just arrived in Germany as a new recruit to the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. If adjusting to the rigours of military life isn't difficult enough for the bookish young man, he also has to contend with the disgust of his colleagues when, because of his imperial connections, he is appointed a rank above them.
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Enjoyable Roman Military Mystery
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God of Vengeance
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Norway, AD 785. It began with the betrayal of a lord by a king.... King Gorm puts Jarl Harald's family to the sword but makes one fatal mistake - he fails to kill Harald's youngest son, Sigurd. His kin slain, his village seized and its people taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust, and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side.
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Really good!
- By David Groveman on 09-29-16
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Robert Stern, a successful defence lawyer, doesn't know what lies in store for him when he agrees to meet a new client in a derelict estate on the outskirts of Berlin. To his astonishment, the defendant is a 10-year-old boy - Simon, a fragile child with a chronic illness who insists that he was a murderer in a former life.
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Not as good as eye collector, but still brilliant.
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Arimnestos is a farm boy when war breaks out between the citizens of his native Plataea and their overbearing neighbours, Thebes. Standing in the battle line for the first time, alongside his father and brother, he shares in a famous and unlikely victory. But after being knocked unconscious in the melee, he awakes not a hero but a slave. Betrayed by his jealous and cowardly cousin, the freedom he fought for has now vanished, and he becomes the property of a rich citizen.
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Absolutely fantastic
- By William K on 07-17-19
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The Last Dying Light
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Rome has fallen into darkness. Its legacy remains alive in Constantinople, whose leaders struggle to retain control. Yet famine, war, and an encroaching night leave the Eastern Empire towards ruin. Faint hope arises as a new dynasty ascends the throne of Caesar. Bearing witness to such events is Varus, a young Herulian slave to the aging yet powerful Justin, who unveils a bold plan held by two generations of Romans - to retake the West and reclaim their homeland.
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Couldn't Stop Listening
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WARRIOR. As winter approaches in 74 BC, few travellers are abroad. But one man is making the long and weary last stage of his way home. Large parts of his homeland, Thrace, a land north of Greece, has fallen under the hated power of Rome. This Thracian has fought in the Roman legions for nearly a decade. Skilled, hardened in battle, a sophisticated fighter. Spartacus. SLAVE. But home is no longer the safe haven of his imagination. A new king sits on the throne.
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The Book is amazing
- By Adrian on 03-21-23
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The First Man in Rome
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In the first century B.C. at the height of the Roman Republic, two men set their sights on becoming the First Man - the Roman more respected than any other. Marius, a heroic man of strength and means, lacks the noble blood to contend for the First Man, but overcomes his common status when he marries into the patrician house of Caesar. Sulla, a pleasure-seeking aristocrat without money of his own, is transformed by his ambitions into a fierce and daring warrior. Together the two men will shape history as they are thrust into a raging storm....
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MASSACRE! DON'T BUY ABRIGED BOOKS!
- By R. L. Roeck on 01-28-14
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The Legion
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Trouble is brewing in Egypt. Rebel gladiator Ajax and his men have been posing as Roman soldiers and attacking naval bases, merchant vessels, and villages. Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro have been charged with the task of tracking down the renegade warrior before the problem gets out of control. Joining forces with Legion III, the hope is to destroy their enemy on the battlefield. But the cunning gladiator has other ideas....
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A good read very poorly abridged
- By Thinker on 11-20-18
By: Simon Scarrow
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Alexander
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As a boy, Alexander dreamed of matching the heroic feats of Achilles. At 18 he led the Macedonian cavalry to a stunning victory against the Greeks. By 25 he had crushed the Persians in three monumental battles and was the master of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. Men began to call him a god. But behind the legend was another, more complex story.
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41 hours of pure audiobook joy
- By Daniel P. Fradl on 03-21-21
What listeners say about EMPEROR: The Gates of Rome, Book 1 (Unabridged)
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- jessica
- 09-04-12
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
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- Jim "The Impatient"
- 03-22-12
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
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- thawstone
- 05-27-12
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
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- Barbara
- 03-05-14
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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- Randy
- 01-03-12
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
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-14-11
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
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- Bradly
- 01-17-16
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
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- Michelle
- 01-02-16
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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- Charles DeLuca
- 06-10-20
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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- Angela R
- 03-12-20
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