Customer Reviews
Accessable History for all - By: Gareth Wilson, 18 Sep 2007 
Ross tackles his first full length novel bringing the ancient world of Rome from its humble beginnings to a modern audience with historical facts interwoven in a tale that shows that the epic heroes that modern fantasy has come to exude did have living counterparts in the ancient world. The fact that the book is dedicated to David Gemmell is also a nice touch as many a reader of his books will see paralllels to the "living" heroes within the pages of this tale. A writer of history who has brought the ancient world in a more accessable way to the modern reader & as such means that he should be applauded for tackling this huge subject in such a way. If you're looking for a book to help with research this tale also fulfills the brief & as such will provide that outline for the hero that you feel is missing. Great work Ross.
Fascinating, fun, exciting - history as it should be - By: Rick McGill, 10 Jul 2007 
This is 'boys' own' history, full of charismatic characters & laden with action & adventure. It is meticulously researched & referenced, but has great narrative verve & brims over with enthusiasm.
The book opens with a short introduction about how the Roman legionary was a deadly combination of 'individual warrior' & 'disciplined group soldier', but the warrior in the legionary was always struggling to get out & this could lead to disaster.
Chapter 1 focuses on the Pyrrhic War, in which Rome faced the charismatic adventurer, King Pyrrhus of Epirus. Pyrrhus was a superstar in the ancient world & often compared with Alexander the Great. He wanted to carve out an empire in Italy, but the Romans were having none of that! Even when Pyrrhus was successful in battle against the legions, his casualties were so high that it has given rise to the expression 'Pyrrhic victory'.
Chapter 2 is about divine intervention in Roman battles. The Romans were convinced that the gods aided them in battle, sometimes even fighting with them! The most interesting section of the chapter concerns the battle of Sentinum in which the Roman general 'devoted' himself (that's sacrificed to you & me) to the gods of the underworld in order to secure victory. Bizarre but compelling reading.
Chapter 3 highlights the Roman passion for single combat. This is the longest chapter & contains a wealth of information not only about duels, but also the Roman practice of taking heads, their fascination with scars & habit of displaying them in public & even in the courts, in order to elicit the sympathy of jurors who associated scars with brave deeds. Dr Cowan also dwells on Roman military decorations, swordsmanship, unflattering nicknames & numerous other topics. A veritable gold mine!
Chapter 4 is divided into three sections. The first summarises Julius Caesar's campaigns then launches into a discussion of his loyal & often berserk centurions. Pullo & Vorenus, familiar to many from TV's 'Rome', feature here. The second section investigates the origins of the Praetorian Guard. Again, fascinating stuff & neatly linked with section three, about the Ninth legion. Cowan debunks the demise of the legion as given in the 'The Eagle of the Ninth' & proposes various scenarios for its disappearance.
Chapter 5 is a bit of a mish-mash of material, left-overs one suspects, but it's full of gems such as burly centurions with a passion for poetry & examples of the obscene humour of the legionaries.
The book ends with a brief epilogue about the late Roman army & how its 'barbarian' & provincial soldiers were just as concerned as the legionaries of Caesar to uphold the name of Rome.
Interestingly, the book is dedicated to the late David Gemmell. Dr Cowan states that Gemmell's novel 'Ghost King' ignited his interest in the Roman army. Those familiar with Gemmell's novels will surely also enjoy this book. As the other reviewer says, fans of TV's 'Rome' will probably love this, so too will fans of the Roman-set adventures of Conn Iggulden & Simon Scarrow.
A great read - By: Ronnie Street, 03 Jun 2007 I read this at the recommendation of a friend. Military history, or history in general, is not usuallly my thing. I'd rather read a thriller or the latest Wilbur Smith, but Cowan just keeps on serving up fascinating detail after fascinating detail. What Cowan reveals as historical fact makes the goings on in the TV series `Rome' look tame. Another strongpoint is Cowan's narrative technique, the chapters, especiallly the one about the Pyrrhic war (now I finallly understand the expression `Pyrrhic victory'!), often read like historical fiction. To sum up - just a great read.
