The Gates of Rome - Conn Iggulden

"The Gates of Rome" is the first book in the "Emperor" series. The series concentrates on one man. His name is Gaius Julius Caesar, the first Roman Emperor. Gaius is young at the beginning and his best and only friend is Marcus, whose parents had died and so Julius Caesar took him in. The book goes through their education and the army training and then their experiences of Rome.

Gaius and Marcus worked very hard in their lessons and Gaius, in his history, proved himself to be a great general by spotting traps before they did in real life. Their army training began a year later. They were taught by the best gladiator, who was almost mad. He almost killed them once a day and at the end of their training he said that they would have finished if they managed to kill him in a dual.

At that time there are riots in Rome and Gaius, his father, the gladiator and everyone else on the estate had to defend it. His father dies in the fight and because his father was powerful in the senate then he had to take his place in turn. Therefore he went to live with his uncle, Consul Marius.

In Rome there were two main powers, Consul Marius and Consul Sulla. They try and force the other out of Rome, so that they are in sole power. Marius manages to get Sulla away from Rome and so when there is news of Sulla's return he gets his legion onto the walls to defend Rome. Sulla manages to get inside Rome by bribing people inside to kill Marius's men from behind. Sulla manages to take sole control of Rome and exiles Gaius, now Julius because he had married, from Rome.

Gaius is a determined individual who will face up to any challenge. He is an extremely quick thinker, working out people's thoughts as he goes along.

I think that this is definately one of the best books that I have ever read. I like ancient history so it appeals to me but I am sure that you will like this.

"The Gates of Rome" by Conn Iggulden is well written and expressed excellently