Rating: 
Summary: What's real and what isn't?
Review: Mr. Iggulden has the ability to craft a nicely-told story in such an action-packed way that I'm surprised he is a novelist and not a screen-play writer. With so much rich history and fascinating personages during the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, does one really need to make things up to be a good read? I don't think.
Brutus was NEVER a centurion, for goodness sakes! Aristocracy filled the officer ranks, not the non-coms. Centurion ranking would have been an insult, if not an utter impossibility. The ultimate example is the fabrication regarding the poisoning death of Sulla . . . a glaring historic inaccuracy. After reading that, the book just became another alternative history novel.
And yes, the pirates were crucified, every last one of them. Mr. Iggulden apparently believes that his readers don't have the stomach for that, or he is trying to paint a portrait of Caesar as if he had the moral sensibilities of today. Nothing could be further from the truth . . . just like this novel.
If you want to read a gripping accounting of Caesar's capture, captivity, escape, and eventual revenge upon the pirates, I would suggest reading `Cutter's Island' by Vincent Panella. It is told in the first person, from Caesar's perspective. A vastly superior account of this event in the young Caesar's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: On the site at amazon.co.uk, someone wrote that this book is clearly the marmite of the book world. You either love it or hate it. I loved it. My dad loved it enough to have his own copy, so he could have a complete set. It's a keeper.I found Iggulden's website and there are two more to come - I'll be getting them both and I can recommend this one to anyone who reads Bernard Cornwell, David Gemmell, or Simon Scarrow. Yes, he's played fast and loose with the history, but there's an afterword to set the record straight and the story was enough to start me looking for more books on Rome. Simon P - with a hey hey monkey 1!
Rating:
Summary: HISTORICAL FICTION MEANS HISTORICAL FICTION
Review: Some times real history is boring and we want to hear what we want to hear. Like for instance the Gettysburg address is considered one of the greatest speeches in American History, but woud you like to hear that when Linclon gave the speech, hardly anyone was moved, they were soaking wet from satnding listening to Websters 4 hour long speech and they were too tired and wet to even care. But in history class, you dont hear that because nobody wants to know. And I hate to admit it to you but in the back of the book there is a list of things the author changed. Did you not see that somehow, if you want to learn real history fo to school, but if you want enjoy some bits of history in a great read, buy this book. I read it twice in a week, and ive read it 5 times since then.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad if you don't mind alternate histories....
Review: Somewhat entertaining, and I give any author credit for writing a readable story, but as far as Julius Caesar's life goes, this ongoing series is more of an alternate version than anything else - just keep that in mind.
Those more interested in a much more historically-accurate, as well as meticulously-researched and vivdly-detailed series on Caesar and/or the fall of the Roman Republic should read Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series, in which Caesar's life begins midway through the 3rd book, "Fortune's Favorites".
Rating: 
Summary: Second volume in the fictional saga about Julius Caesar
Review: The second volume in Conn Iggulden's saga of the life and times of Julius Caesar (begun with "The Gates of Rome"). He again employs the device used in the first volume, concluding the book with an historical disclaimer, a brief Appendix which points out the liberties he's taken with history in order to make his narrative run more smoothly. Iggulden freely admits that he's re-written history. It's pointless criticising him for historical inaccuracies - this is pure fantasy, it's not a work of history.
Again, as a piece of fantasy, as a piece of fiction, this second volume works very well. It's a fast-paced thriller and adventure yarn set against a background of the Roman world. We follow the adolescent Caesar into early manhood, He joins the army, serving aboard a warship, and tours the Mediterranean battling pirates, provincial revolts, and mutinous slaves. A rising star, he takes his place at the political centre of Rome and learns early lessons in how to manipulate the Senate vote. Wherever he goes, he wins over men and women ... and makes an enemy of two.
Caesar is the hero of the novel. This is not an in-depth psychological study of an historical figure. Iggulden's characterisation is largely uncritical - Gaius Julius Caesar is the good guy, and the bad guys are obviously the bad guys. There are tensions and problems being set up for the next volume ... but this is well-paced, engaging page-turner. It is not a demanding read, it does not (as I said in my review of the first volume) make any claim to be great literature. But if you like an historical thriller or adventure, the narrative will sweep you up and carry you along, and give you hours of enjoyment.
But, a word of warning - if you haven't read "The Gates of Rome", do so before you start this book. There is background you are better off knowing about and character development and plot development which is essential for you to understand.
If you enjoy a good roller coaster adventure yarn with some sort of historical setting, then this is an excellent read ... and you can look forward to the third volume, "The Field of Swords".
Rating:
Summary: A great story
Review: This book saved me from terminal boredom in Auckland airport (excuse the pun). As I wasn't going anywhere for 27 hours, I bought this there and read it sipping the worst coffee I've ever had. The story is exciting and the characters were just wonderful. I loved the relationships between this Band of Brothers and the women. God, the women! Servilia is the sexiest thing to walk through Auckland airport while I was there, at least. Iggulden does war like no one else and every now and then, there's a moment of humour from nowhere that made me laugh aloud. You won't believe the speed of this thing - it races along from start to finish, with scenes cutting away to other scenes before I'd got my breath back. As for the historical part, I'm not a Roman expert - I have a girlfriend. I did read the afterword at the back where he goes through the changes and that was interesting. I'm surprised some of the reviewers missed it. I suppose they think they know it all already. I didn't know Julius Caesar was captured by pirates and held for ransom, or raised an army in Greece when he was barely old enough to shave. Fascinating - and if he's not wearing the right colour tunic for the purists, well, I can live with that for the sake of a good story I wouldn't want to have missed. This isn't literature to change the world - it's just a racing thriller with some of the most famous characters in history. Wilbur Smith does the same thing. I say that like I mean 'That's all' - but it's more than enough and a lot better than some of the pap out there. This is a book you give up your weekend for - or a day at Auckland when everyone else seems to have gone home. Give me more!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!
Review: This book was awesome!! Inggulden has found a way seemlessly inertwine true events and people with his own adventure story to create an absolutely stunning hisorical fiction book.
The thing that annoys me is that all the reviewers of this book are complaining about the lack of historical accuracy in this book. Read the historical note in the back of the book!!!!
C. Inggulden clearly states that he distorted the facts a little to better suit the plot of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This is great historical fiction. The author does a great job combining fact with fiction to weave a great story. At the end of his books, the author lets us know which content in the book was fact and which was fiction. So all the reviewers complaining about the book not being accurrate need to read this part of the book. It's presented as historical fiction by the author not historical fact.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This is the second book by the author on the life of the most famous Roman of all time Julius Caesar.
The first book was excellent, relating to the period of his boyhood, this one is just as good and I can't wait for the next.
At the start of the book the young Julius Caesar is on board a war galley, and he is gaining a fearsome reputation. Then the ship is captured and he is offered for ransom.
After gathering a force of men to defeat his captors as he had promised them he would, he returns to the city of Rome in triumph.
He then becomes embroiled in a new crisis that is threatening the city, an unknown but rebellious gladiator by the name of Spartacus.
These books take you into the streets of Rome and the minds of the people, as though you were there yourself. You can smell the aromas of the street vendors selling their wares, the wine shops and squallor of the masses.
The author has a unique talent for story telling. I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Ops...he did it again
Review: Unfortunately Soemone gave me a copy og this book.I read half8 Im somewhat of a masochist) Its a book foro children, with a plot too simple, and with so many liberties taken in real history that it should be forbidden to be read by children befor they lear about the roman empire...
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