Customer Reviews

The Flames of Rome: A Novel

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the second documentary novel by Dr. Maier (see Pontius Pilate) and is a great introduction to the complex history of the period ruled by Claudius and Nero. Maier takes the primary source material and crafts it into a novel which nontheless stays as true to history as is capable.
I learned much more about the background to the New Testament Church from this book than I did with many seminary bible classes. Dr. Maier actually footnotes many key elements of his novel, and the footnotes will lead you into the tangle of primary sources without getting too lost.
If you want to understand what Paul and the early Church were up against, by all means pick up this book.
4 stars (not 5) due to some slighlty juvenile romance between some of the main characters that takes a little pleasure out of the experience.

From the author of A Skeleton In God's Closet. Outstanding historical fiction, telling the story of Nero's rise to power as emperor of Rome, why he "went bad," and climaxing in the infamous burning of Rome that was blamed on the Christians. This book takes a plethora of historical research, uses that as its foundation, and fills in the blanks with some fine speculation and character enhancement by Maier. It makes history come alive, with vivid brush strokes. This is a definate hidden gem, and one that anyone interested in this era will want to search out.

Along w/ historical notes by a well-respected historian, Flames of Rome offers an interesting and attention-capturing account of Nero's persection of the Christians in 65 AD. Characters are well developed and believable. If you like historical fiction, that is heavy on the history and less on the fiction, this is the book for you.

One of my favorite books! The story is incredibly moving and inspirational. Strengthened my faith to see the faith of these martyrs in action. The heavy historical documentation only caused me to honor these Christian heroes even more and hope to live my life similarly. Strongly recommend this book!

Accounts of the early Christians in ancient Rome sometimes portray all Roman characters as evil, cruel and greedy. Maier provides a more nuanced understanding of the sitatution through his sympathetic portrayal of Flavius Sabinus, a Roman administrator (not himself a Christian) who acts as as an advocate and protector when the wife of a friend is placed in jeopardy because of her religious beliefs. The story generates suspense even though the major culminating events (the burning of Rome and the subsequent execution of Christians by Nero) are well known. This novel was much, much better than I expected based on the title, the cover art, and the commentary on the cover. There was nothing preachy in the narration of the story. Historical fiction readers who do not generally read "Christian fiction" will find that this well researched novel provides a plausible look at life in first century Rome. Through the character of Flavius Sabinus, Maier showed that there were at least a few individual Romans who were horrified, rather than entertained, by Nero's execution of Christians.

The subtitle, "A Documentary Novel," is accurate. The author's novel (pun intended) approach to writing this book was to use only historical personages, and to take no literary license. Fiction there is, but no historical fact is contradicted, and the fill-in fictionalizing is done on the most probabalistic lines. This genre of work is just a few degrees removed from that of Edmund Morris' "Dutch," the Reagan bio into which the author inserted himself as a ficticious person. The detailed notes appended to the story validate the scope and many of the details of the plot. The minute research and command of all surviving historical works from the period, down to unpublished inscriptions found on ruins across the breadth of the Roman Empire, mark the author as among the most deeply versed Classicists alive. As literature, the book's readable and fast-paced plot does not rise to the level of "Quo Vadis?" or "Ben Hur," but easily compares with "The Robe." A stimulating and enjoyable read - all the more facinating because all of the named characters are authentically historical. -Lloyd A. Conway

I couldn't put this book down. If you want feel like you're actually living ancient Rome this is the book for you. I've also read "Pontius Pilate" also by Maier and I'm looking for more. How come I didn't find out about this great author sooner?

This is one of the most moving pieces of literature I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. It is very factual, and well crafted. The last copy of this book I bought has been read so many times it fell apart!

This exceptional novel satisfies even the most knowledgable history buff with its accuracy and extensive bibliography while still containing the thrill of a John Crichton novel! Through several perspectives, Maier draws the reader into the scandals and perverseness of the a government guided by one man's insanity.
Ceaser Nero is of the purest emperial Roman blood. This makes him an equal to the gods themselves, or so he believes. Yet his diety is not enough to protect him from the arising coupes and scandals. He becomes suspicious of everyone, including his own mother. His suspicions turn to anger and this anger always ends in murder.
The climax of the book is attained when his anger becomes directed at an entire group of people, the Christians. As a result, Rome becomes a slaughterhouse of men, women, and children alike in unimmaginable brutality. This near annihlation of an entire religion left a deep scar which the world will remember...forever.

That start of the church is fascinating time, and Maier is adapt at capturing this by adducing from history (which he is a prominent scholar of) and then placing this history in excellent prose, story form.

The spread of Christianity to Rome and the troubles Nero is having with the ghettos provide the backdrop here for Luke's writing to Theopholis (Acts 1, Luke 1).

The spread of the church via the diaspora was central to its launch outside the Middle East, via the Greek language and commerce on an ever growing world.