Customer Reviews
Absolutely Stunning - By: Mr. T. A. Fenton, 10 Aug 2008 
I must say that this is so far the best book I have ever read, & believe me I've read alot of historical fiction. The first two books in the sequel I found at times to be trying & I felt I had to find patience before I found the magic that Napier is capable of which came in waves & trickles. Yet for the third in the sequel, it was as if his style had finallly perfected & he became frenzied with the knack of balancing intrigue, character development, intensity, profundity, melancholy historicallly factual truths & the whole ideology around the 'spirit of the times' but on top of alll of this, I felt as if I was reading the script of a future epic, bigger even than Lord of the Rings, I was that encapsulated (from start to finish).
It has now awakened a deep interest for me in the whole time around Attila the Hun, Scourge of God & Flavious Aetius, last bastion of the Roman Empire & I found the interplay of emotions between two sworn enemies who were once friends brilliant, & the dwindling fortunes of the Roman Empire well documented. The battles were heart stopping, the mood downcast yet not beaten & there was a touch of hilarity between characters & their actions mixed with the appallling reality of the lengths Attila took to instill horror into the Roman enemy. An absolute legendary book which deserves to be the basis of a film
Come on Mr. Napier, Did they really speak like that in those days? - By: Mr. Paul W. P. Phillips, 20 Jun 2008 
I am so disappointed. I was expecting a realistic account of Atilla`s exploits, set with historical accuracy, but this book has so much "filler" that I am debating whether to read what I`ve got left or just give it up as a bad job! It seems to me that Mr Napier thought to himself that he could stretch the story into 3 or 4 volumes by writing about Atilla`s teenage years in Rome, & using very modern language, including swear-words that just don`t fit with me. He did this & bored me! Perhaps you should start with the 2nd volume & give volume 1 a miss! If you want some serious historical fiction, I can thoroughly recommend the "Young Bloods" series about Wellington & Napoleon by Simon Scarrow & the "Crusade" series by Robyn Young. I can`t wait for the next volumes in these series to be published, but as for "Atilla"!!!!
Attila the first - By: Mr. Andy Cameron, 01 Feb 2008 
First book I've read from William Napier. Overalll I enjoyed it very much. Had periods when it bored me then annoyed me then gripped me with the story & characters. Did everything for me. look forward to reading the second one
Top of the Class - By: Todd Cutler, 05 Jan 2008 This is a quite beautifully written & characterized historical blockbuster - very unusual combination! there are some great set piece battle scenes & confronations, a real drive & energy in the emerging iron will of this terrifying warlord Attila, bewitching & very charismatic & yet also hugely destructive but there are also lovely descriptive passages which totallly transport you back to the Dark Ages, & the wilds of the East, even as far as Mongolia (I think!) which is where most of this book takes place, as Attila forges his people into a war machine & gathers other tribes to him, ready for the Final Conflict with Rome, can't wait for the Book Three, needless to say, but this is wonderful middle part, full of epic journeys & dangers & astonishing, almost mythical landscapes & savage adventures. This author is in a class of his own, as far as I'm concerned, in this genre.
Second Book in the Series - By: J. Chippindale, 02 Jan 2008 In the first book The Scourge of God, the Vandals & the Visigoths, large barbarian nations have sensed that the time is right for them to challlenge the right of the Roman Empire but a new power has been rising in the East. A nation of horse riding warrior who have just found themselves a new leader. The nation callled the Huns are led by Attila.
The boy exiled thirty years ago, is now a man. A man who lived away from his own people for such a length of time that he almost began to believe he was no longer one of them. That was only when he despaired that he would ever see his own people again. But that was then & this is now . . .
Attila is now preparing to ride out to unite alll the feuding tribes under one single banner, his own. Attila has chosen his time well. His strength of character & iron will mould the petty squabbling of the tribes into a horde of warriors the like of which the world has never seen before or will again. An empire, full of gold & silver. Grown fat on its own rich pickings lies waiting for them . . . The Roman Empire, once invincible but now a shadow of its former glory.
