Customer Reviews

The Gates of Rome (Emperor, Book 1)

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

First off yes, those who state that this book isn't historically correct are correct. The author has taken significant liberties to say the least.

However this is historical fiction, not a history book, so I'm going to review the book as such.

The book gets 5 stars from me because it's one of the most enjoyable reads I've had all year. I quite literally couldn't put it down. I've already ordered the next 3 in the series.

The author does an excellent job of creating a great story. I particularly like authors who can weave a great, exciting story without being ridiculously over descriptive. (I don't need the author to describe every blade of grass to me)

If you can forgive the historical inaccuracy and like fast paced writing then this is more then a worthy read.

I also find it interesting that his books on Genghis Khan get such great reviews in comparison (my guess is that the reason for that lies in the fact that more people are ignorant of the same historical liberties he likely took writing those novels and are judging him solely on his writing.

This is an extremely difficult book to review. I try to give fair and impartial reviews, and will endeavor to do so here, but on one level this book infuriates me and that is hard to overcome. So let's deal with that first. I read this book when it first came out several years ago because I love to read novels that cover Roman history. I remember not liking this book very much at the time and being irritated with it. Memory dims over time (especially mine!) so when I saw the fourth book in this series in the airport a few weeks ago I thought, "well, if he is on number four and it is selling well in the airport, maybe I should give the author a second chance." So I jerked my copy of this book out again last week for a second reading. I really wish I hadn't.

The history in this book is so bad I almost feel that this book should have warning stickers pasted all over it. I think it is entirely misleading to call this historical fiction. There is very little even remotely historically accurate within it. I was so cranky by page two with the historical mistakes that I was scribbling in the margins annotating errors. Some will point out that the author admits to making some changes to historical fact for the sake of story-telling. That is an understatement akin to calling a nuclear detonation an "explosion". It simply doesn't do justice to the scale of the historical liberties taken.

Imagine reading a fictional book about American history that tells a story about George Washington and Thomas Jefferson growing up as best friends together, as children in impoverished circumstances in New York city, who are befriended by a wandering Navajo indian with magical powers. Now imagine that this is being read by lots of children and immigrants without a grounding in basic American history. Sure, the story may be entertaining, but it is so far divorced from any actual history that it would frighten you that people might actually place some faith in this version of history. That's exactly what you have with this book. It is so historically inaccurate it makes me shudder. The story is fair-to-middlin' but I can't forgive the historical license being taken and I feel the book actually does a disservice to many readers. If a great many people are reading this, and forming ideas about Roman society and history based upon this book, then they are being grossly misinformed.

Now for the other side of the review. The story is actually mildly entertaining, or at least I can see how it would be for some. I think there may be many readers who might enjoy this novel, and the ones that come after, based upon the story-telling ability of Conn Igguldsen. The story and narrative style reminds me a lot of the adventure books I enjoyed when I was in the 9 to 12 age range, and could still comfortably read through my twenties actually. I think this actually makes a bit of sense as Mr. Igguldsen was apparently an English instructor to boys in the 9 to 12 range before writing this book. So there are elements of high adventure, youths struggling to find their place in an adult world, and a little outright magic to spice up things. As an adult now, I find a prefer an adult outlook in my stories and a grittier realism than what is found here. So will this story be to your taste? Well if you like adventure books aimed at a younger crowd it's not too bad. If you like literature or writing aimed at adults this is just average fare at best. I'd give the overall writing and story-telling three stars, but this is one of those books where personal preferences tell and some may feel the story deserves four or more stars. Fair enough, and that's why we do these reviews to let others know what we liked and didn't, and more importantly why, so they can determine if this will match up to their tastes. So my verdict is three stars for writing, and negative five stars for a dangerous and totally inaccurate historical picture. Overall, I hate the book but think the writing is ok, so I'll settle out at two stars and just say I didn't like it. I can clearly see however where this book could be given anywhere from one to five stars depending upon who the reader is and their knowledge of Roman history.

The author has fictionalized the life of Julius Caesar until it is unrecognizable slop. Although sources for Julius Caesar's early life are thin, it is no reason to alter family relationships (Aurelia, Caesar's mother, was not a lunatic, nor a plebian, nor was she Gaius Marius' sister) without any understanding of the naming system used by Patrician families or the relationships amongst them. Gaius Marius married Julius Caesar's aunt, Julia, a connection which brought the family into the center of late republican political storms (and Caesar's funeral oration for Julia remains one of his most moving pieces of oratory). Marcus Junius Brutus was hardly the son of a "party girl", and was the heir to a huge Roman fortune. He was also of a generation younger than Caesar, since Caesar's enemies often hissed rumors that Brutus was Caesar's illigitmate child. Is Octavian (Augustus) going to appear out of thin air, since Caesar is an only child and does not possess the sister Julia who will be Octavian's grandmother?

I cannot believe that this got published, and as a history professor, it makes my skin crawl to think that someone might read this and extract some history from it. I love historical fiction, and am willing to suspend belief for some license, but this is sloppy, careless and mauls what we DO know about the families of Caesar, Gaius Marius and Sulla (not to mention Suetonius).

The fact that Iggulden's work is more fiction than it is history did not bother me nearly as much as it apparently did some other reviewers here. I was not expecting anything more than some light entertainment when I first started the book and to that extent, the story does not disappoint. Those looking for a more in-depth treatment and detailed history of Republican Rome will need to search elsewhere.

Although the story starts out somewhat slowly and meanders for about a 100 pages or so, it stills remains engaging enough to maintain the interest of the reader. The tale primarily focuses on two adolescent friends, Gaius and Marcus, but gradually introduces a wide range of diverse characters. The plot picks up some steam when the boys leave behind the country estate of Gaius' father and travel to Rome where they quickly become embroiled in the machinations of two power hungry consuls. The cast of characters increases at this point and while many of these new additions are somewhat stock and predictable, the sheer number of players lends some excitement and uncertainty to the story. The tale probably would have benefitted from more battle scenes and/or a more detailed look at what day-to-day life in the legions was like. Those few battle scenes and depictions of army life which are included are gripping and highly entertaining.

As noted above and pointed out by some other reviewers here, Emperor will never be mistaken for a serious work of true historical fiction. In order to create conflict and advance the story line, Iggulden takes frequent liberties and poetic license is very much the order of the day. Nonetheless, Emperor still manages to offer an engaging story that should entertain most casual afficionados of ancient Rome. I only wish that some of the reviewers here would have resisted the temptation to reveal some of the twists and surprises contained in Iggulden's tale.

I found this book more irritating than anything else. First the history is grossly innacurate. After reading the Masters of Rome series, learning about the time of Marius and Caesar have become a hobby for me. I was delighted to find another book on this pet subject of mine, but right into the story I became derailed with young Caesar growing up on an estate, outside of Rome. Then it gets worse (Marius an uncle on his mother's side, in the walls of Rome and asking for a Triumph) Ungh! But I read on hoping that at least the story would be good, but I'm dissapointed in that too. Total let down, this book is supposedly the first in a series, usually something I read to the very last book, but not this time. Just too bad, really.

I had fun reading this book. Got slightly put off by the violence in the first chapter, but this is Ancient Rome, and they weren't exactly the most gentle people. While being a classics student, I had a little trouble with the non-historical context, as soon as I got to know the characters I forgot about that and was sucked into Rome. I love the style of writing, and everything just seemed so real to me. It's nice to learn about historical Rome, and then go home and sink into a fictional Rome to have some bloody fun. Recommend it to anyone who wants a interesting, well-written book with some violence thrown into the mix.

Marcus Brutus was a generation younger, rumored to be Caesar's son and came from a family of wealth and nobility. Him being Caesar's boyhood friend made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I was going to suggest that my 15 year old read this as an historical novel but forget it. Even children's books on this subject matter reveal these gross errors in history.

Although the opening sequences are as puerile as the protagonists, I think that the author has some talent in writing: I just wish he had used it. It also mystifies me why he felt it necessary to use Brutus and Caesar in such a ridiculous manner. Caesar was born in 100 B.C and Brutus in 85 B.C. And they're growing up together? Brutus wasn't a foundling, but came from an ancient family. Is it really necessary to torture facts in this way simply to reduce Roman history to the level of Days of Our Lives?

On the plus side, the author is able to catch the sense of life in the legions: hence, the second star in my review. I wish he had employed his knowledge in a more mature and subtle story. What a time that was!

Do yourself a favor, read Colleen McCullough, and skip ahead when she gets too involved in the political maneuvering. Or even better, re-read the Iliad for real power, or War and Peace to experience how Tolstoy can sweep you through history with writing that moves like a freight train.

I like to read historical fiction especially that covering the classical world. Therefore, I immediately picked up a copy of Emperor: The Gates of Rome. It is the story of the young Julius Caesar and Marcus, destined to be great Romans. While the story of two young Roman boys had some appeal, I was disappointed by the lack of historicity in both the details of Julius' life and background and in the depiction of Roman culture and society. As only two examples, in this book Marius is Julius' uncle through his mother Aurelia and a Roman magistrate walks through the Forum attended by a single lictor carrying the fasces with an ax and the magistrate is said to have instant power of life or death over Roman citizens. While historical facts are often modified in historical fiction for the sake of the story or for simplicity, rarely are they so fully overthrown. For a fictional story of the young Julius, Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series is much better done.

As a history enthusiast, both of true historical text and historical fiction, I couldn't resist the subject matter of this novel. Unfortunately, it is wrought with a glaring list of historical innaccuracies. If the author researched any aspect of Roman history, he certainly didn't include the results in this novel. The idea presented within, of a young Gaius Julius Caesar, a patrician Roman, going to Rome with no concept of Roman law, government or its political system is implausible and ridiculous. If you enjoy a Huck Finn style story of two boys growing adventures then read this book and you might like it. If you are interested in historical fiction set in the Roman Republic/Empire, then read Colleen McCullough's "First Man in Rome" series.