Caesar's Legion

The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome

By: Stephen Dando-Collins

Narrated by: Stuart Langton

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Stephen Dando-Collins paints a vivid and definitive portrait of daily life in the Tenth Legion as he follows Caesar and his men along the blood-soaked fringes of the Empire. This unprecedented regimental history reveals countless previously unknown details about Roman military practices, Caesar's conduct as a commander and his relationships with officers and legionnaires, and the daily routine and discipline of the Legion.

From penetrating insights into the mind of history's greatest general to a grunt's-eye view of the gruesome realities of war in the Classical Age, this unique and riveting true account sets a new standard of excellence and detail to which all authors of ancient military history will now aspire.

©2002 Stephen Dando-Collins (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Written in a readable, popular style, this book is a must for military buffs and anyone interested in Roman history at a critical point in European civilization." (T.R. Fehrenbach, author of Lone Star)

Great Listen

Loved it, gave a good insight into the organization of the Roman legion and the back story to how Julius Ceasar assumed power

an excellent historical work

This isn't just the story of the 10th Legion. It's also the story of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Marc Antony, Rome's civil wars, and so much more. It's told in an interesting manner, never dry or boring despite its richness of proper sourcing and crediting. I wish more history was told so entertainingly and accurately.

Legionnaire's delight

Where does Caesar's Legion rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

this is in the top quintile. i loved the specifics on how a legion was created, the development of legion techniques. julius caesar as a character was fascinating and the history i learned was rewarding.
got it after listening to the history of rome podcast, which i cannot recommend highly enough

What did you like best about this story?

a great true story, made the lives of the normal soldier accessible

What about Stuart Langton’s performance did you like?

very easy to understand and follow, right pace for an audiobook and no jarring mispronunciations (to my ear)

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

just sad at the carnage

Any additional comments?

just recommend the history of rome podcast, listen to more roman history books!
loved the book on hannibal and cannae

Great

This book is very informative and has great content and deliver. I highly recommend it.

Very entertaining and informative!!

Would you listen to Caesar's Legion again? Why?

Yes, of course. I liked it very much. And it was beautifully narrated.

What did you like best about this story?

It was very well researched and documented. Narration was excellent. I learnt a lot about the importance of the legions in the Roman Empire.

Which character – as performed by Stuart Langton – was your favorite?

Julius Caesar, of course. Thrilling voice and characteristic.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No reaction, I just loved it.

My favorite Audible book so far

This was a great read and extremely well written and told, in my view. The headline says it all - my favorite Audible book I have listened to so far. Hail the Tenth!

Excellent, kept me captivated from start to finish

Cant say enough about this book. kept me interested through and through. I've known about Julius Caesars life and events from a high resolution perspective. this book provides excellent low level details that made my imagination live in the life those men lived. it provides a clear consecutive line of events that is amazing to follow. at times brings up past events in such way to enhance understating of the topic in play. beautifully handles important events such as Vercin Getorix, the invasion of Britain and does an incredible job with the Roman civil war. great book.

Epic Narrative of an Epic Fighting Force

Dando-Collins knows how to tell a story better than many historians. In this smooth-flowing, well-researched, and colorfully presented work, he interweaves the tale of Rome's Tenth Legion with the rise and career of Julius Caesar, who recruited it, taking its history through that of his successors all the way through the end of the legion structure in the last days of the empire. Along the way, he provides a penetrating in depth account of Ceasar's conquest (and despoilation) of Gaul, the Roman Civil Wars (especially Pompey vs. Caesar but also Octavian vs. Anthony) and the unit's heavy involvement in putting down the Jewish revolts, resulting in the destruction of the Temple and the ultimate de-Judeazation of the Holy Land. He also provides a deep social history of the legions, an in depth discussion of their organization, rules, operations, and command structure, and an honest review of their actions, merits, and shortcomings. Both as a starting point for further study and a supplement to those already knowledgeable about Roman history, this work is not only useful, but enjoyable.

Great book.

worthlistening to if you're into Roman history. here's a few more words to submit this review

An excellent.book. Well researched. Narration ??

The narrator was good, except for the incorrect pronunciation of the names of Spanish cities !